Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator [Hardcover]

A [An] enlightening history. Fas?cin?at?ing [&] a cre?ation story of tech break?throughs be?get?ting first-of-their-kind di?gital cal?cu?lat?ors. Houstons narrative is full of oddballs, many of them brilliant& Houstons sprightly history aims to give the calculator the recognition it deserves as a stepping stone to the digital era& He makes a convincing case, in sum, for the significance of the calculator. Walking readers from a 42,000-year-old counting aid to digital spreadsheets, the book provides a breezy mathematical history tour through the development of number systems, slide rules, mechanical calculators and microchips.? This thor?ough study ex?plains com?plex tech?nical ad?vance?ments with wit and charm. Math lov?ers and his?tory buffs will be equally en?ter?tained. An entertaining, informative story about a technology that defined an era. Keith Houston unfolds a complex and fascinating history of numeracy, the evolution of technology, and the human desire to push our capabilities ever further. Deep, fun, and insightful all at once: my favorite type of technology book. Houston serves as a fantastically insightful and accessible tour guide on this charming journey of an oft-overlooked invention that changed the world and, in its demise, radically changed the world once again.