Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator

Starting with hands, abacus, and slide rule, humans have always reached for tools to simplify math. Pocket-sized...
€45,49 EUR
€45,49 EUR
SKU: 9780393882148
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 303 left in stock
Author: Keith Houston
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: €45,49
10 customers are viewing this product
Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator by Houston, Keith

Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator

€45,49

Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator

€45,49
Author: Keith Houston
Format: Hardcover
Language: English

Starting with hands, abacus, and slide rule, humans have always reached for tools to simplify math. Pocket-sized calculators ushered in modern mathematics, helped build the atomic bomb, took us to the bottom of the ocean, and accompanied us to the moon. The pocket calculator changed our world, until it was supplanted by more modern devices that, in a cruel twist of irony, it helped to create. The calculator is dead; long live the calculator.

In this witty mathematic and social history, Keith Houston transports readers from the nascent economies of the ancient world to World War II, where a Jewish engineer calculated for his life at Buchenwald, and into the technological arms race that led to the first affordable electronic pocket calculators. At every turn, Houston is a scholarly, affable guide to this global history of invention. Empire of the Sum will appeal to math lovers, history buffs, and anyone seeking to understand our trajectory to the computer age.



Author: Keith Houston
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 08/22/2023
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.27lbs
Size: 8.59h x 5.84w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780393882148


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2023
Publishers Weekly 06/05/2023

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products