Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator. By Keith Houston. W.W. Norton & Company; 384 pages; $32.50. To be published in Britain in October; £25 WHEN WAS the last time you ...

I don’t know about this, but I’ve heard that the pocket calculator has taken the place of the slide rule. (And here, to illustrate my point, I didn’t speak into my computer, although you ...

In his lively “Empire of the Sum,” Keith Houston looks at the best — and worst — years of the pocket calculator’s life. By Alexander Nazaryan When you purchase an independently reviewed ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your computer’s built-in calculator app is acting like an old ...