From Shady Characters

Books by Keith Houston

Cover for "Face with Tears of Joy", showing the face with tears of joy emoji throughout emoji history
Cover of Face with Tears of Joy. (W. W. Norton, 2025.)

Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji is available for pre-order, to be published in July 2025 by W. W. Norton.

A fascinatingly geeky and witty history.

A delightful history.

A history of emoji, where they came from and how they came to dominate our discourse is much needed, and Houston is a witty, pacey raconteur…Face with Tears of Joy is a comprehensive and often illuminating read.


The sun rises behind a pocket calculator, whose display reads "07734"
Empire of the Sum hardcover. (W. W. Norton, 2023.)

Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator is out now, published by W. W. Norton.

An entertaining, informative story about a technology that defined an era.

To describe a calculator as “a symphony of solenoids and switches” (that would be an early, discarded model of what would become the Casio 14-A, which went on the market in 1975 for $1,347) may not be erotica, but it is good writing — and these days, the latter is rather more rare.


Paperback cover of "The Book", showing the title on a cream band against a dark green background.
The Book paperback. (W. W. Norton, 2025.)

The Book is out now, published by W. W. Norton.

Hundreds of books about books have been published during the past century…I will not claim that this one is the very best of all time. Yet The Book is possibly the best of our time.

Erudite, playful, and illuminating…a splendid, challenging mixture of information and fun.


Shady Characters paperback (W. W. Norton, 2014).
Shady Characters paperback (W. W. Norton, 2014).

Shady Characters is out now, published by W. W. Norton and Penguin Books.

Punctuation is not a mere ornament or a curiosity — it is essential, and we need to know about it. Keith Houston’s history is entertaining and readable.

Scholarly, highly readable and, on some deeper level, slightly deranged.