Manga is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. In their modern form, manga date from the 1950s, but have a long, complex history in earlier Japanese art. In Japan, manga are widely read by people of all ages, include a broad range of subjects and have steadily become an important part of the Japanese publishing industry.

Until recently my experience with manga has been in the realms of fiction, and rather superficial. Now I am discovering a whole new series that would have made a considerable difference to my secondary maths and science results!

No Starch Press based in San Francisco, have a growing list of Manga guides written to demystify areas of maths (including calculus, linear algebra and statistics) and science (including electricity, molecular biology, biochemistry and physics). Each book has an amusing storyline based on a character who is struggling to understand basic but tough maths or science concepts, and who is helped by a teacher or mentor figure.

These books are educational but also quirky, painless and practical, and would work both as an introduction to these areas of knowledge or to provide a useful refresher. And isn’t it a sign of the times that Nostarch Press are offering a free ebook with each print purchase?

review by Jan

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