The Manga Guide to Statistics

The Manga Guide to Statistics

by Shin Takahashi and Trend-Pro Co., Ltd
November 2008, 224 pp.
ISBN-13: 
978-1-59327-189-3

Think you can't have fun learning statistics? Think again.

The Manga Guide to Statistics will teach you everything you need to know about this essential discipline, while entertaining you at the same time. With its unique combination of Japanese-style comics called manga and serious educational content, the EduManga format is already a hit in Japan.

In The Manga Guide to Statistics, our heroine Rui is determined to learn about statistics to impress the dreamy Mr. Igarashi and begs her father for a tutor. Soon she's spending her Saturdays with geeky, bespectacled Mr. Yamamoto, who patiently teaches her all about the fundamentals of statistics: topics like data categorization, averages, graphing, and standard deviation.

After all her studying, Rui is confident in her knowledge of statistics, including complex concepts like probability, coefficients of correlation, hypothesis tests, and tests of independence. But is it enough to impress her dream guy? Or maybe there's someone better, right in front of her?

Reluctant statistics students of all ages will enjoy learning along with Rui in this charming, easy-to-read guide, which uses real-world examples like teen magazine quizzes, bowling games, test scores, and ramen noodle prices. Examples, exercises, and answer keys help you follow along and check your work. An appendix showing how to perform statistics calculations in Microsoft Excel makes it easy to put Rui's lessons into practice.

This EduManga book is a translation from a bestselling series in Japan, co-published with Ohmsha, Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan.

Author Bio 

Shin Takahashi graduated from the Graduate School of Design at Kyushu University in Japan. He has worked as a lecturer and performing data analyst and is currently employed as a technical writer. Takahashi has published several books in the Japanese Manga Guide series, including Statistics-Factor Analysis Edition and Statistics-Regression Analysis Edition (both published by Ohmsha).

Table of contents 

Preface
Our Prologue: Statistics with Heart-Pounding Excitement

Chapter 1: Determining Data Types
Chapter 2: Getting the Big Picture: Understanding Numerical Data
Chapter 3: Getting the Big Picture: Understanding Categorical Data
Chapter 4: Standard Score and Deviation Score
Chapter 5: Let's Obtain the Probability
Chapter 6: Let's Look at the Relationship Between Two Variables
Chapter 7: Let's Explore the Hypothesis Tests

Appendix: Let's Calculate Using Excel
Index

View the detailed Table of Contents (PDF)

View the Index (PDF)

Want to try the examples in the book in a different format? Loathe Microsoft Excel? Download a reader-contributed R version of the exercises.

Reviews 

"This is really what a good math text should be like. Unlike the majority of books on subjects like statistics, it doesn't just present the material as a dry series of pointless-seeming formulas. It presents statistics as something fun, and something enlightening. It shows you why you should care about this material, and how it's useful even to people in non-mathematical fields."
Good Math, Bad Math (Read More)

"If you want to introduce a subject that kids wouldn't normally be very interested in, give it an amusing storyline and wrap it in cartoons."
Makezine.com (Read More)

"The art is charming and the humor engaging. Readers will enjoy following Rui as she struggles with math concepts while showing off her new school uniform and realizing her romantic feelings for her tutor."
School Library Journal (Read More)

"Provides accurate, clearly related statistical content as the underlying schoolgirl-crush story line unfolds. . . Recommended."
Choice Magazine

"The Manga Guide to Statistics is filled with great examples, twists, humor and memorable characters while still being able to stay on topic. It is definitely way better than trying to comprehend a bland statistics book."
Dr. Dobb's CodeTalk (Read More)

"Every example, both in the cartoon and at the end of the chapter, uses real-life examples that would be of interest to the average teenager and, thus, makes the text more relevant."
Animefaniac (Read More)

"It's both authentic, straight-from-Japan manga and a valuable book of learning, which seems almost redundant to me, since I've already learned so many important things from manga over the years."
Jog - The Blog (Read More)

"For those who've been taking math classes in high school or college, I think this book will be very helpful in making statistics easier to understand."
AstroNerdBoy's Anime & Manga Blog (Read More)

"This book is an excellent introductory book on statistics. The material is well organized around the fundamental, basic concepts you would expect to find in a book that serves as an introduction to the field of statistics."
Golden Triangle PC Club (Read More)

"I've already had a couple of instances where I've recommended The Manga Guide to Statistics to a co-worker or friend who was boggled by statistics. I'll probably continue to recommend it when I run into similar situations."
The On Ruby Blog (Read More)

"All I remember about statistics from my teen years is that it was much harder than I thought it would be. It's a shame they didn't have fun books like The Manga Guide to Statistics back then. This book is fun and entertaining, yet instructional and educational."
connectwithyourteens.blogspot.com (Read More)

"If you know when you need, for example, a histogram, then this book will help you remember how to make one."
Comics Worth Reading (Read More)

"I think that the real strength of The Manga Guide to Statistics may be in helping younger people to find the entry into this kind of work to be more entertaining. Kids would be, I think, much more likely to actually pick this up and find out if they are interested in statistics as opposed to a regular text book."
Geek Book (Read More)

"Inoue's art is clean, cute and simplified, and it works with machine-like efficiency—the artist not only knows and speaks the language of manga, but does so fluently, which makes this a better effort than some of the other, more cynical attempts to use a hot, new publishing craze to try and get kids interested in some form of education, be it classic literature or test-taking."
Newsarama.com (Read More)

"For students who have difficulty with math or statistics, this may be a good introduction, making the lessons more interesting and fun than using a standard textbook."
Sacramento Book Review, January 2009 (Read More)

"Where The Manga Guide to Statistics really shines is in its presentation of its intended learning material."
Japanator (Read More)

"This manga succeeds in presenting important statistical concepts in an accessible and entertaining way. The charm of the book lies in the real-world examples it uses: magazine surveys, ramen noodle prices and bowling scores all make an appearance here."
Curled Up With A Good Book (Read More)

"The art is nicely clean and filled with just the right amount of detail, and the characters are quite expressive and given to funny asides. I laughed every time Rui made a scared face at a complicated equation."
Warren Peace (Read More)

"This book covers the basics of statistics, and starts in on the more challenging topic of probability discussions. If you need a math refresher, this is enjoyable."
Ink 19 (Read More)

"Besides taking a chill-pill from the traditional way of describing dull statistical information, The Manga Guide to Statistics offers a visualization of statistics that can't be found in any mere textbook. In the illustrated format, Rui and Mr. Yamamoto provide a backdrop to the mathematical lessons with an overall plot capable of being called a shojo."
Anime 3000 (Read More)

"If you are looking for an easy to understand and quality introduction that includes a bit of frivolity, you will find this book both useful and enjoyable. I did."
Matthew Helmke (dot) Net (Read More)

"Since the level is elementary and the examples simple, the complete hand calculation is shown, something that I would love to see in all advanced-level texts!"
Scientific Computing (Read More)

"The Manga Guide to Statistics is a great introduction for anyone who wants to learn statistics."
TaoSecurity (Read More)

Extra Stuff 

Sample pages from The Manga Guide to Statistics:

book spread