“The Manga Guide to Electricity”, part of “The Manga Guide” series by No Starch Press, is a novel approach to the old problem of getting over the initial mental block when trying to learn electronics.
We decided to compare this book to another introductory text: “Getting Started in Electronics” by [Forrest M. Mims]. [Mims]’ book is a handwritten masterpiece of electronic literature. The writing style is friendly and concise, the examples are simple, and the drawings are excellent. It also makes sure to keep the learning process as application based as possible. Unlike other books, it doesn’t bog the reader down with math and theory that is only useful to advanced students. Since its original printing in 1983, [Mims]’ has become the de facto standard for beginner electronic literature.
“The Manga Guide” attempts to walk the beginner through the very basics of electronics using the interactions between [Rereko], a resident of planet Electopia; [Yonosuke], a transdimensional robot cell phone; and [Hikaru Yano Sensei], an electrical engineering researcher at a Japanese university. [Rereko] is apparently very bad at electricity, and is sent to learn the basics from Hikaru over the summer by her professor.
“The Manga Guide” is a lot of fun to read. The interactions between the characters are lighthearted, and the whole setting has a sort of quirkiness about it that makes you keep reading just for the joy of it. It covers most of the basics thoroughly and with excellent examples. The art is a very well drawn, playful style of manga.
Unfortunately, in order to keep the story going, a lot of little but important details were left out of the manga. To compensate for this, there are mini chapters of what can be politely described as some of the most dry electronics text ever written. We found ourselves skipping over this text often to get back to the manga parts of the book. Another disadvantage to this book is that it is hard to go back to previous pages in order to reference things since one subject may be spread across several pages of story. This is just an unfortunate side effect of the manga format. A book like [Mims]’ has the advantage here because the information is denser and easily indexed.
In conclusion, this book is a great addition to any library, but not to be relied on for learning. While “The Manga Guide to Electricity” introduces you to the basics very well, unless you want to suffer through the mini chapters, you will be no closer to building a circuit at the end than when you started reading. [Mims]’ book, on the other hand, leaves you with all the skills to begin experimenting with, building, and designing your own circuits. Luckily, at the price range of this book, there is really no reason not to pick it up and give it a read.
No Starch Press has provided us with two copies to give away. Just leave a comment including the words “I want this book.” and you’ll be entered in the random drawing. Please only use the phrase once or you’ll be disqualified. Entries will close 12PM PDT Thursday August 6, 2009. Congratulations to our winners [daniel n.] and [Fiach Antaw].
I’m curious… Are all you guys who are complaining about 4chan and people “posting the same thing 300 times” talking about the “I want this book.” posts? If so, did you even take the time to read the whole article, or even the last paragraph?!
I have strong feeling that it just a crap
@michaelb: yes we did, this looks like a effort to flood the selection pool though. A high hit entry on this site is usually lucky to get over 40 comments.
4chan is reputable for things like this. Even if it’s not most of these people are just tasteless consumers and deserve the slander anyway.
I have the mims “scrapbook” style book its held up against, It’s great worth a look….. ;)
@Choscura
amen! i don’t know why people like this anime crap… i can’t stand it. i knew people in college that watched that garbage.
If 4chan was going to get behind something like this, they would have nuked the site, the provider, and likely a small attached branch of the net with millions of posts, not hundreds.
They aren’t merely random A**holes, they are semi-professional A**holes with a sense of purpose. there is a difference.
This likely just caught the notice of of some random small chat board of weeaboo/furry/pedo/tentacleporn wankers who had to have the book just because its manga, and all started posting.
I doubt the target market can or would wrap their brain around the actual subject matter, but the title might look good right next to the ubiquitous japanese language manuals they always have. They have never read them, but must have some on the shelf to look ‘serious’ and add some supposed intellectual weight to whats essentially a childs comic book collection.
I want this book.
this book wants me
I sez — i want this book
i want a pony.
… whaaaat?
that’s cool ………..for intro ..with baby
and I interest it too.
i want this book
PDF PLEASE
i bought this book.
wow. flash mob?
I need torrent for this book!
fIRST OFF: FOREST M MIMS THE 3RD IS A GOD, BUY HIS BOOKS! i HAVE ALMOST ALL OF THEM.
SECOND: i FUCKING HATE ANIMAE, HATE IT! IT CORRUPTED MY LITTLE SISTERS MIND! NOW SHE THINKS IT’S OK TO WALK AROUND WITH FAKE CAT EARS AND A TAIL IN FUCKING WALMART (SHE’S 16!), AND EVERY TIME I TALK TO HER SHE MAKES SOME GAY REFERENCE TO A “SHIMARU BEAST” OR A “KORIKUMO SPELL”, OR SOME OTHER ASIAN SHIT, AND ACTS LIKE IT’S ALL REAL. i DON’T THINK THERE IS ANY WAY TO FIX HER.
THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE ANIMAE HAVE SOME FUCKED UP THOUGHTS, I’VE SEEN SOME PERVERTED ASS SHIT IN SOME OF HER CARTOONS, AND MANGA BOOKS (MOSTLY INVOLVING TENTACLES WHERE TESTICLES SHOULD BE, BLOOD, AND FOR SOME REASON, VOMIT). NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT WHEN I TRY TO WATCH ONE OF THOSE SHOWS, I’M LOST IN ABOUT 3 MINUTES. wHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BUGS BUNNY, AND MARVEL COMICS? WHY DOES THIS NEWER GENERATION OF KIDS HAVE SUCH AN OBSESSION WITH THIS CRAP? i’M SICK OF SEEING IT, I THINK WE SHOULD SHOVE IT ALL BACK IN WHATEVER NASTY HOLE IT CRAWLED OUT OF. SORRY FOR THE RANT.
True
@Tim
Watch Totoro, it’s a famous japanese children’s movie. You’ll like it despite yourself. Actually, watch any Miyazaki film.
Guess what? I WANT THIS MANGA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck this book
Te US Navt electricity and electronics training manuals can be down loaded off the web for free. search for neets I believe
I quest for thine novel.
wow xD I gotta find a copy of this, that’s too cool.
i want this book… no… i *have* this book :D
Serious… this book is a fantastic to introduce a newbie to eletricity. I not hate manga, i simple lovely anime and manga, but i not stupid enough to walk with false cat ears and tail on walmart eheh
I want this book!!!
;)
I want this book