 By
Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator
Golden Triangle PC Club
November 2008
General Overview
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.
Note: This EduManga book is a translation from a bestselling series in
Japan, co-published with Ohmsha, Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan.
Table of Contents
The book's seven (7) chapters include the following:
Ch 1 - Determining Data Types
Ch 2 - Getting the Big Picture: Understanding Numerical Data
Ch 3 - Getting the Big Picture: Understanding Categorical Data
Ch 4 - Standard Score and Deviation Score
Ch 5 - Let's Obtain the Probability
Ch 6 - Let's Look at the Relationship Between Two Variables
Ch 7 - Let's Explore the Hypothesis Tests
The included Appendix covers the use of the supplemental Excel file to
perform actual calculations using Excel formulas.
Author
Shen Takahashi and Trend-Pro, Co, Ltd.
About the Author
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).
Trend-Pro, Co, Ltd
Trend-Pro, Co, Ltd performed the task of transforming the manuscript of Shi
Takahashi into the comic format of the book.
ISBN
ISBN-10 1-59327-189-3
ISBN-13 978-1-59327-189-3
Price
$19.95
Features
224 pages; preface; extensive Japanese comic illustrations; figures; tables;
exercises; appendix; index
Targeted Customers
This book is an excellent introductory book on statistics. The intended
readers are those who need to conduct data analysis for research or
business, those who do not necessarily need to conduct data analysis now but
are interested in getting an idea of what the world of statistics is really
like, and those who have already acquired general knowledge of statistics
and want to learn more.
The Japanese style manga comics are all displayed in a basic,
black-and-white design, which helps to keep down the cost of the book while
also heightening this manga style of drawing. Note also that since this book
is written by a Japanese author, the context of the comic characters that
form the basis of the story of the book is decidedly Japanese. This means
the frequent references to Japanese items, concepts, objects, or
institutions may take some getting used to by Western readers unfamiliar
with Japanese culture.
However, 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. The author succeeds in his purpose of presenting
a clear, easy-to-understand guide to these statistical basics, and this
approach would also well serve a book that focused on the higher level
concepts of statistics that would be covered in most college level
statistics classes. Students new to statistics may find this simple book to
be a useful supplemental tool in their effort to begin to understand
statistics.
Book Updates
Visit
www.nostarch.com/mg_statistics.htm
for access to the Excel files used in the exercises covered in the book.
About No Starch Press
San Francisco based No Starch Press, Inc., publisher of such
best-selling titles as "Steal This Computer Book 3," "The Book of
JavaScript," and "The Linux Cookbook," is an independent publishing company
committed to producing readable, information-packed computer books that make
a difference. No Starch focuses on Open Source, Web development, computer
security, programming tools, and alternative operating systems. No Starch
authors are highly regarded experts who have the rare ability to write about
complex topics clearly and concisely. As a result, No Starch books share a
no-nonsense manner that both educates and entertains.
The Linux Journal Press series offers readers books on cutting-edge Open
Source topics that make a difference, in an effort to advance the acceptance
and usability of Linux. Recent titles include "The Book of Zope,"
"Programming Linux Games," and "The Linux Cookbook." Linux Journal Press
titles are developed in partnership with Linux Journal.
The No Starch international distribution network brings their books to all
major English-language and critical non-English language markets. Their U.S.
distributor, Publishers Group West (PGW), is the largest U.S. distributor
for independent book publishers. PGW sells to all major wholesalers (Ingram,
Baker & Taylor, Bookazine, Koen, etc.), national chains and independents,
online booksellers, and academic and technical bookstores. No Starch also
aggressively pursues sales in non-traditional channels, including corporate
and premium sales, bulk sales, and book clubs.
The No Starch international distributors (including JGA in Canada, Computer
Bookshops in the UK, Woodslane in Australia/New Zealand) reach all major
English and non-English markets with large technical populations. They also
maintain extensive contacts with international publishers who translate
their books and bring them to their markets in their local language.
William Pollock, founder and publisher of No Starch Press, Inc. (and
co-founder of APress) has over fifteen years of book publishing experience.
No Starch Press benefits from his experience in professional reference,
scientific, college, and trade publishing. Mr. Pollock has worked his way up
through the publishing ranks from editorial assistant, to sales
representative, to acquisitions editor, to publisher. He knows the book
publishing business from the ground up.
Contact
Travis Peterson
Sales & Marketing Assistant
No Starch Press
555 De Haro St., Suite 250
San Francisco, California 94107
800-420-7240
415-863-9900, Ext. 300
FAX 415-863-9950
travis@nostarch.com
www.nostarch.com |
The Manga Guide to Statistics