Overall Concept:

Its not very often that I get a technical book to come across my desk that makes me smile just from the cover. A Manga Guide to Databases seems absurd, as a concept. Seems overly cute as a book and a cover graphic. But could the concept actually work? Kids these days have cartoons teaching them about absolutely everything so why not comics doing the same.  Thinking about this book and this series from No Starch press as Schoolhouse Rock for Adults helps too. I have a couple other books by No Starch with my favorite being The Guide to Overclocking.

The author Mana Takahashi and Illustrator  Shoko Azuma have structured this book in a very logical way, but managed to weave a lesson into the story as well. The concept, comic art as instruction takes a bit of getting used to if you are used to strict technical manuals. Read the rest of this entry »