The Manga Guide to Electricity

by Kazuhiro Fujitaki, Matsuda, and Trend-Pro Co, Ltd.

March 2009, 224 pp.

ISBN-13:

978-1-59327-197-8

“Absolutely amazing for teaching complex ideas and theories. . . Excellent primers for serious study of physics topics.”
—Physics Today

Rereko is just your average high-school girl from Electopia, the land of electricity, but she's totally failed her final electricity exam! Now she has to go to summer school on Earth. And this time, she has to pass.

Luckily, her ever-patient tutor Hikaru is there to help. Join them in the pages of The Manga Guide to Electricity as Rereko examines everyday electrical devices like flashlights, heaters, and circuit breakers, and learns the meaning of abstract concepts like voltage, potential, current, resistance, conductivity, and electrostatic force.

The real-world examples that you'll find in The Manga Guide to Electricity will teach you:

What electricity is, how it works, how it's created, and how it can be used
The relationship between voltage, current, and resistance (Ohm's law)
Key electrical concepts like inductance and capacitance
How complicated components like transformers, semiconductors, diodes, and transistors work
How electricity produces heat and the relationship between current and magnetic fields

If thinking about how electricity works really fries your brain, let The Manga Guide to Electricity teach you all things electrical in a shockingly fun way.

Author Bio

Kazuhiro Fujitaki is a lecturer at the Tokyo Metropolitan Vocational Skills Development Center. He has written a number of books on electrical engineering and runs a website offering useful information about Japan's qualifying examinations for electrical technicians.

Table of contents

Preface
Prologue: From Electopia, The Land of Electricity

Chapter 1: What is Electricity?
Chapter 2: What are Electric Circuits?
Chapter 3: How Does Electricity Work?
Chapter 4: How Do You Create Electricity?
Chapter 5: How Can You Conveniently Use Electricity?

Epilogue
Index

View the detailed Table of Contents (PDF)
View the Index (PDF)

Reviews

The Manga Guide to Electricity "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."
—Hack a Day (Read More)

"The Manga Guide to Electricity makes accessible a very intimidating subject, letting the reader have fun while still delivering the goods."
—GeekDad Blog, Wired.com (Read More)

"It is a fairly comprehensive look at the subject of electricity, with most of the major topics covered. At the end of the book, the reader should have a fairly good grasp of the science of electricity and electromagnetism, so it certainly serves the job of a primer on the subject."
—About.com, Physics (Read More)

"It was with The Manga Guide to Electricity where I finally discovered the power of this series."
—The Anime Almanac (Read More)

"Electricity is complicated. The Manga Guide to Electricity makes understanding it a little easier, or at least a little easier to swallow."
—Change.org (Read More)

"If you know anyone, especially someone who enjoys manga, whether a teenager or a kid at heart, or just someone who appreciates art with their text, who also is interested in a solid and interesting basic introduction to electricity, this book is well worth the read. I recommend it highly and am going to take a closer look at the entire series of manga guides that is still growing."
—Matthew Helmke (dot) Net (Read More)

"For parents trying to give their kids an edge or just for kids with a curiosity about their electronics, The Manga Guide to Electricity should definitely be on their bookshelves."
—Sacramento Book Review (Read More)

"The author succeeds in presenting a clear, easy-to-understand guide to electricity. This valuable book serves as an excellent introduction to electricity, and would fit perfectly in any middle school science curriculum."
—Golden Triangle PC Club (Read More)

The Manga Guide to Electricity "will ground you solidly in how electricity works, including it's creation, how it's influenced, and manipulated. Concepts of current, capacitance, potential, voltage, and so on, are all well taught, including the primary methods used to generate electricity in the world today. The result of this book may be enough to help the reader pass an exam similar to what Rereko faces, and possibly for a few, it might spawn enough curiosity to explore the topic further."
—James Pyles, A Million Chimpanzees Blog (Read More)

"I really think this is a great way of teaching and is a wonderful aid for those taking classes on electricity. I know I learned quite a few things that I didn't know."
—AstroNerdBoy's Anime & Manga Blog (Read More)

The Manga Guide to Electricity "supplies a great mix between the storyline and the lessons in which Hikaru teaches the basics of electricity to Rereko."
—Dr. Dobb's CodeTalk (Read More)

"There is a lot to like about The Manga Guide to Electricity. . . a must read."
—Blogcritics.org (Read More)

"If you're looking for an interesting way to learn about electricity, then The Manga Guide to Electricity is probably the book for you."
—Allgeektout (Read More)

"A great introduction for readers of any age, and an exemplar of technical communication."
—Linux Users of Victoria (Read More)

"This book makes things that put you asleep into a new and fun adventure."
—Adult Summer Reading 2009 (Read More)