THE MANGA GUIDE TO PHYSICS : English Edition

San Francisco, CA: No Starch Press/ Ohmsha Ltd, 2009. First Edition, 4th Printing . Paperback. New/None as Issued. Keita Takatsu (Illustrator). Professor Hideo Nitta, faculty member in the Dept of Physics, Tokyo Gakugei Univ. uses the genre of fiction, graphic novels & Manga cartoons to de-mystify physics. First published 2006 in Japanese under the title "Manga de Wakaru Butsuir [Rikigaku hen]; this is the English language edition. Physics textbook in an innovation format. Here we follow the adventures of Megumi --- a star athlete, but a complete failure in her physics class. She does so poorly & is so worried that she can no longer concentrate on her tennis matches. Luckily, Megumi's new friend Ryota happens to be a patient, physics geek! Ryota uses real-world examples to help Megumi grasp classic mechanics (Newton's laws of motion, vectors & scalars, inertia, velocity, & acceleration), and, improve her tennis in the process! Readers, young or old, learn 1) Application of Newton's 3 Laws of Motion, 2) Determine how objects will move after collision, 3), Draw vector diagrams & employ trigonometry to solve complex problems; and 4) Calculate changes in an object's kinetic energy as its potential energy increases. 233 pgs w/Manga cartoons in 4 parts following Preface & Prologue: I, Law of Action & Reaction; II, Force & Motion; III, Momentum; and IV, Engery, followed by Epilogue and Appendix. Delightful, solid presentation.