The Manga Guide to Statistics is a new offering in the so-called edu-manga category, which aims to teach subjects such as statistics, calculus, and physics through Japanese-style comic art. The storyline involves 17-year-old Rui, who wants to impress the suave, handsome Mr. Igarashi with her knowledge of statistics. To that end, Rui finds herself a tutor - sweet, geeky Mr. Yamamoto, who has agreed to spend his free time teaching Rui the principles of statistics.

Mr. Yamamoto’s conversation is peppered with terms such as deviation scores, histograms, and coefficients of correlation, but the examples he uses make each term easy for Rui to visualize. Will Rui succeed in winning dreamy Mr. Igarashi’s heart through her newly acquired proficiency in statistics? Or will she decide that she prefers an entirely different guy?

This manga succeeds in presenting important statistical concepts in an accessible and entertaining way. The charm of the book lies in the real-world examples it uses: magazine surveys, ramen noodle prices and bowling scores all make an appearance here. The book also includes exercises and answer keys that will help the reader follow along with Rui and Mr. Yamamoto.

The Manga Guide to Statistics can serve as a guide to new students of statistics who fear that their “head is going to explode” or as a refresher for the rest of us.