NON-FICTION
The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis
By Shin Takahashi and Iroha Inoue
No Starch Press (2016)
RRP A$32.99
Regular readers will know that we at Cosmos are great fans of the Manga Guide to Science series co-published by No Starch Press in San Francisco and Tokyo-based technical publisher Ohmsha.
While “Regression Analysis” may at first appear an incongruous subject for Japanese comic treatment, the book is the familiar mix of manga and serious science we have come to expect.
As in most of this series, tough concepts are delivered with humour and a story. In this case Miu has had trouble learning regression analysis, but is helped out by her brilliant café co-worker, Risa, and a handsome customer.
But first the guide begins with a review of the maths needed: inverse functions and differential calculus. It goes on to explain quite sophisticated statistical processes including regression equations, hypothesis testing, variance, and how to perform chi‑squared and F-tests.
The author, Shin Takahashi, graduated from Kyushu University with a master’s degree in information technology and has worked as both a data analyst and an instructor but now specialises in writing technical books full-time.
It’s a great little book if you need to know regression, without doing a full-on mathematical course.