The Mathematics Shelf

The Manga Guide to Cryptography
Masaaki Mitani, Shinichi Sato, Idero Hinoki, and Verte Corp.
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781593277420 $24.95 pbk / $14.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Cryptography-Guides/dp/1593277423

Synopsis: Cryptography is hard, but it's less hard when it's filled with ad= orable Japanese manga. The latest addition to the Manga Guide series, The M= anga Guide to Cryptography, turns the art of encryption and decryption into=
plain, comic illustrated English.

As you follow Inspector Jun Meguro in his quest to bring a cipher-wielding = thief to justice, you'll learn how cryptographic ciphers work. (Ciphers are=
the algorithms at the heart of cryptography.) Like all books in the Manga = Guide series, The Manga Guide to Cryptography is illustrated throughout wit=
h memorable Japanese manga as it dives deep into advanced cryptography topi= cs, such as classic substitution, polyalphabetic, and transposition ciphers=
; symmetric-key algorithms like block and DES (Data Encryption Standard) ci= phers; and how to use public key encryption technology. It also explores pr= actical applications of encryption such as digital signatures, password sec= urity, and identity fraud countermeasures.

The Manga Guide to Cryptography is the perfect introduction to cryptography=
for programmers, security professionals, aspiring cryptographers, and anyo=
ne who finds cryptography just a little bit hard.

Critique: Illustrated with a black-and-white manga (Japanese comics) framin=
g story The Manga Guide to Cryptography is an in-depth educational tool abo=
ut the practice of cryptography - that is, making communication secure from=
spies or adversaries by transforming it into a difficult-to-read encrypted=
state. (It should be noted that the practice of cryptography is something = completely different from digital currencies known as "cryptocurrency", alt= hough cryptocurrencies necessarily utilize a form of strong cryptography.) = Chapters examine the mathematical foundations of encryption, symmetric-key = algorithms, public-key encryption, and practical applications of encryption=
including hash functions, message authentication codes, digital signatures=
, public-key infrastructure, and more. The Manga Guide to Cryptography is e= xtremely accessible, ideal for both classroom use or self-study, and highly=
recommended for high school, college, and public library mathematics colle= ctions. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Manga Guide =
to Cryptography is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).

The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis
Shin Takahashi, Iroha Inoue, and Trend-Pro Co. Ltd.
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781593277284 $24.95 pbk / $14.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Regression-Analysis/dp/1593277288

Synopsis: Follow along with Miu and Risa in The Manga Guide to Regression A= nalysis as they calculate the effect of temperature on iced tea orders, pre= dict bakery revenues, and work out the probability of cake sales with simpl=
e, multiple, and logistic regression analysis. You'll get a refresher in ba= sic concepts like matrix equations, inverse functions, logarithms, and diff= erentiation before diving into the hard stuff. Learn how to:

Calculate the regression equation
Check the accuracy of your equation with the correlation coefficient
Perform hypothesis tests and analysis of variance, and calculate confidence=
intervals
Make predictions using odds ratios and prediction intervals
Verify the validity of your analysis with diagnostic checks
Perform chi-squared tests and F-tests to check the goodness of fit

Whether you're learning regression analysis for the first time or have just=
never managed to get your head around it, The Manga Guide to Regression An= alysis makes mastering this tricky technique straightforward and fun.

Critique: Regression Analysis is a type of statistical modeling used to est= imate relationships between variables - for example, calculating the effect=
of local outdoor temperature on a shop's iced tea orders. The Manga Guide =
to Regression Analysis uses black-and-white manga (Japanese comics) to make=
learning regression analysis accessible and fun! Chapter 1 presents a refr= esher on necessary mathematic fundamentals such as differentiation and matr=
ix operations; Chapter 2 covers simple regression analysis; Chapter 3 explo= res multiple regression analysis; and Chapter 4 discusses logistic regressi=
on analysis. The manga pages tell a delightful framing story about a young = maid cafe worker who wants to learn regression analysis, her brilliant co-w= orker, and the handsome but shy student who frequents their cafe, but make =
no mistake - The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis is at its core a detail= ed, in-depth educational tool ideal for classroom use or self-study! Highly=
recommended, especially for high school, college, and public library Mathe= matics collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The = Manga Guide to Regression Analysis is also available in a Kindle edition ($= 14.99).

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