Review by Choice Review
If this reviewer were an undergraduate student having a hard time understanding basic Newtonian physics, this book would certainly provide an alternative view of the subject. About two-thirds of the book is written in manga style and format. The other third consists of textbook-like discussions of the mathematics and calculus involved. The book has two main characters. Ryota, a noted physics student, teaches Megumi about the basics of Newtonian physics. Ryota is a stereotypical bookish physics nerd--he is somewhat clumsy, and his socialization skills are less than perfect. Megumi seems somewhat emotional, but thankfully, Nitta (physics, Tokyo Gakugei Univ.) and Takatsu do not give her a stereotypical "dumb jock" personality. Since Megumi is involved in tennis and other sports, these activities are used in the demonstrations and illustrations. To keep the reader's interest, superheroes pop in and out of the book, and the main characters suddenly find themselves in different settings or outfits. The academic content seems fine. There is not enough material to warrant its use as a textbook, but students should enjoy reading this work to see basic Newtonian physics from a different perspective. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers. J. R. Kraus University of Denver
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
