SAN FRANCISCO, CA — No Starch Press, publisher of geek entertainment classics like Steal This Computer Book, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation and The Cult of Mac, this winter will launch a new series in a category it calls “Edu-Manga.” The books are translations of best-selling Edu-Manga guides from Ohmsha Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, and they combine authentic Japanese comics with serious educational content.The Manga Guides cover essential scientific and technical subjects like statistics, physics, molecular biology, calculus, electricity, and relativity.

“Manga is an amazing way to teach technical topics,” said No Starch Press founder William Pollock. “Reading manga about statistics is like listening to a live lecture—a bit of an odd lecture, perhaps, but a compelling one. The learning comes naturally and effortlessly as readers progress through each story.”

The English translations of the Japanese best sellers retain their Japanese character (look for wisecracking fairies and examples about ramen noodle prices) while remaining eminently readable and clear. The lead title in the series, The Manga Guide to Statistics (November 2008), will be followed by The Manga Guide to Databases (December 2008) and The Manga Guide to Calculus (March 2009). No Starch Press projects at least eight titles in the new series by the end of 2009.

Whether readers are comic book geeks or students seeking new ways to penetrate difficult subjects, the Manga Guides are sure to both entertain and teach.

The books will be available at brick-and-mortar retail outlets, at Amazon.com and from the publisher’s website, NoStarch.com.