The Manga Guide to Databases
by Mana Takahashi, Mana Takahashi; ShoÌ„ko Azuma; OÌ„musha. · first published 2005
65% recommend35% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Comic-style introduction to relational databases and SQL that explains core concepts clearly. Suits beginners and people who need practical CRUD skills quickly, though it is a primer, not an in-depth reference.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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…that case, I recommend "The Manga Guide to ..." series. [1] I haven't read all of them, but they're a good attempt. (If you enjoy or can tolerate the quirkiness of japanese manga style.) Check out The Manga Guide to Databases https://smile.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Databases-Mana-Takahash... or The Manga Guide to Statistics https://smile.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Statistics-Shin-Takahas... or The Manga Guide to Linear Algebra…
on “The Talk” ↗You'd like "The Manga Guide to Databases" :) Read the reviews here https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Databases-Mana-Takahashi/... Then buy it direct here https://www.nostarch.com/mg_databases.htm
on “The Children's Illustrated Guide to Kubernetes” ↗The Manga Guide to Databases https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Databases-Mana-Takahashi/...
on “Ask HN: What are the best short tech/engineering books you have read?” ↗…(and basically anything he has written (look him up for references).... I have had the opportunity to talk to mr. Celko, and he added (as I asked him what he thought was the best database-book) the "Manga Guide to Databases" (seriously!), I am reading it now (but I am only in the second chapter), and it seems very good... If you need a good database which honors the standard behaviour closely and has super documentation…
on “Is there a K&R for SQL?” ↗…doesn't matter, given the situation. I think Sandi Metz's Practical Objected Oriented Design in Ruby is great - she does an awesome job of explaining OO principles even if you don't end up writing Ruby. The Manga Guide to Databases is another good read that explains concepts well. I'd also consider a book that shows a quick way to build web apps, like Agile Development in Rails or maybe a book on ColdFusion. Without the ability…
on “Ask HN: Learning to code, without a computer?” ↗I recommend you the "Manga Guide to Databases" :-) It's a very, very good introduction to relational databases and SQL. https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Databases-ebook/dp/B007XL...
on “Ask HN: Need to Learn about Databases” ↗I like the novelty of it. I have a copy of The Manga Guide to Databases at my desk that I occasionally 'lend out' to people that mess up my databases. It won't turn anyone into a db hero but it's a decent primer at least.
on “I wrote a children's book / illustrated guide to Apache Kafka” ↗I've only read a few but its hit-or-miss... to be expected since the series is written by so many different authors. I think the Manga Guide to Databases was really good, but the Manga Guide to Linear Algebra was pretty bad. To be fair, Linear Algebra is really difficult to teach and hard to think of a silly story to wrap it together. But the Princess…
on “The Manga Guide Series” ↗Don't forget The Manga Guide to Databases! I needed to have a good working to do some standard CRUD database things with SQL. The Manga Guide to Databases was the most fun and educational read I have ever had. It covered enough skills for me…
on “Book review: Head First Statistics vs. The Manga Guide to Statistics” ↗[digs out copy of "The Manga Guide to Databases" I bought in school as a gag...but actually turned out to be really good]
on “SQL: One of the most valuable skills” ↗…personally enjoy Robert Greene's books. It's an entertaining mix of education and history. My sister had a Big Book of Murder. Macabre, but interesting. There's stuff like The Game, Neil Strauss. There's The Manga Guide to Databases. Educational junk books are a good place to start.
on “Ask HN: How to Get Addicted to Studying?” ↗I'll vouch for the Manga Guide to Databases. It's a solid first introduction wrapped up in a silly little story about a princess and a fairy. Read numerous 5-star Amazon reviews for more.
on “The Manga Guide Series” ↗Not necessarily SQL, but to get a firm understanding of (relational) databases, I like to recommend "The Manga Guide to Databases". Yes, it's a comic. Yes, not everyone reacts well to the story of a teenage faux-fantasy princess being helped by the database fairy to get her fruit export business to run efficiently. But it teaches…
on “The CSV Virtual Table” ↗The Manga Guide to Databases really is a solid first introduction to the concept.
on “The Arm Manga Guide to the Mali GPU (2021)” ↗I wonder if he read the Manga guide to databases: http://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Databases-Mana-Takahashi/d...
on “The worst program I ever worked on” ↗