Sunday, November 2, 2008

Book Review: The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

Daniel H. Pink's A Whole New Mind is one of my favorite books. He's an engaging writer and he picks interesting and important topics.

I drove straight to the bookstore when I heard that his new book, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko - a career guide done in manga (Japanese comics) style - was released.

I've read a few manga - Shirow Masamune's Ghost in the Shell holds a prominent spot on my bookshelf. enjoy the manga, the anime movies and the video series... I've even got a Major Kusanagi action figure on my bookshelf - but I'm not what you'd call a hardcore manga fan.

Major Motoko Kusanagi
Ghost in the Shell's Heroine protects my books

Still, you'd have to be blind not to see that visual communication is the next big wave in learning, and manga is a leading edge of that wave.
Hence, my interest in Johnny Bunko. I bought it and read it in one sitting.

Title: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko"
Author: Daniel H. Pink
Genre: Manga, Business, Careers
Summary: to quote the book's subtitle, "The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need"

Favorite Quote: I have two - "There is no plan" and "Make excellent mistakes".

Strengths: Well, I applaud Mr. Pink for innovating. It's not without risk to write a non-fiction book in manga format. On the other hand, his audience - new college graduates - is ready for this. And the message is right on target. I don't have any major disagreements with the content.
Weaknesses: All the learning in this book could have fit in a manifesto (manifestos rock!!).
This, essentially, is an article, not a book.

Ghost in the Shell proved that a manga doesn't have to be simple or dumb.
In fact, I guarantee that you'll learn more and think more during a reading of Ghost in the Shell than you will in Johnny Bunko.

Conclusion: Maybe Johnny Bunko is the baby step we need to launch the next visual learning wave - but if you're interested in riding that wave, I'd suggest you pick up one of these:

  • Ghost in the Shell - the science fiction manga that inspired "The Matrix"
  • Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud's overview of comics as a visual language is proof you can learn through pictures.
  • Flight Volume 2 - This anthology of 'sequential art' - as Will Eisner termed it - is inspired and inspiring. If you wonder what the medium is capable of - look here.

Post-it Flags: 1 flag
* Each time I find an interesting quote, model, image, or idea in a book, I mark it with a Post-it flag. The more flags, the more value I found in the book.


0 comments: