The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need

Library Journal

"America's first business manga" introduces Johnny Bunko, chained up in cubicle city and crunching numbers for the Boggs Corporation (bogg-ed down-heh heh) when he'd rather be doing almost anything else. Then in an office all-nighter, he snaps a pair of disposable chopsticks and snaps into being-a genie?! Diana, complete with mangastyle elf ears, promises to return six times to teach him the key lessons for career success and satisfaction. And-poof!-she's gone. Naturally, Johnny isn't buying this and gets coworkers Yuko and Carlos to witness these charmed chopsticks. Snap!There's Diana again with lesson one: there's no fixed "plan" that guarantees step-by-step career success and happiness. Later comes snap two: think strengths, not weaknesses. After four more snaps, Johnny has all the lessons and a better worklife. In his highly regarded A Whole New Mind(2005), Pink identified six "senses" as crucial for 21st-century professional survival: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. His first shot at manga has all of these in an entertaining synergy that's perfect for students, recent grads, and cube dwellers of any age. Diana's timeless advice rings true, and the art is pleasant and effective, although the Japanese sound effects look strange in an American book. Recommended for high school, public, and academic libraries.
—Martha Cornog