The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Office 2003 - for the bookshelf Major Keary |
A recent release in the Dummies series is a handy compendium of tips and trick for Microsoft Office 2003 users. It is a larger format (205 x 230 x 30 mm thick, 500+ pages) than the usual Dummies books and, while making good use of screen shots to support the text, the illustrations are not at the expense of the text.
There are seventy-two 'techniques' that cover Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, as well as management of the suite as a whole, making the applications work with each other, and miscellaneous things such as printing.
Each item is prefaced with an explanatory note (for example, Technique 14: Getting Help makes no bones about the shortcomings of Microsoft's online help) and then proceeds through step-by-step instructions, which are not bare-bones 1,2,3,. steps. The author provides a running commentary with sound advice (such as, "the best way to get help is to ask someone who knows"). Incidentally, the author provides a free weekly Office newsletter, Woody's Office Watch (http://www.woodyswatch.com).
The book is not just a tutorial-cum-reference for novices, but is also a valuable resource for the more experienced. It is unusual for any one user to be fully familiar with all the component applications in the Office suite; this book is ideal for the person who, from time to time, needs a refresher on how to perform some task. Some of the techniques relate to advanced topics, such as pivot tables in Excel.
A great guide to ways and means of saving time and gaining an insight into the workings of Office. Very well presented. Good value.
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Woody Leonhard: Office 2003 Timesaving Techniques for Dummies ISBN 0-7645-6761-6 Published by Wiley, 506 pp., RRP $44.95 incl. GST |
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Reprinted from the November 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
