Customer Reviews

Cutting Edge PowerPoint For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers))

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This is one of the more "timely" books I've read in awhile. It's Cutting Edge PowerPoint For Dummies by Geetesh Bajaj, and I plan on incorporating a number of things from this book in my next presentation at Lotusphere...

Contents:
Part 1 - Powering Up PowerPoint: PowerPointing with the Best of Them; Empowering Your PowerPoint Program; Color Is Life; Streamlining with Masters and Templates
Part 2 - Achieving Visual Appeal: AutoShape Magic; Drawing in PowerPoint; Dressing Up the Text Stuff; Adding Images to Your Presentation; Pulling in Diagrams, Charts, Equations, and Maps
Part 3 - Adding Motion, Sounds, and Effects: Listening and Watching - The Sound and Video Stuff; Moving On with Animations and Transitions
Part 4 - Communicating Beyond the PowerPoint Program: Interactivity and Linking; Exchanging Information; Preparing and Delivering Your Awesome Presentation
Part 5 - The Part of Tens: My Ten Favorites PowerPoint Tips; Ten PowerPoint Problems
What's On The CD-ROM; Index

I've put together my share of PowerPoint presentations, and I normally know enough to get the basics down. I'm a firm believer in "just because you can doesn't mean you should", and I try to stay away from font and animation overload. All of that is well and good, but it usually means my slides can lack a bit in the "pizazz" department. Bajaj has written a book that starts beyond the "what is PowerPoint" mark and starts to delve into all the features that can make your presentation stand out. Yes, there is plenty of time spent on how to animate things and such, but he also offers the caveat that too much activity is distracting, not informational. Use with caution. All versions of PowerPoint from 2000 through the current version are well-covered, so you're not shut out totally if you haven't bothered to keep up with Microsoft's latest offerings.

On top of just learning about features you haven't played with before, the author offers up insights and tips based on his extensive experience with the product. You'll learn how best to avoid corrupted PowerPoint files, what features work well (and what features don't), as well as some hidden gems you probably don't know about. For instance, did you know that you can create a basic PowerPoint presentation using Notepad? Neither did I, and it's an intriguing way to get your thoughts and structure down "on paper" before you get distracted by all the PowerPoint bright shiny objects. This is also one of the few books which quickly ended up with a broken seal on the CD container. The full version of Camtasia 3 that's offered gratis is something I've long wanted to play with. Just in time for January's Lotusphere session...

I usually get *something* out of most every book I read. Some books offer up more than a few "somethings". This one ended up in the very upper range of value for my time and money... Very good stuff...

The author of this book sent me a sample chapter to include at my website and I was so intrigued by it, I decided to read the whole book, and was very impressed.

Do yourself a favor and forget the "dummy" in the title. This book offers great insight into some of the not-so-obvious workarounds that can be used to get the most out of your presentations. So, it's not only helpful to people who are newer to PowerPoint, but also includes lots of goodies for the advanced PowerPoint user. I learned lots of ways to fine tune stuff that I've had to take outside of the program before to get the result I wanted. Geetesh shows lots of alternative ways to get the job done within the program.

And, the texture files and other great stuff included on the CD are fantastic. The CD, itself, is worth the cost of the book.

If you want to see a sample of the AutoShapes chapter, the full chapter is here at my website:

http://personal-computer-tutor.com/geetesh/cepptfull01.html

I believe you will agree with me and follow-up on this sample tutorial by buying the full book ... and I doubt you will be disapppointed. This is a much-needed guide into some of PowerPoint's secrets.

Linda Johnson
Linda's Computer Stop

This book should have been called Great PowerPoint for the Wise. The title makes it seem as if the book is all about glitz and special effects, but I was so impressed with the insightful knowledge. I know PowerPoint pretty well but I learned something in the first chapter. The author offers a great deal of useful advice that you can take advantage of immediately as you design and organize your PowerPoint presentations. Also, the CD is incredible!

I was glad to finally see a PowerPoint book that wasn't for beginners. This one--to its credit--does not discuss basics like creating a presentation; instead, it talks about the techniques after mastering the basics. I bought it solely based on a sample chapter where I got something I didn't know out of it.

If you do PowerPoint presentations regularly, you'll also find that the CD will be a big help. I've already saved a lot of time just with the gradient palette enclosed on the CD. Unlike other books with CDs, this has material that you can really benefit from right away.

Since everyone else here has been discussing the book (and there's not much left for me to add), I thought I'll focus on the CD included with the book.

Unlike the millions of other CDs that are added as an afterthought to other books, this CD is different. First of all, the CD has software worth hundreds of dollars - it's not that you might use it all but if you even use a tenth of what is on offer, the book is going to cost you nothing! That's true. Consider that the book is free! And it's a damn good book. You do the math and I'll get back to creating better PowerPoint presentations.

I've been waiting for this book for a long time.

I'm an average PowerPoint user. And, there are so many great tips and tricks in this book and anyone can start using them right away.

Geetesh has a whole chapter in his book about audio and video which was really useful for me. I always seemed to have problems with audio and video in PowerPoint so this chapter was very useful for me.

Geetesh's chapter about his top ten favorite PowerPoint tips is worth the price of the book alone.

This is one PowerPoint book I refer to often. It hasn't made it to my bookshelf yet since I keep referring to it.

The best part is that I have implemented some of the things I've learned from Geetesh's book and my audience has actually noticed a difference for the better! And, that's what matters in the end.

Maybe you've sat through more than your share of Powerpoint presentations. Maybe you think you've got nothing to learn about what it takes to get your point across. Maybe you think that the idiots Powerpiont is for are all in the boardroom already. Maybe you're wrong. I've done my share of presentation prep for conferences and board room presentations alike, and I know most folks over look the basics of style and design...and they're the real dummies who need a book like this.

Geetesh Bajaj's book is well laid out, normal for anything in this series, and there are numerous tips and tricks that will help bring your presentations to life. Yes, it tells you how to do everything from picking a background to including video in your presentation, and much more. What I would have like to see is a larger section on style considerations, which are briefly discussed in the first chapter and though they influence the rest of the book, I'm afraid that they could get lost in the rush of power that all the tips and tricks offer. Keeping things simple can't be overrated. He does come back to this in the final chapter (My Favorite PowerPoint Tips) and the Problems and Solutions section (p.353) with some guidelines that even the most advanced users should read every so often. A CD is included with a wealth of templates and utilities. My favorite is probably Neucpower NXPowerLite which can unbloat a presentation to as little as 10% of its original size. If you need to email presentations often, this can be a lifesaver. There's also a library of music and images that you can use, software that turns your presentation into flash for the web...and more. So, if you're job requires you to come up to speed quickly on PowerPoint, or if you even if you think you know everything already, there's sure to be something in here that you didn't know...but should have.
© 2005 TechRevu/Ernest Lilley

So you've been doing PowerPoint for years now. So you've even done your own custom templates. Now it's time to take your PowerPoint game to the next level. Cutting Edge PowerPoint for Dummies was written by Geetesh Bajaj, a Microsoft PowerPoint MVP. That means that, while he doesn't actually work for Microsoft, he knows enough about PowerPoint that Microsoft tells people with questions to talk to him, and people like him. He's got the credentials to do this book.

And this isn't a basic PowerPoint book. Bajaj assumes that you know your way around the software, and that you've got a basic understanding of computers. You won't find any tips on formatting text here (try the other PowerPoint book I reviewed for the basics). What you will find are plenty of tips for spicing up your presentations.

One of the things I notice most often in PowerPoint presentations is that the people designing them have no concept of what color combinations look good. Bajaj discusses contrasting colors, and how to use color combinations to make text stand out and be easier to read. Color plates located in the center of the book help to emphasize his point. If more people would pay attention to this simple tip, PowerPoint presentations would be far less painful to view.

Bajaj then gives tips on enhancing presentations with the use of various forms of media -- video, audio, charts and diagrams, and animations including Flash -- in PowerPoint. He cautions the designer that overuse can be a bad thing, but shows how to make the best use of each of these features to create impressive PowerPoint slide shows.

Probably the most valuable part of the book is the CD-ROM that comes with it. Bajaj has included several programs that are designed to enhance PowerPoint, and are referred to in the book. My favorite so far has been SmartDraw 7, which I've used to create tables and charts that PowerPoint's included application couldn't do. You will also find all the examples that Bajaj uses in the book, including backgrounds, slide templates, and Flash animation samples. I've only just started to scratch the surface of what's on this CD, but PowerPoint power-users will find these resources invaluable.

There are a lot of people who need Cutting Edge PowerPoint for Dummies - we all know one or two. Unfortunately, some of them won't buy it for themselves. Be a good friend and buy it for them. They will thank you, and the people who have to sit through their presentations will really thank you.

Geetesh Bajaj is a (Microsoft Certified) expert on PowerPoint who runs the best website devoted to PowerPoint at www.indezine.com. His Cutting Edge PowerPoint for Dummies gives users the best guide for using PowerPoint in print. It contains how-to's, tips, and a CD with plenty to keep you busy. If you use PowerPoint or even think about using it...get this book!

Well, to start with this book does not have any dry or boring moments. It's a rollercoaster of PowerPoint info presented typically well in the Dummies style, and it's got lots of pepper and spice on the way to keep your PowerPoints looking awesome. In fact, even when the book is not with you in front of a computer, you'll still love reading it. I should know because I read it on a long airplane journey. And now when I'm not in front of the book, I still recollect the great advice when I'm doing my PowerPoints. It's like yes, this is what Bajaj said in the book! If you can read just one chapter, read the chapter on Color. That itself is worth the cost of this book.