Escape From Excel Hell: Fixing Problems in Excel 2003, 2002 and 2000 (Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf) [Paperback]

Loren Abdulezer (Author), John Walkenbach (Series Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471773182 | ISBN-13: 978-0471773184 | Publication Date: March 21, 2006

• Written especially for advanced beginners and intermediate users, this book offers quick fixes for anyone bedeviled by faulty formulas, failed formatting, printer purgatory, and other perplexing Excel problems
• Offers three types of fixes: Escape in Under 30 Seconds, Escape in Under Two Minutes, and More Elaborate Escapes-over 400 solutions in all
• Topics covered include formula fixes, formatting fixes, data and layout fixes for Excel charts, PivotTable fixes, managing complexity in very large spreadsheets, fixing broken procedure functions, and more
• Includes preventive measures and best practices that teach users how to avoid problems in the future

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When Excel talks back to you, here's what to do

You try to open a spreadsheet and Excel won't let you, because there's a macro involved. You cannot convince the software that the macro is safe. You hurl something across the room.

Grab this book instead! You'll find more than 200 fixes for things that drive Excel users crazy, organized and identified for easy access. More than 100 problems can be solved in anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes. If you're a more advanced user, turn to Part III, where you'll find the more elaborate escapes.

When all you want is to make your spreadsheet work so you can finish your project, here's all you need. Oh, and the macro problem? Check Chapter 1.

Loren Abdulezer's Top Escapes

• Escape # 1 Fix tricky worksheet headers and footers
• Escape # 2 Sort tabs by alphabetical order or date
• Escape # 3 Build conditional charts
• Escape # 4 Escape messy data with formulas
• Escape # 5 Don't pay a penalty for giant spreadsheets

CD-ROM INCLUDES:

• Excel spreadsheet examples and take-aways from the book
• A searchable version of the book plus the Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Crystal Xcelsius Professional trial software and sample files

See the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

About the Author

Loren Abdulezer is CEO and President of Evolving Technologies Corporation, a New York–based technology consulting firm. He is an experienced IT professional serving major Fortune 500 companies, including Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, IBM, Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, and Pfizer. He has consulted on strategic technology and Internet product design, data analysis, mathematical modeling, visual modeling, and simulation, MIS/Web reporting, Java and object-oriented programming, Internet security, and business continuity planning.
Loren is a world acknowledged expert on spreadsheets, visual modeling, and dashboard technology. He is the author of Excel Best Practices for Business (www.ExcelBestPractices.com), also published by Wiley, and is a Crystal Xcelsius Consulting Partner for Business Objects S.A. (www.XcelsiusBestPractices.com). You can find out more information about Loren and the book Escape From Excel Hell at www.EscapeFromExcelHell.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (March 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471773182
• ISBN-13: 978-0471773184
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,274,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surpassed my Expectations!, October 15, 2006

By 

Brooks (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape From Excel Hell: Fixing Problems in Excel 2003, 2002 and 2000 (Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf) (Paperback)

I consider myself to be an average-skill-level Excel user, and hesitated ordering this book because I was afraid it would be too technical and difficult to understand. But I purchased it anyway, and am so glad I did. I've been getting involved with more and more complicated spreadsheets, and thus needed some help. And Escape from Excel Hell provided just the help I needed.

Loren Abdulezer writes in a clear, easy to understand style, and includes many examples. Excel files containing his examples come on a CD with the book, so you can try out his suggestions and get a good understanding of why his techniques work.

I have learned so much from this book and now have a much better understanding of how to do things the "right" way from the beginning to avoid problems later when I need to modify my files.

This book is a keeper!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Don't have time to investigate Excel problems, March 24, 2006

By 

Michael Alexander (Frisco, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape From Excel Hell: Fixing Problems in Excel 2003, 2002 and 2000 (Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf) (Paperback)

I often don't have time to investigate solutions to certain problems I encounter in Excel. I, like most Excel users, end up building elaborate work-arounds that solve my problem ASAP. Well, I picked up this book yesterday and I have already found fixes that would have helped me save hours of work had I known about them.

The author has done all of the leg work for you, giving you the quickest way to solve specific issues. He does a great job providing real world examples of when and why you would use each fix. This is something you don't find in most "tips and tricks" style books. This book skips all of the theory and pomp and helps you get to the meat of your problem. Great Book!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Right, March 19, 2006

By 

George P. (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape From Excel Hell: Fixing Problems in Excel 2003, 2002 and 2000 (Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf) (Paperback)

What a great book! I use Excel in my work, but I'm no expert, and I'm in constant 'Excel Hell'. Last week I had to get out a spreadsheet and the data wouldn't sort correctly (I bet this is familiar territory). When I saw the 'Escape from Exel Hell' book I grabbed it in desperation. Well I found out about the 'trigger happy' tendencies of the program when sorting, and how I can select data to avoid confusion and get results. Everything was laid out so simply, clearly, and with such a practical approach I was able to solve my sort problems in time to submit the darn spreadsheet.

This book got me to the answers quickly, clearly, and eliminated a ton of wasted time. I may even get to eat lunch again!

I really appreciate how clearly this is written and how easy it was to find the answer. It's definitely an 'on the desk' book for quick access. Finally, some real help.