Customer Reviews

Excel 97 For Windows For Dummies

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4 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Believe me, I do not delve into new software with eager anticipation and great optimism. Never having worked with a spreadsheet, I thought I was in for a frustrating, drawn out process in trying to learn Excel from a book. I quickly read through the first two chapters (delighted to realize that I already knew a bit of what was being presented)and sat down to create a perfect spreadsheet, replete with formulae and formatting! It was such a thrill to add this powerful ally to my bag of tricks that even after I had completed the work task at hand, I continued to read and play with the features. Fear not. Jump right in with Excel for Dummies.

I'm the first to admit, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But when my job duties grew to include spreadsheets, I got smart really fast with this book. In just a few hours I learned not only what a spreadsheet was, but how to create one, and make IT do the computations I had formerly done by hand and calculator. I never thought one piece of software could simplify so much of my work load, and I never thought one book could teach me so much in a simple, easy to understand, easy to replicate style. I am now the Spreadsheet Queen, second to none!

Although I have had alot of previous self-taught experience with Excel 97, I found myself flipping through the book and picking up a lot of very useful tips that I was unaware of. After going through the book, I realized that the Excel software had a lot more room for potential and creativity than I was previously unaware of.

You have to be far from an Excel "Dummy" in order to make good use of this book. It starts out showing you the various shortcuts and tricks that make Excel operate more efficiently, but it does nothing for the person who's knowledge of Excel is limited to booting up the program. My biggest gripe that at no point did it give you a start-up spreadsheet that would allow you to build your knowledge as you went along, using the shortcuts and tips that the book includes, so after you are about 100 pages into the book, you are saying to yourself, "So, if I want to set up a spreadsheet for my business, what do I put in 'A1'?"

My advice is to find someone who knows Excel, pay them the price of the book for an hour of their time, and go from there. You'll learn more in that hour than the entire book will tell you. That is, if you're a "Dummy" like me.

Yep, this one is outdated just a bit, but I have to admit, I still reach for it when I need to work out those little problems with spreadsheets. This is a very easy to read, humorous, and down-to-earth guide to Excel. I especially love the chapter titled "Top Ten Thousand Keystroke Shortcuts." The chapter headings and sub-headings are very easy to follow, and the author includes clear screen shots that guide the Excel user through each step. The Dummies line of how-to books are excellent, and this is no exception. It still holds its own even with software upgrades.

Very well written and easy to follow