Customer Reviews

Ask the Expert Guide to Microsoft Money 2001

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Unfortunately, I did not check out Amazon.com's reviews before buying this book. Most of the posted reviews accurately reflect my thoughts regarding this "Ask the Expert" book.

In short, I found the book to be too basic for my thirst for knowledge. For example, I tried to figure out how to archive my files within Money. The appendix directed me to a single page which didn't have the word "archive" anywhere on it.

The three pages on budgeting add no information to what is on Money's help screens.

My "expert" advice: Wait for a different book.

This book is a joke. Everything you'll find in the book is described in far more details in the on-line help. I could not find any reference to 401K investments tracking, and the rest of the material was short and useless. Very few paragraphs are exceeding 10 lines of explanation and many of them advise you to follow the simple on-line instructions. Given that the author consulted Microsoft with the first version of Money, no wonder is was such a terrible product.

If you are capable of reading and following the help provided by Money 2001 you do not need this book. I bought this book as it was the only one available at the time (big mistake).

As an example let's take the Budget Planner section, three pages of text (including screen shots!) can be boiled down into the following sentence: -

"Display the budget planner window, Use the Budget Planner Wizard!" - Does the help file provide this level of detail or more? Yes!

I agree there 'may' be some useful money advice but for use of Money 2001 the electronic help file is more use and it is even searchable for easy access to the subject you need when you need it!

Ask the Expert? I can think of many more useful books to dedicate 3/4" of my bookshelf space!

I bought this book because I was having trouble figuring out certain things that can be done with MSN Money 2001. I would have returned it but I bought it and didn't read for 4 months, when I finally read it I was truly disapointed. This book does not tell you anything but the pure basics, it is not a reference book, it is a how to balance your checkbook book. Please before you buy this item or any by this company, I would suggest getting something else.

Over the years, I have relied on 3rd-Party books on specific computer programs to augment my knowledge of the products. This book is nothing much more than a reiteration of the information available in the program's help screens. The book was a great disappointment -- particularly since there is absolutely nothing else available on Money 2001. At least those poorly written instruction sheets that come packed with your kid's swing sets, while painful to interpret, usually help you build a useful swing and slide. This book while elegently typeset and punctuated is unlikely to satisfy your thirst for a greater understanding of Money 2001 program functions.

This is a good, solid beginners guide, very readable and well organized. It's not as 'cute' as the Dummies series, but stronger on content. Worth a lot more than it cost!!

One star may be a bit harsh, but books like this should be fairly easy to put together and this one just doesn't work. The Q&A format is all wrong because there is no way that the author can anticipate half of a reader's questions. And the format also makes it tougher to use as a reference because the book does not systematically go through the software. Some things get glossed over and anyone looking for detailed help will be disappointed. Even though I have Money 2001 software, I preferred to use the MS Money 2000 for Dummies book because it's far better organized. And the software revisions don't change much from year to year, so the book was still highly valid.

For those who want to use Microsoft Money to better manage their finances, this book is a special blessing. Money's tracking and analysis functions are clearly discussed along with all the tips and tricks needed for better money management. The chapter on Budgeting and Financial Planning is worth the price of the book by itself. Even if you merely want to learn to use the software, all the techniques are there clearly defined. A good book!

I want to respond to the three critics who curiously all at the exact same time pan this book. I smell a rat, guys.

Ask the Expert Guide to Money is really a pretty good book. Would I have liked more info? You bet. But I still got more help fromthis 300page book that I got in the 40page user guide or I got from the online help.