Customer Reviews

The SharePoint Shepherd's Guide for End Users

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For me, this book is like the end user manual that Microsoft never shipped with SharePoint but really should have. Rob does a great job of identifying the core functions of SharePoint that users need to know, and covers them as easily understood common tasks. I think this is a great way to introduce information workers to SharePoint, as a user my goal is to figure out how to accomplish what I need to do with a new tool not the intimate inner workings of the tool. By distilling SharePoint's core collaborative functions into chunks that users can easily grasp, the book makes it much easier for a new user to get up and going with the platform.

Each task is clearly laid out with a descriptive purpose, so a user can identify whether or not the task described by the book is applicable to what they are trying to accomplish in SharePoint. Rob then walks through the steps necessary to execute the task from start to finish, and includes very useful screenshots to guide readers through the SharePoint pages they should be seeing in their environment as they complete the task. The book also does a good job of explaining why the task is being executed in a particular way and covering any limitations or gotchas that the reader may encounter.

The book covers a wide range of topics, including basics like using a SharePoint collaboration site and integrating with Outlook and the rest of the Office stack. Rob also goes into some Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007-specific topics such as MySites and publishing sites. One thing I would have liked to see Rob spend a little more time on is the difference between MOSS and Windows SharePoint Services (WSS); he does mention it briefly in the initial chapters of the book but when covering MOSS-specific tasks I would have liked to see him pointing out that features like MySites require MOSS and are not included in all versions of SharePoint. But I know from personal experience that this is not an easy topic to cover briefly and understand why he took the approach he did with WSS versus MOSS in the book.

The Shepherd's Guide also includes some outstanding resources in its appendices. The appendices cover Site Definitions, List Definitions, Web Parts, Views, and Permissions, and provide excellent descriptions of each SharePoint component within those groupings so that users can get a good understanding of what makes them unique as well as their common use cases. I think it makes a lot of sense to include these in appendices, rather than trying to explain the components within the book's tasks. This way readers are not getting overwhelmed by all the information and have an easy resource to flip to when they need it. And I really like seeing everything covered so thoroughly, because these components are key elements to successfully using SharePoint to its fullest potential.

Rob Bogue has a great reputation in the SharePoint community. He is an MVP & I read everything from him I can get my hands on.

I had high expectations when I learned he had published "The SharePoint Shepherd's Guide for End Users". My expectations were exceeded.

The Shepherd's Guide is unique. There's nothing like it anywhere.

In a world where the ability to fog a mirror & spell "SharePoint" can land a consulting job, the expertise contained in this book is unmatched anywhere & is exceedingly valuable.

The Shepherd's Guide is a brilliant concept, with lucid, step-by-step instructions for simple & complex tasks, much clearer than the SharePoint out-of-the-can help. Who needs to scour through pages full of hits on Live Search or Google with a reference such as this at one's fingertips? It's an excellent resource for novice & expert alike.

I've just learned that electronic & enterprise editions are available & I'm eager to learn more.

In the meantime, I carry Rob Bogue's The Shepherd's Guide with me to all my SharePoint engagements & recommend it to all my customers. If you use SharePoint, I recommend it to you, too.

Jimmy May
Microsoft Sr. Performance Consultant: SQL Server
SQL Server Pros, Founder & Visionary-in-Chief
Indianapolis Professional Association for SQL Server, Founder & Executive Committee

Our organization is just started to use SharePoint. As an end user I found this book helpful in walking me through, step-by-step, on how to create the elements I will need. I liked the book enough to pass it on to an associate and she loves it as well.

The book lacks an index (which I find strange) and you need to still plan out what you want the element to be since the book doesn't get too much in the how and why you would want to even create the item it's explaining how to create.

Think of this book more as recipes in a cookbook where it shows you how to make a dish but you have to decide when and where each recipe fits into your tastes and dinner plans.

You won't read this book straight through, but you might reference it.
Recommendation: If you are new to SharePoint and can't find answers to specific questions, like "How do I create a list in SharePoint?", or just want a reference for basic questions of the same nature, get this book. If you have some experience with SharePoint or can find answers to basic questions, you don't need this book.
Pros: All of the information I read in the book is technically accurate. If you have never used SharePoint, you will be able to follow the steps in this book when you find yourself lost. With an average of more than one screenshot per page, you will easily find your way in the screens when you repeat the steps. Covers connections from SharePoint to Office, though not as well as So That's How! 2007 Microsoft Office System: Timesavers, Breakthroughs, & Everyday Genius
Cons: There was potential for this book to cover so much more the average user asks me for help on. There is nothing new forme in this book. The few things I may have referenced this book for when I was beginning in SharePoint are all easily found online. All End User topics are not covered. For example, you won't find out how to rename a team site or create or use a wiki. There is very little text on the average page. I counted 100 words on one page that looked average.

The typography in the book makes it difficult to read. Normally one expects to see headings in a bold font to ease in finding the information quickly. In this book the headers are in a light gray, almost as if the original was in color and then printed on a B/W printer. The illustrations in many cases are simply screen shots which are pretty illegible. If you don't have the SharePoint page open on a computer in front of you, it's difficult to understand what is on the page. You get the feeling this was banged out in a week.

The instructions are trivial.It's more or less how to fill in the blank.

The lack of an index is a glaring omission for something that could act as a reference book.

Not worth the price.

This is a great 'book club' kind of book, where multiple business analysts read it, learn the content, then get together and discuss what their favorite pieces are and how those things will solve real business problems. This is a very objective approach and will leave you with some ideas on what types of things SharePoint can do.

I started to write a long, detailed review of this book, but then stopped to skim through the existing reviews here on Amazon. After doing so, I decided the best thing to do was say "read the reviews!" I agree with the existing reviews, and simply want to add my additional 5 star rating to what is really _the_ book to get if you are using Microsoft's SharePoint. As a user, this is the book to get and have sitting there so that you can get your question answered. Or, it is the book to read cover to cover if you want to get the answers before you have the questions!

For using SharePoint, this book is the place to start.

This book is a great resource for any company who is deploying SharePoint and needs a good way to provide a self help resource for their users. It is critically important to the successful adoption of a platform like SharePoint to have a user community that is functional. This book helps them be that and more.

I implemented WSS as a method to manage our day-to-day tasks our family business, and it seems like every day I get asked how to do something simple in SharePoint. Whether it's creating a list or adding a column the questions just keep coming. That's great because it means users are trying to use SharePoint, but it also means that I don't have time to take care of the things that I have to get done. That was until I got the book, I can now loan my copy or point to a particular task that they can use to solve their problem. It's a real timesaver for me and allow me to run my business instead of playing technical support.

This book really captures all the information needed as a guide for end users. It is well thoughtout and easy to navigate making this a great book to help people really get the most out of Sharepoint.

The author really creates a useful guidebook that encapulates realworld thinking and organizes this knowledge into a book easy for users to use.

That is what it is all about... easy! This book gets my "Easy Button!"