Word 2000 for Windows For Dummies [Paperback]

Dan Gookin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764504487 | ISBN-13: 978-0764504488 | Publication Date: May 21, 1999 | Edition: 1

Microsoft Word 2000 is a massive program. It does a lot. But the truth is that you don't need to know everything about Word to use it. A better question is: Do you want to know everything about Microsoft Word? Probably not. You don't want to know all the command options, all the typographical mumbo-jumbo, or even all those special features that you know are in there but terrify you. No, all you want to know is the single answer to a tiny question. Then you can happily close the book and be on your way. If that's you, you've found your book.

Good news: This book is not meant to be read from cover to cover. Microsoft Word 2000 For Dummies is full of self-contained sections, each of which describes how to perform a specific task or get something done. Sample sections you encounter in this book include

• Saving your stuff
• Cutting and pasting a block
• Quickly finding your place
• Aligning paragraphs
• A quick way to cobble a table together
• A caption for your figure
• Step-by-step mail merging guide

There are no keys to memorize, no secret codes, no tricks, no pop-up dioramas, and no wall charts. Instead, each section explains a topic as if it's the first thing you read in this book. Nothing is assumed, and everything is cross-referenced. Technical terms and topics, when they come up, are neatly shoved to the side where you can easily avoid reading them. The idea here isn't for you to learn anything. This book's philosophy is to help you look it up, figure it out, and get back to work.

This book informs and entertains. And it has a serious attitude problem. After all, the goal of the book is not to teach you to love Microsoft Word. Instead, be prepared to encounter some informative, down-to-earth explanations – in English – of how to get the job done by using Microsoft Word. You take your work seriously, but you definitely don't need to take Microsoft Word seriously.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Microsoft Word has been around for a long time, but if you are new to computing, Word 2000 can be intimidating. In Word 2000 for Windows for Dummies, veteran Dummies series author Dan Gookin goes a long way toward banishing Word's intimidation factor.

If you are an experienced Word user, Word 2000's new features, which are few for the average user, will not require relearning the software. Gookin has made learning the basics of Word 2000 easy and fun for those who do not know the product well or are new to Word. As with all Dummies books, the irreverent style wears well and the humor makes learning enjoyable.

Word 2000 first teaches you the basics of creating a document. Subsequent learning areas include formatting, creating tables, inserting figures, making a table of contents, and even mail merging using Word. While the coverage of the essentials is very good, the tips scattered throughout the book are often priceless. For instance, Gookin tells you how to alter the Office Assistant's icon or hide it completely. He also includes such useful tips as how to use an ALT-key combination to copy character formats. If you want to learn Word 2000 and have some fun doing it, Word 2000 for Windows for Dummies is the right book for you. --Rob Franklin

From the Back Cover

Find out how to jazz up your text with graphics

Your first aid kit for saving time and trouble

Find out how to use new tools to put your documents on the Web! Whether you want to brush up on the basics or use some of the cool new features of Word 2000, this friendly guide can help you accomplish your goals. From drafting and saving letters to running mail merges with ease, these step-by-step explanations will have you creating effective documents — fast!

Discover how to: Tailor Word 2000 to meet your needs Craft custom templates using wizards Build and edit tables with ease Create newsletters, invitations, and more Share documents using HTML

The Dummies Way^™ Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! www.dummies.com Register to win cool prizes Browse exclusive articles and excerpts Get a free Dummies Daily^™ e-mail newsletter Chat with authors and preview other books Talk to us, ask questions, get answers

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Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (May 21, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764504487
• ISBN-13: 978-0764504488
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #767,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Computers & Technology > Microsoft > Applications > Office 2000

More About the Author

Dan Gookin has been writing about technology for over 20 years. He combines his love of writing with his gizmo fascination to create books that are informative, entertaining, and not boring. Having written more over 120 titles with 12 million copies in print translated into over 30 languages, Dan can attest that his method of crafting computer tomes seems to work.

Perhaps his most famous title is the original DOS For Dummies, published in 1991. It became the world's fastest-selling computer book, at one time moving more copies per week than the New York Times #1 bestseller (though as a reference, it could not be listed on the NYT Bestseller list). From that book spawned the entire line of For Dummies books, which remains a publishing phenomena to this day.

Dan's most popular titles include PCs For Dummies Word For Dummies, Laptops For Dummies, and Droid X For Dummies. He also maintains the vast and helpful Web site, www.wambooli.com.

Dan holds a degree in Communications/Visual Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Presently, he lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he enjoys spending time with his sons playing video games inside while they watch the gentle woods of Idaho.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A lot of good stuff, but..., November 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Word 2000 for Windows For Dummies (Paperback)

I have a number of the Dummies books, and they are all pretty useful, as is this one. But I would recommend "Just the tips, man for Microsoft Word 2000" if you really want something that gets to the point. That book has just the stuff you need to learn and get better on the software. It's not like your typical manual.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful!, May 21, 2000

By 

Shelley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Word 2000 for Windows For Dummies (Paperback)

This book is very helpful for anyone who knows little or nothing about the Microsoft Word 2000 program. The index is easy to use and directions for each process are clear and easy to understand. The "cheat sheet" in the front of the book is very nice and helpful for answering those small questions. A very helpful book for anyone with the Word 2000 program.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Average" sums it up best, May 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Word 2000 for Windows For Dummies (Paperback)

This is right on target: bought this not expecting much (I'm not a big fan of the dummy books). My wife wanted to start 'learning the computer' which translated into Word processing. This book really did serve as a good introduction to Word.

Also recommended: For my own use, it wasn't much help. I'm a long time Word power-user. I'd say the best advanced book is 'Learn Word 2000 VBA Document Automation' (driza) and the best average user book is 'Using Word 2000' (camarada). Good luck!