F1 Getting the Most out of Excel

I’ve bent Excel over backwards doing things that it’s not meant to do. I believe I’m an average user, maybe a notch above. This means knowing some of the lesser known tricks, but not a pro at pivots or creating elaborate financial spreadsheets. I have used pivots, but nothing heavy-duty.
This book is 820 pages, but half of it has room for notes on the left page that has Notes, My Tips/Shortcuts, and Related Tips for finding similar tips like the one on the current page. You can see what these look like in Amazon’s “Search inside” feature. The book has 322 tips and even with as many pages as it has, it’s surprisingly lightweight. I have books that are half its size and weigh more.
I also like the bookmarks on the side of the pages. Finding the part of interest is easy. The first page of a part lists the subjects covered and their bookmarks. These subject bookmarks appear with their related tips for quick referencing. You can use the index to find what you need.
Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003 are covered. Each tip lets you know which versions of Excel can use it. In a majority of the tips, all versions are covered so no one with a specific version of Excel gets fewer tips than others.
Part I addresses the new features in Excel 2002 and 2003. It’s very brief, so those who have it already won’t feel like they’re paying for useless information. The price is appropriate for a book of this size with the tips provided and the Excel versions covered. I won’t rehash what each part covers as Amazon’s “Search inside” also lists them and the complete index.
The writing is formal and stiff, but easy to follow. I had no trouble understanding the directions… most of the time. The screen shots fill in the gap when the tips aren’t clear. Newcomers and seasoned users of Excel will benefit from the book. Those who are pros will need to study the table of contents using “Search inside” and decide whether or not the book meets their needs. The quick referencing guide, the format, and the screen shots provide the extra boost.
Title: F1 Getting the Most out of Excel
Author: Joseph Rubin, CPA
Publisher: Limelight Media
ISBN: 0596005768
Date: August 2004
Format: Paperback
Pages: 820
Cover Price: USD$13.57
CDN: 19.57
UK: 10.49