Microsoft’s office programs are commercial and household must-haves and are usually easy learn and use. I am certified in some of their programs such as Word and Publisher and use others such as Outlook, Powerpoint and Access on a regular basis at work.

I often have to create spreadsheets, accounting reports and merge letters in Excel and basically, as long as I am using simple formulas, I have it down. Any further than that, I am clueless and it bugs me to no end. Most clerical positions require proficiency in Excel which can be a setback in acquiring a position if you are inept in some areas.

I, however, who am a fan of “For Dummies” reference books keep a copy of Excel 97 for Windows for Dummies in my desk at all times. It has saved me many a time from the shame of ignorance. When the year, 2,000 came around, I looked at The Dummies book for Excel 2,000 but found it to be rather more intricately focused on more difficult projects which I knew weren’t pertinent to my job. Excel 97, with its 212 pages, is geared toward more everyday office tasks and more simple in instruction so I stick to it even though I use Excel 2,000 at work


Table of Contents:

Introduction
Getting to Know Excel
Using Workbook Files and Worksheets
Formatting, Outlining and Printing your Work
Entering and Editing Worksheet Data
Using Formulas and Functions
Analyzing Spreadsheet Data
Charting, Mapping and Drawing
Using Excel with Other Applications
Glossary
Index


About the book:

Each chapter in a “For Dummies” reference book is broken down into many sub-categories. If you are new to Excel, the “Getting To Know Excel” chapter includes “Excel Commands” and the “Excel Screen”as well as many more.

I, personally, think getting to know a program should first be done “hands-on”. Some Microsoft office programs are generally self-teachable. So I would recommend that you play around with the program itself to get to know the basics.

Microsoft Excel is known as a “spreadsheet” program which lets you work with numbers and text in a large grid of cells. Each worksheet has 256 columns and 65,536 rows. You can enter as much information in these cells as you want but if you want the program to interact with others, such as merging a letter from Microsoft Word, or adding subtracting, multiplying and dividing figures within the worksheet, you need to know your formulas. This is where the Using Formulas and Functions chapter comes in very handy. This chapter lists all the formulas you would need for all the functions this spreadsheet is able to achieve. This Chapter’s pages are the ones that are bent and overused in my book. Using Excel with Other Applications is also a very useful sub-chapter that I use a lot.

Each issue you may have with an Excel spreadsheet is dealt with in this book in simple layman’s terms with illustrations. Simple enough for a fifteen-year-old to understand? From this book, my daughter learned how to set up a spreadsheet to record her savings account transactions and keep a running balance using formulas to do it. For we veterans, that may seem simple but to someone who has never used Excel, I should imagine it would be quite difficult without this book.

The handy index (in the back) makes it easy to find the task you are looking for. It even has an index on Techie Talk in case your are not familiar with some of the terms for its functions.


Conclusion:

Excel 97 for Windows for Dummies is a reference book I would be lost without at work. I often use it as a reference for formulas and the more difficult tasks. I have been laughed at at work for having this in my desk drawer. However, if anyone has any questions about an Excel spreadsheet, they don’t laugh when asking to borrow my reference book.

I also think this book would be a useful tool for a beginner as it gives step by step directions for every process Excel is capable of. My daughter learned from it easily.

I bought this book years ago but I believe it now retails for around $5. If you are an Excel user who has problems remembering formulas or need help completing more difficult tasks Excel offers, I recommend keeping this book for reference. If you are a beginner, this reference book will be a handy addition to the “Help” section as a more detailed aid.

I must admit after all these years that my reference book doesn't come out nearly as often now. I have nailed most of the procedures I use Excel to accomplish. However, I will hang on to it. You never know when you might need it.



Other For Dummies Reference Books:

Shakespeare For Dummies



Thank you for reading.




Recommended: Yes