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dognose · #1 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010

Excel 2007: The Missing Manual
The book that should have been in the box
by Matthew MacDonald

Whether you're new to Excel or a proficient user, Excel 2007: The Missing Manual is a "must have" for your technical bookshelf! This is a comprehensive book that can be used as a textbook for those wishing to become Excel masters or as a reference for those looking for assistance with a specific task. Please note, because Microsoft has dramatically changed the user interface of Excel 2007, this book will not be helpful for earlier versions.

In the introduction, the author provides a brief review of spreadsheets and their use. He also gives a quick tour of the new interface and touches on some of the new features of Excel 2007. The Missing Manual books do not include CDs, but the intro provides the website address where you can download the practice files.

The book is divided into eight parts, each containing several chapters. The first covers worksheet basics. If you have used past versions of Excel but are new to 2007, you may want to quickly peruse this section to learn more about the new interface. If you are new to Excel itself, these chapters will provide the basics of how to move around in and add information to spreadsheets, how to format cells and the many options for viewing and printing worksheets.

The next part introduces formulas and functions, the heart of Excel. If you are new to this application, do not skip this section. You will learn how to build basic formulas, using mathematical operators and functions, in addition to more powerful functions that use logical operators, which allow for conditional formulas. Also covered are math and statistical functions, common functions such as finding averages, financial functions, such as future value, as well as functions that calculate the passage of time.

In part three you'll learn about structured tables, grouping and outlining data, and templates. These tools allow you to organize your data in ways that make it easier to sort, search and filter. You will learn how to nest groups of data within other groups, how to outline your data, and finally, how to create templates for spreadsheets that you use again and again, such as sales forecast, expense report, or budget worksheets.

Plotting raw data into various types of charts can add tremendous visual impact to your presentation that tabular data simply does not convey. In part four you'll learn how to create charts and insert graphics. You will not only learn about the various types of charts, but also why you would choose one type over another. The final chapter of this section includes instruction on how to insert graphics into your spreadsheets as well as how to use the graphic tools that Excel provides to manipulate images.

Part five covers scenarios, goal seeking, and pivot tables. These powerful tools can benefit every business! Scenarios use past data that can help you predict future performance. The goal seek tool works backward to calculate what you need to meet your goals. For example, you can calculate how much in sales you need to net X amount of profit. Pivot tables are summary building tools that allow you the flexibility to view the different relationships in your data. They are perfect for tracking trends and patterns.

Since most of the data that we compile in spreadsheets is data that we want to share with others, part six is all about sharing your data. You will learn how to protect your workbooks, by keeping others from changing worksheet structure or formatting, preventing the editing of certain cells, and keeping your spreadsheet's formulas from being viewed. You can also provide data validation so users cannot enter the wrong type of data. You'll learn about workbook collaboration such as adding comments and tracking changes. To complete the section, there's a chapter on querying your data so you can extract smaller, more manageable pieces of data. You'll also learn how to connect to Access and SQL Server databases so you can import data from these applications into Excel.

Part seven of the book is about programming with Excel. If there are tasks that you perform over and over, such as printing spreadsheets or adding headers, you can automate these tasks by writing macros and add the macros to the quick access toolbar for fast retrieval. A macro is simply a set of instructions that tells Excel what to do. You are not limited to simple functions; you can create macros that are quite complex! Excel macros are written in Visual Basic for Applications, a full blown programming language, but the Excel macro recorder makes it a fairly easy process.

The final part is an appendix which provides information on how to customize the quick access toolbar.

Excel 2007: The Missing Manual is packed with so much information that it truly is the book that should have been in the box! My favorite chapters were the chapter on using styles and themes and the chapter on pivot tables. Even though I always wanted to use these two features of Excel, I found them intimidating. This book explained these features in a clear and concise manner that made learning them easy and fun.

Pros

1. If you work through Excel 2007: The Missing Manual in it's entirety, you will easily qualify as an Excel grandmaster!

2. With basic Excel skills, the chapters can be read in any order you want.

Cons - none!

Overall, Laserdog gives this book three exuberant wags of the tail - as good as it gets!

The first edition of this book was published in 2006 and has 864 pages. The price of the book is $26.39. Click here to buy the book.

Do you have any thoughts, queries, or feedback on Excel 2007: The Missing Manual? Share your comments or questions by replying directly to this thread!

erinatDD · #2 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010

I have a couple of questions that need answering- this may be just what I need.

Thanks for sharing!

Kerans VA · #3 (**permalink**) 04-05-2010

Great review, Lezly!

I am not an Excel grandmaster by any stretch of the imagination, but at least now I know which book to buy in order to help me along the way, thank you very much!

Action Jackson VA · #4 (**permalink**) 04-06-2010

Great review Lezly!

I always purchase the missing manuals. They are the best of the best when it comes to those most hard to find answers to questions that are not listed in the software packages.

Andrea~

Tess · #5 (**permalink**) 04-07-2010

I probably know how to use only a small percentage of what Excel is capable of - this sounds like an excellent choice for learning all there is to know.

Thanks for the great review Lezly! I hadn't actually heard of the Missing Manual series until now but am very interested in seeing what else they put out.

Nancy's Virtual Office · #6 (**permalink**) 04-10-2010

Thank you for the information on the Excel book. I just took a basic bookkeeping course last semester which used excel 2007 but it only just touched on it. I shall have to investigate this further.

Nancy Lynch