Excel 2007 Beyond The Manual
Book Review

By Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator Golden Triangle PC Club October 2007 General Overview Many experienced users may initially find Excel 2007 rather disorientating. But Excel 2007: Beyond the Manual will introduce those who are already familiar with Excel basics to more advanced features, like consolidation, what-if analysis, PivotTables, sorting and filtering, and some commonly used functions. You will learn how to maximize your efficiency at producing professional-looking spreadsheets and charts and become competent at analyzing data using a variety of tools. The book includes practical examples to illustrate advanced features. It also covers new features of Excel 2007 along with ways to access old features. You will even gain timesaving tips and shortcuts. Table of Contents The seventeen (17) chapters include: 1)  What's New in Excel 2007? 2)  Customizing Excel 3)   Excel Essentials 4)   Styles and Formatting 5)   Sorting and Filtering 6)   Analyzing Data Using Subtotals, Consolidations, and Tables 7)   Creating PivotTables and PivotCharts 8)   Editing PivotTables and PivotCharts 9)   What-If Analysis 10)  Formulas and Functions 11)  Charts 12)  Adding Graphics to a Worksheet 13)  Preventing and Correcting Errors 14)  Protection and Security 15)  Getting Data From External Sources 16)  Sharing, Reviewing, and Distributing Data 17)  SharePoint and Excel Services The 2 appendixes contain the following: Appendix A - Location of Popular Excel 2003 Commands in Excel 2007 Appendix B - Selecting Data in a PivotTable Report Target Readers Microsoft Office 2007 institutes some of the most conspicuous changes to Excel for many years. Even long-standing users of Excel will be forgiven if they find the increased capacity and new interface disorienting. Excel 2007: Beyond the Manual will help you to quickly familiarize yourself with the new Office Ribbon and navigate to the popular features inherited from previous releases of the program, as well as introduce you to more advanced components and the new tools available with this new 2007 version of Excel. Topics covered include: Conditional formatting Sorting and filtering What-if analysis PivotTable and PivotChart reports Charts and graphics Getting data from external sources SharePoint and Excel services The book takes a fresh look at this latest version of Excel, and goes beyond the basics to allow you to quickly become confident with some of Excel's most powerful tools. This Beyond The Manual title is a fast-paced, high-density book written for experienced computer users wishing to maximize their knowledge and productivity in Excel 2007. This book is aimed at spreadsheet users who already have some familiarity with previous versions of Microsoft Excel and who want an overview of the modifications and new features being introduced with Microsoft Office 2007. The book is also intended to be a practical guide to anyone wishing to update their Excel skills and progress to the more advanced features of this essential spreadsheet application. Book Contents 417 pages; about the author; acknowledgments; introduction; figures; tips; tables; screenshots; detailed index Author Helen Dixon About the Author Helen Dixon works for Queen’s University in Belfast, training staff and students in IT and providing a consultancy service for staff. Her qualifications include a bachelor’s (with honors) in business studies and a master’s in computing and information systems. She is a part-time research studying for a Ph.D. in electronic commerce at the University of Ulster. She has been working as an IT trainer for almost 10 years, mainly in the higher education sector. She also has various IT qualifications, including Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), Excel 2002 Expert, Word 2002 Expert, and European Computer Driving License (ECDL) Advanced Spreadsheets and Advanced Word Processing. She is also a busy mother to Ella and Daniel. ISBN March 2007 - First Edition ISBN10: 1-59059-798-2 ISBN13: 978-1-59059-798-9 List Price $39.99 $20.00 - eBook Price About Apress Apress is a publishing company devoted to meeting the needs of programming professionals. Apress' unique approach to computer book publishing grew out of conversations between Dan Appleman and Gary Cornell, Apress' founders, who believe that too many programming books are of such low quality that they are a complete waste of time. Computer professionals need quality books that are not just rehashes of documentation. The "A" in Apress stands for The Author's Press, and their books have "The Expert's Voice." Apress acquires manuscripts of the highest quality by attracting the best authors and technical experts that the world has to offer. Apress makes authors partners in the publishing process, doesn't impose a "house style" on authors, and doesn't make them conform to a series that straightjacket's them. Apress also makes sure that authors are treated equitably. Another key feature of the Apress approach to publishing books is taken from the software industry. Apress treats the technical review process as seriously as the best software companies treat the quality assurance process. Apress is convinced that the innovations listed above make it possible for them to produce the highest quality books, recruit the highest quality authors, and publish titles that information technology professionals need and want. The Apress management team ensures that the distribution and fulfillment of Apress titles is second to none, and that the capital is available to move aggressively and take advantage of any publishing opportunities that arise. To accomplish this, Apress has entered into a partnership with Springer-Verlag, one of the world's most respected publishing houses. Springer-Verlag is convinced that Apress will be the publisher of quality trade computer paperbacks in the years to come. Apress will continue to publish titles of the highest quality, and has compiled a team of authors that reads like a veritable "Who's Who" list of the computing industry. The company founders have published over 200 software titles by leading software professionals, all of whom have "The Expert's Voice." Publisher Contact Cheryl Martinez Marketing Coordinator Apress 2855 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 600 Berkeley, California 94705 510-549-5930 ext. 129 FAX 510-549-5939 cheryl@apress.com www.apress.com