New Book Brings Help for Excel-phobes and Others. O’Reilly Releases “Excel: The Missing Manual“

Sebastopol, CA - Microsoft Excel is a surprisingly flexible application.
But in spite of its impressive feature set, most users find that Excel’s
power goes largely untapped. Why? Because the typical introduction to the
program is often a case of sudden immersion - one that leaves users in
possession of the rudiments but unaware of dozens of features and
shortcuts. It’s not unusual for new users to find themselves confronted
with a spreadsheet they’ve inherited from a predecessor or discover that
they need to come up to speed instantly to complete a project. Their
natural impulse is to turn to the manual for help. The panic, despair,
and eventual resignation only materialize when they realize there’s no
manual to turn to.

But now Excel users at all levels of experience will find reprieve for
their woes in “Excel: The Missing Manual” by Matthew
MacDonald. With the clear explanations and witty prose that the Missing
Manuals have come to be known for, this comprehensive guide will help
users master the art of turning raw data into valuable, manageable
information.

Excel 2003 has a reputation for being tougher to use than any previous
version of Excel. A marvelously rich program, its emphasis is no longer on
just crunching numbers, but using tools to analyze, communicate, and
collaborate effectively. Power users can even take advantage of
industry-standard Extensible Markup Language (XML) data to connect to
business processes. But Excel’s reputation for being tough is not
necessarily deserved, says MacDonald.

“Excel is one of those incredibly flexible Swiss Army Knife applications,”
notes MacDonald. “Another is Microsoft Word. Excel can be applied to
everything from calculating your mortgage payments to predicting the
amount of money you’ll lose in an all-night casino binge. But while most
people know how to use Word to get their day-to-day business taken care
of, a large majority of otherwise-normal people live in fear of Excel.”
According to MacDonald, there’s never been a better time for Excel-phobes
to get on board with the application. As he points out, “Excel is easier
to use than ever before, it no longer changes from version to version, and
it runs smoothly on even antiquated computer equipment.”

Even Excel-phobes will find all they need tame their fears in “Excel: The
Missing Manual.” The book includes coverage of:

• Spreadsheet basics: The book gives readers everything they need to create
  basic, yet professional looking spreadsheets, including easy-to-use
  formatting tricks, tips on how to write formulas and use functions, and
  the world’s simplest guide to understanding Excel’s federal-tax-code-like
  rules about data formats.

• Data analysis tools: Excel is packed with tools that help users see and
  reveal the story behind their spreadsheet’s numbers. From charts and
  graphics to Pivot Tables and goal-seeking tools, Excel’s tools can help
  users uncover patterns and trends in data.

• Getting Excel to work and play well with others: Excel lives in a
  networked world. This book shows users how to get data into and out of
  their spreadsheets, and includes in-depth primers on Excel’s new XML
  capabilities, database importing and exporting tools, and using Excel with
  other programs like Word and PowerPoint. Web publishers will learn how to
  quickly post spreadsheets on the Web and how to add interactive controls
  that let viewers manipulate and analyze the spreadsheet’s data.

  MacDonald observes that one of the nicest features of the Missing Manual
  series is that, owing to their extensive cross-referencing, they’re useful
  for a range of different readers. “The Excel novice can read ‘Excel: The
  Missing Manual‘ from the first page to the last for a comprehensive tour,”
  he says. “People who have a basic background Excel and are interested in
  learning the real tricks of Excel guru-dom can also use the book to skip
  directly to the most impressive material. Obviously, Excel geniuses who
  are interested in better ways to plot the gravitation field of the Earth
  need not apply.”

  “Excel: The Missing Manual” was written with Excel 2003 in mind, but most
  of the concepts, features, tips, and tricks work equally well with Excel
  2002 (the version released with Office XP). Each chapter clearly spells
  out any differences between the two versions. The Mac version of Excel is
  covered in “Office 2004 for Macintosh: The Missing Manual.” (Due to be
  released in July 2005.)

  Additional Resources:

  Chapter 4, “Formatting Worksheets,” is available online.