Microsoft Books

Trudi Reisner has truly put together a practical guide to using the intimidating--to me at least--Microsoft Excel program. Unlike other guides which insist you learn the history of the program since 1944 (or whenever it was), this aid has you just jump right in, get you started, show you the right way to do things, and show you the short-cuts which are just as useful. I only wish they didn't promise this 24 hour goal to learn Excel. It took me three times as long. But hey, I learned it, and I use it now. Highly recommended.

I have NO previous experience with Excel or any other spreadsheet program. I have no programming experience of any kind. Reading the lessons and following along at my computer was very easy. All the lessons were 'bite-sized' so as to only take about an hour, which is just enough studying for me after a hard days' work. By the time I finished the book I wrote my own budget and expense program using cross references to multiple pages with pie charts. All the basics are covered, you will be using Excel easily after completing this book. This book is not intended to cover VBA programming, that is a whole 'nother matter. I highly recommend this book!

From rent houses to computers (and even to raising a handicapped child to give him room for the most potential in Disabling America ISBN #0785262253), I just am floored every time I read another book by this guy.

Does he write 24 hours a day?

Is he a genius on ALL subjects?

Again, maybe I'm partial to his writing style or something, but let me say THIS book once again too my fear out of Office.

Oh I could do all the usual word processing and e-mail. But when it came to formatting my husband's Excel worksheets or using Access, I was stumped until Perry showed me how in under 24 hours. What I like best about this book's examples is that they are not these huge business-world examples with tons of data. His examples are single worksheets and small databases such as the ones I'd create for myself and my family. And if I had a business, I would want to start small so I learned the fundamentals and then work my way up to bigger projects.

Once again, I am indebted to this author. I strongly encourage you to read Teach Yourself Office 2003 in 24 Hours if you want to learn the REAL tricks and tools that help you do your daily computer tasks.

He keeps doing it. Every few months, another title is written by this Greg Perry. He's the Issaac Asimov of computer books! What, has this guy written 100 or more? I don't know but it seems like it.

What gets me is that he keesp writing quality books, ones that I go back to reference, and between the lines he keeps a sense of humor to boot! Try to find THAT in a computer book, even a wishy-washy Dummies book the humor is often forced.

If you used previous versions of Office but you upgraded to 2003, you might not think you need to read a book. Sure, Office 2003 is a cosmetic upgrade more than anything, but it's not fully one and this book is your KEY to making the most of the new version.

It will NOT throw tons of material you'll never use. It won't throw fancy spreadsheets and database examples at you, it shows you how to make real ones to get the job done.

M Bijaoui takes a balanced approach to both theory and practice in this book. A good half share of the book describes the underlying theory of scaling systems, but without diving too deeply in complex systems theory. On the other hand, it actually describes (presumably from real world experiences) the practicalities of scaling up Exchange.

Its pitch is just about right: not so deep that you'd get the bends, but just deep enough that you can get by with a snorkel.

This topic is clearly right in Mr. Bijaoui's sweet spot and he delivers with a home run. If you are looking to build a big, honkin' server, but also want to know all of the gotchas along the way, this book is for you.

Just what I was looking for...

Evan and Tiffany have done it! From dealing with volumes of daily emails, getting the most from your meetings, preparing your documents and working on shared-docs, this book has put it all in one place. They quickly, effectively run thru the new 2007 MS Office suite, showing new items, like the ribbon - which is the key in all the new Office product tool bars. I found the enclosed CD a great time-saver and a good way to see how Evan and Tiffany put their words into action.
If you are the Office guru in the office and want the jump on your fellow workers (or just want people to ask how do you do THAT in MS Office) then pick up a copy...

Office 2007 introduced the ribbon making getting up to speed a bit more challenging. Our office only held a brief hour demonstration to introduce 2007 to us. What I liked about this book, is it isn't one of those monster Bible/Inside Out books. About 3/4 of an inch thick, it offers brief explanations and tips to get you going on using Office 2007 more effectively and quickly. The book includes a CD with training vidoes, which are nice to view if you don't yet have 2007 up and want to see how it operates or like visuals. The book was precisely what I needed since I was pressed for time and needed to jump in immediately. It is a great starter and you can always buy the monster reference book later when you need to.

Van der Lans offers an impressively thorough education in MySQL 5. It is remarkable how much capability is offered for free in the open source MySQL. The book can also be used to learn generic SQL from scratch. Some early chapters give a quick recap, that should be understandable to an experienced programmer, who does not know SQL. If this describes you, the biggest adjustment to learning it might be its declarative nature, as opposed to the procedural ethos of most programming languages.

One striking feature of the book is the extensive explanation of SELECT. This is the key statement of SQL, and you need to be facile with it. Nine [sic] chapters are devoted to SELECT. Gives you some idea of both the power and complexity of the command. Rarely do other SQL books allocate so much space to a rendition of SELECT. Often, they teach you the basic modes of using it, and then you are left on your own. (Gee, thanks!) Whereas here, for example, an entire chapter is about the SELECT HAVING clause, and another chapter is on the SELECT LIMIT clause. Across these nine chapters are enough worked examples that you can fruitfully mine.

Later chapters delve into more specialised aspects of SQL. Sure, these are all significant. But maybe the most useful is the idea of stored procedures and functions. Vital to optimising performance.

Lest this very mass of detail prove offputting, keep in mind the "Reference" in the book's title. You don't have to read it all at once. As you go thru it, you should develop an intuition of what can be safely relegated to a later reading, when you have specific need of those topics.

Over the last 5 years, I would say I've at least read every book available on MySQL and bought my fair share.

This book is by far the best one available on some of the advanced features of MySQL. It's better than even the Bible and Cookbook series on things like stored procedures, even though it spends too much time on the basics. I loved the large text, but wish there had been more meat on stored procedures, triggers and events (which is why I picked it up to begin with). There are insider knowledge gems sprinkled throughout that will definitely add spice to your SQL, so it's worth a look.

I don't know why even in 2007 authors insist on repeating the MySQL documentation,--it's a MASSIVE amount of wasted space, since anyone using this stuff will be familiar with the online documentation and helpful user commentary. There were a few typos, but that's pretty par for the course. The section on PHP, though, was pretty useless and not particularly good code-wise (in my humble opinion).

One day someone will put out a really advanced cookbook, that doesn't waste space explaining super simple things like "select * from table," but until then it's a great resource. If you can get it at a discount, like on a Borders reward coupon (which they give out like candy) grab it. Clearly, the Europeans still have something to teach us about MySQL! :o))

As a seasoned user of KiXtart, I was skeptical of purchasing a new book, but once I received the book and read through it, I was glad I did. All the entries and samples were clear, concise and very easy to read and implement. I'd recommend this book for both newcomers trying to learn the language, and oldtimers who think they know the language.

Can you believe a book on the famous KiXtart scripting language is finally available?!!!! I've waited for something like this for years and its now finally available. But, its not like any first-run book. This book is complete. Even if you've used KiXtart for a long time, you'll learn something from this book. Its extremely easy to understand and covers everything!

This was my first book to get some knowledge about computers.I was a typical Dummy! This book is very helpful for beginners, easy to use and interesting to read.I highly recommend it.

With all of the complexities involved with using and interacting with a personal computer, wading through a thick technical book isn't high on my list. So it's nice to have a simple reference for a light read or an occasional lookup. Let's head "under the covers" of "Start! The no nonsense guide to Windows XP" to see if it delivers that.

Short chapters with names such as Acquaint, Customize Windows XP, Connect, Games, and Enhance Windows XP offer simple, straightforward explanations, practical advice, and tips. You can work through the chapters in order, or skip around, reference-style. There are ample screen shots.

The logical organization of each chapter makes it easy to focus on a particular topic or task. For example, the chapter called Working with Windows includes information and procedures on running and installing programs, using the start menu, working with your desktop, and adding equipment.

Since Windows XP includes e-mail and Internet programs, the "Connect" chapter explains the purpose of an Internet service provider [ISP], then walks you through the process of accessing and navigating the Internet, as well as handling e-mail and using newsgroups. There's even a chapter entitled "Have Fun" that digs into the multimedia and lighter side of Windows, exploring playing games and music, listening to Internet radio, and working with digital photos.

One of my favorite areas of the book is a six-page appendix listing all of the keyboard shortcuts available in Windows XP, organized by function. Especially for readers new to PC's or new to Windows XP, the chapter called "Enhance Windows XP" provides a concise listing of important maintenance items such as hard disk maintenance, data backup and restore, task scheduling, and importantly, keeping Windows updated. User account creation is introduced, however you'll need to look elsewhere if you're looking for narrative about sophisticated user account management.

A bonus area called "Power Toys" explains how to find and download many tools available from Microsoft for Windows XP. While unsupported, they are built by Microsoft developers and add fun and functionality to your use of Windows. Finally, the book also includes a very comprehensive glossary of PC and Windows XP terms.

Emerging from the book's covers, I conclude that at around 200 pages and a retail price of [$$], this book won't put a dent in your shoulder -- or your wallet. Because's it simply organized with short, readable chapters, it's easy to pick up and put down. The author, Wallace Wang, both a stand-up comedian and the author of many computer books, writes in a simple, straightforward style. As he states, "It's about making your computer do something useful for you...". And this book helps you do just that.

Since I recently purchase a computer for home use, I found this book to be extremely helpful especially with the CD-ROM which walks me through each steps of the programs. I was very pleased to see that Works Suite 2000 has Microsoft Word.

"Step By Step Microsoft Works Suite 2000" takes you by the hand and leads you through the thicket of Microsoft's excellent new integrated suite of applications.

MS Word becomes the word processor for this Works release and for me, who has used earlier Works releases for 9 years, this book helped walk me through that very powerful application.

The spreadsheet and database are good Works upgrades. "Step By Step" shows how to take advantage of all their modifications.

The book also guides you through Home Publishing, Woks Calendar, MS Money and the Encarta Encyclopedia -- all of which are new to Works.

Microsoft (depite its current legal problems) has done a bang-up job with this book.

I think basically, MATLAB was designed to simulate an automated system. This automated system in a real life could be a device of electric, electronic, or mechanic. For students or someone who just begin to learn to design a system (either electrical or mechanical system; or combination of both), I think MATLAB is suitable. The program does not require a lot of "fancy stuff" that the real-life industry use. By simply using ordinary personal computer (either Mac or IBM system), you are already able to do the work.

Because MATLAB was designed for beginners in system design, MATLAB basically only supplies tools for designing a concept (an abstraction). If you need to build a blue print, I suggest that you use a more specific program.

From a concept designing point of view, I think MATLAB has an adequate tools. As a start, MATLAB has building blocks. These building blocks act as a simulation function. The blocks could appear as an abstract mathematical function or appear as a more applicable function needed in electrical or mechanical engineering system design.

MATLAB also has commands to make a simple program. These commands are usually used to be combined with MATLAB 1D, 2D, or 3D image capabilities. With these three powerfull tools, you pratically could design any system or any object.

If you need to do more complex tasks, you obviously need MATLAB's companion: Simulink. With Simulink, you will have more powerfull building blocks; beyond your imagination as a system design beginner!

Be careful when purchasing the Simulink. You need to have a Simulink version that will work properly with the MATLAB version you already have. You do not want to end up like the previous reviewer.

I was so excited when I bought SE of Matlab5.3 together with a CD and a book for for version 5.0. I started to read the book carefully then I realized this program is nothing without simulink, I urgently bought SE of simulink2.0 from my local bookstore in istanbul. But they are not competable with each other. I either need SE of MATLAB 5.0, or SE of simulink 3.0
I hope you understood why I am frustrated.Many thanks to those who will solve this problem.

This is a very good book for defeating the game. Everything you need to get through this game is in this book. It is very detailed and you should have no problems. Take it from me, I am a survival horror veteran and this book helped me out alot! It's worth the money!

BradyGames does it again with another excellent guide to another excellent Rated M game (this time by Midway instead of Rockstar Games). Greg Kramer covers the skills, techniques, weapons, and items you'll need to guide Torque through the many areas (and storied past) of Carnate Island (as well as introducing you to the cast of characters that populates it). He then gives you the grand tour of each of it's 20 levels. This includes maps, a load of color pictures, and plenty of explanations. With 3 possible endings, you must choose wisely as you wind your way around the island as your actions determine the game's outcome. Be sure to check out the Extras section in the back of the guide as it gives you a glimpse of the Archives (Clem's notebook and Consuela's journal) and the bonus level (Level 00 : Waiting To Die) that you open upon completion of the game (regardless of the ending). So come to Maryland and do some time at Carnate Island.