Microsoft Office 2010 Plain & Simple

After 13 years out of the workplace my wife returned to office work. She was familiar with Microsoft Office, but only version 2003 and earlier. When she got a new laptop a couple of years back I just installed the version of Office 2003 that came with her now-retired desktop computer. Her new job used Office 2010 and she was nervous - after all, Office 2010 is a lot different than 2003. Those ribbons can be intimidating at first.Another thing about my wife: she hates to read manuals. My wife is smart, just not patient. Me, I'm a fan of the "Missing Manual" series. I don't mind sitting down and reading instructions, but not my wife. She wants things to be able to do things without bothering with instructions. When I told her I ordered her a book on Office 2010 she was a little mad at me for "wasting money on a book [she'll] never read."As it turns out, I done good. This book is just perfect for her. The material covers everything she's needed to do so far, broken down by task. It's easy for her to find what she's looking for by skimming the table of contents. The explanation of the tasks are great: big color screen shots, arrows, easy-to-understand text. Because the book covers the Office suite she only needs to keep this one reference book handy. The introduction says, "No computerspeak!" and the book lives up to that - everything explained in terms the average user can understand.Each section may have one or more "Tips" that give extra information on the task at hand. There may also be a "See Also" box that suggests other related topics.I was impressed that the authors included a section on removing personal data from files. The Word section titled "Finalizing Your Document" shows how to run the Document Inspector to remove any sensitive information stored in the document's metadata (that's computerspeak for extra information in the file that doesn't show up on the screen...and it's also why this book does a better job than I do explaining Office to my wife). There's also a whole chapter titled "Customizing and Securing Office".I don't own a Kindle but I've used one, and I see this book is available for the Kindle. I can't imagine this book would be nearly as useful or easy to use reading it on a small gray screen. Look at some of the sample pages on the product page and you'll see what I mean.This is a great book for someone without the time (or patience) to spend reading a manual or help file, yet needs to get things done right away. The book doesn't cover every feature of every application in Office, but it's a wonderful introduction to Office 2010 (including the ribbon bar) and how to accomplish the most common tasks.

I borrowed this book at my public library and liked it so much at the current price on amazon that I bought my own copy. Microsoft Office 2010 Plain & Simple enhances the suite. The built-in and online Help systems and the many online help forums available for Office 2010 are great resources for figuring out the minutiae of the software, but this manual gives you the essential overview that you miss unless you spend a lot of relatively inefficient time exploring the "Getting Started" section of the built-in Help system, something I rarely do.PROS:Shows you how to use the programs in your Office 2010 suite and demonstrates features you didn't even know you wanted until the book highlighted them for you. Shows you how the programs in your suite interact with one another. There's a reason it's designed as a suite, but some folks never move beyond using limited features and programs in isolation. Has lots of tips and tricks to speed your work and make your Office 2010 output grab the viewer's eye.Has labeled color illustrations showing exactly how to quickly locate and execute the command sequence being discussed, as you can see from amazon's illustrations from the book. I hate it when other software instructions tell me to click this or click that, when the main problem is that I can't find what I'm supposed to click in the software. Extremely aggravating! That doesn't happen with this book,Pitched at just the right level. Doesn't talk down to the reader and assume someone new to computers or Windows, but also doesn't assume Office expertise. Avoids the annoying, distracting humor(??) of some other third-party software help manuals. Has a detailed Index in the back. Has wide pages so the book stays open to the page you want without being held down so you can see a page while using a keyboard or mouse.CON(??):It's not comprehensive. I see another review here from another user who gave this book one star primarily because it didn't tell him how to do the one particular thing he wanted help with. I understand why that's a CON for him, but really, it's not for me, because such a comprehensive manual would have to be much more expensive and the size of the Manhattan Yellow Pages or a multi-volume set, and it would be much less approachable for readers seeking an overview. That's what the Help systems built in to the software and the online forums do better. You can also buy single volume Plain & Simple manuals for many individual programs in the Office suite that go into more detail if you use that program heavily and prefer books to online Help. (I haven't seen the Microsoft Word 2010 Plain & Simple book, but I bet our unhappy reviewer's question was answered there.)Overall, highly recommended.

I bought this book which covers Access, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Powerpoint, Publisher and Word for my sister who is new to Office 2010. I note the widely polarised views on this page.This "Plain and Simple" guide by Microsoft has an overall section on Office 2010 and is then broken down into separate sections for Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Outlook etc. The pages on each respective element are colour coded and make good use of clear screen shots as well as step by step instructions to explain various activities.I have been using Office in various iterations for over 15 years and have still come across a lot of useful things that I didn't know in this book. My perception is that this book is useful for people who are new to Office (2010) or those migrating from a much older version. Yes, it does deal with the basics which, arguably, have remained a constant, but it also develops the themes to address much more advanced functions such as pivot tables in Excel, working with special content in Word etc. The way the book is laid out makes it a useful "memory jogger" even for those that consider themselves beyond the novice stage - I have often struggled to remember a feature I haven't used for a while in Powerpoint for example.In summary, this book delivers what it sets out to, namely, being a "Plain and Simple" guide to Office 2010, it is well constructed, the page layout and graphics are good and it is easily navigable. I personally cannot identify with some of the negative reviews on this page. In the context of its intended audience it is therefore recommended.

This book is great for the beginner, and for some of us who are new to MS Office 2010. The book explains the majority of tasks you are likely to encounter in an office environment, the book explains tasks with the aid of pictures and step by step guides that are very easy to follow.

I have found the book an excellent explanation of Office 2010. It does presume the user has some basic knowledge of Windows packages and knows how to use the mouse, keyboard, and basic functions. It is very clear, concise and informative. I would recommend it with enthusiasm for those who are currently trying to update their knowledge for both educational and work purposes.

if you are like me and a little backward when it comes to IT then this book is definately for you. plain simple and easy to work through you will soon be thinking you are a bit of an IT wizkid

I bought this book it arrived on time and in excellent condition it is what it says plain and simple ok if you are not very up on computer terms.