This reviewer’s interest in this text is as a detailed self-paced supplement for students studying business and finance. The detailed hyperlinked Table of Contents was more than adequate for finding search topics. This book covers the ins and outs that all but the most advanced users of Excel will need. For a fairly succinct text, it establishes a sound foundational knowledge of the program, including formulas, formatting, conditional formatting, and shortcuts. All of this information is structured such that a new user could conceivably be making conditionally-formatted charts with ease and confidence by the time they are done with the book.
It is definitely consistent as the first chapter flows into the successive ones very consistently with the same kind of explanation aids- Figures, Textual guidance and Pictures of the excel sheet. The interface is presented in an organized and appealing way. This has already helped me set up my project better and gives me the confidence that I’ll be able to keep tracking the project using the software. Get your lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 right now. Download a lifetime license to Microsoft Office for a deep discount.
The table of contents is easy to navigate and the data sets are located within the text exactly when needed. This could be easily split up into smaller modules and taught in a different order. As other reviewers have noted, modularity is somewhat decreased because many of the skills taught scaffold on each other. In a future version, perhaps including prerequisite skills at the start of each chapter or section might assist with modularity.
I know the students will be grateful for the guidance, and for not having to spend additional funding on yet another textbook. The authors have clearly made an effort to update this textbook to keep is relevant as new releases of Excel occur. Software textbooks are challenging to keep relevant, and the authors have done an excellent job of revising this textbook for the new version of Excel 2019. This would be a good text for students with no Excel experience. It is easy to follow and filled with appropriate activities for gaining knowledge and skills in beginning Excel. No culturally insensitive or offensive material were evident.
The six chapters cover the basics of Excel necessary for a student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree or for professionals needing to refresh their skills. Definitions and summaries are included in each chapter where relevant. No glossary is present but it does not impact the value or relevance of the book. The textbook provides comprehensive coverage of the fundamental skills of Excel, including mathematical computations, logical and lookup computations and presenting data with charts. The scope and sequence of the material is sufficiently detailed and logically organized.
Again, that makes the reference capability of this textbook extremely important. There was nothing in the textbook that seemed culturally insensitive or offensive. Since it is a software-based book, there isn’t a discussion of social Microsoft Excel 2019 Lessons issues, such as race or ethnicity, in this textbook. The spreadsheets that are provided use real-life data examples that students from a variety of backgrounds may find familiar, like calculating a monthly budget or a car payment.
The textbook is not consistent about using the same method to complete a task. For example, at least four ways to create a footer are introduced. This is ideal, as awareness of multiple methods is important in finding ways to complete unfamiliar tasks. Well organized, the chapters are arranged in a way that helps the reader learn in a systematic manner.