BKUSOF97.RVW   980530

"Using Microsoft Office 97", Ed Bott, 1998, 0-7897-1567-8,
U$29.99/C$42.95/UK#27.49
%A   Ed Bott
%C   201 W. 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN   46290
%D   1998
%G   0-7897-1567-8
%I   Macmillan Computer Publishing (MCP)
%O   U$29.99/C$42.95/UK#27.49 800-858-7674 info@mcp.com
%P   618 p.
%T   "Using Microsoft Office 97, Third Edition"

Office "suites" of software have lost a level of integration that they
had ten or fifteen years ago.  The same can be said of books on these
suites.

Part one is a general introduction to the package as a whole.  Chapter
one is supposed to get you started, but first spends a few pages
giving a not terribly detailed description of the four different
Office 97 packages.  Moving into invocation of the programs, we are
rather uselessly informed that the programs can be found under the
Programs item of the Start button menu (with no explanation of what
might be included).  The Office taskbar is also mentioned without
pointing out the cryptic nature of the buttons showing.  Some general
interface features are catalogued in chapter two.  Much of the space
on help in chapter three is devoted to promoting the use of the
"Assistants" without, however, providing much of an idea of what they
actually do.  A selection of options for customization is given in
chapter four.

Part two presents information on the Microsoft Word word processor. 
The functions included in chapter five are useful in getting started,
but the organization makes the assortment appear random.  Chapter six
reviews basic editing functions.  Formatting seems to wring the first
admission that a Microsoft product may not be the greatest thing since
sliced bread: a warning about AutoFormat ends chapter seven. 
Templates and styles are covered separately in chapter eight.  The
discussion of graphic elements in chapter nine concentrates almost
exclusively on tables.  Chapter ten looks at various print options. 
Despite the title, most of chapter eleven deals with address list
databases.  The description of Web publishing in chapter twelve does
not provide newcomers with enough analysis to see the pitfalls but,
ironically, does step through the process in enough detail that
experienced page creators will be able to note problems with the
automated functions.

Excel is the topic of part three.  Most of chapter thirteen deals with
entering data in one form or another.  Chapter fourteen talks about
formulae although more advanced topics wait for nineteen.  An equal
amount of space is given to formatting, in chapter fifteen.  Printing
of spreadsheets goes wrong far more frequently than printing text and
chapter sixteen points this out, although indirectly.  Chapter
seventeen covers database functions.  Graph and chart production is
dealt with in chapter eighteen.

Part four looks at PowerPoint.  Chapter twenty is an overview of the
program as a whole.  Suggestions for stylistic and special effects are
in chapter twenty one and twenty two.  Chapter twenty three deals with
automation of presentation.

Part five discusses Outlook, specifically Outlook 98, which is also
available to non-Office users.  Chapter twenty four takes a brief look
at installation and a few other functions.  Sending, receiving, and
dealing with mail comes in chapter twenty five.  Non-mail features are
covered in twenty six.

Part six is a real grab bag.  Chapter twenty seven actually concerns
annotation and version control, for groupware purposes.  Simple data
sharing; in cut and paste, linking, embedding, and binders; comes in
chapter twenty eight.  Chapter twenty nine deals with components and
updates.  Additionally, two appendices cover macros for Word and
Excel.

The quality of chapters varies greatly.  Some material is generic, and
not necessarily directly applicable to the use of Office 97.  The
keyboard shortcuts list pasted into the front cover, for example,
contains such esoteric information as the standard Windows Crtl-X, -C,
and -V keystrokes for cut, copy, and paste operations.  A few sections
are extremely good, and go directly to material that new users need
right away.  Overall, however, this is a quick and simplistic
reference for those who cannot be bothered learning the different
programs.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1998   BKUSOF97.RVW   980530