Office 2013: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals)

Received item in good working condition.

I love the Missing Manual series of books. They truly live up to the "The Book That should have been in the box." I have many of the series for the iPhone, operating systems and software. This book does not disappoint. While I am an Office veteran, my company updated to the newest version of Office and I needed to get up to speed on the changes, updates and new features of this version of Office. We previously used 2003 at work and I had 2007 at home. I wasn't wild about the 2010 version. I wanted a solid guide to give me the scoop so that I could help my co-workers with learning and using the version. The authors give you an overview of Office 2013, what's new and give a thorough explanation of where and how to use commands with a dash of humor and fun. Most people don't take the time to learn how to use computers, software or even their phones. I see them struggle with basic tasks because they won't spend a bit of time to learn how things work. With the changes in Windows 7 & 8 and the new version of Office, stumbling around trying to figure things out just doesn't cut it anymore. You need good, solid information to help you master computer skills. This book will help. The authors explain things in plain English without a great deal of technical terms. If you prefer the more technical guides, the Microsoft Inside Out and Wileys Bible series will cover in more technical detail. The Missing Manuals are great consumer guides. All programs are covered, including OneNote, Publisher and Access. I've been able to assist with end user tech support for the 2013 Office version with few problems. I highly recommend this book whether you have the new version or are interested in it. Knowledge of how to use this software will keep you a head of the game at work, school or job hunting. Employers love people with solid computer skills. Get this book and keep yourself ahead of the pack!

I have raved about the Missing Manual series ever since I first used them with Windows XP and Office 2010. This is no exception! There's more here that covers all the programs in the Office suite than most program specific manuals by other people.Like every other of the Missing Manual books, the writing is plan language that covers topics in a way that is clear and understandable. Everyone from less experienced users to the folks who need more of a quick reference guide, these books are written to make things understandable to the newer users without causing more experienced users to yawn while talking to the experienced folks without glazing the eyeballs of the less experienced folk.In my case I use some of the Office Suite programs much more than others, but I do use them all. That's what's so great about this book- so far everything I needed to know is there and it's easy to find. It's hard to describe how well the Office suite as a whole is covered in this one book!As I go along I will be getting Missing Manual books for Access and Excel individually to get a fuller, more advanced understanding of those programs.

As a long-time Office 2007 user, I bypassed the upgrade to Office 2010, and just upgraded to Office 2013 in April 2014. I expected a decently detailed explanation of the new features not available in previous renditions of Office. What I found was a rather high level introduction to WORD, EXCEL, PowerPoint and Outlook covering things I already knew. Examples abound but for discussion purposes I will focus on EXCEL. For example, the new Quick Analysis tool is only mentioned on page xix; there is no how-to coverage in the EXCEL chapters. For EXCEL features that have been around a while, such as one- and two- dimensional Data Tables or Pivot Tables, there is no coverage of them at all (at least I couldn't find any), so if EXCEL 2013 is a user's first exposure to EXCEL, there is no guidance on how to use these tools. Finally, it would have been nice to have a decent discussion of the new or revised functions that have been added. Example - it took me quite a bit of work to discover that LOGNORMDIST has been changed to LOGNORM.DIST with options to calculate either the cumulative distribution function or the probability density function.

This manual for Office 2013 was beyond my expectations in condition and content. It was shipped in "like new" condition in protective packaging. It covers each program in the Office group, but introduces users to common features among the different programs before going to individual programs. New users get a thorough introduction to each program, and previous users are quickly brought up-to-date on new features in this issue. The size of the manual is formidable in size and weight, which may tend to put off some users, but it will reward those who really put it to use.

I purchased this manual based on the great reviews it received from others and the author's qualifications. It is incredibly detailed. Every step including those that other manuals leave out are included here in very easy to follow language. If there are 6 steps to get from beginning to end, they are all listed. No leaving the reader to hit dead ends. I so appreciate that other purchasers took the time to let the Amazon community know how good this manual is. It really is the only manual you will ever need for Office 2013.

Please note that this book is for Windows version only. It does not apply to Mac version. Missing Manual's Office for Mac 2011 is their most recent version for the Apple platform. This makes this book very confusing for Mac users.

I am really liking this book. I have never used an office product before, so I needed a reference that would bring me up to speed quickly and help me to understand the applications in a practical way so that I can apply the applications in a meaningful way. I simply read the first chapter to understand the basics, and the rest is just a matter of learning the "good stuff" that will benefit me.

Fortunately there are email contacts that I might need to contact if all else fails but, so far, it's proved hopelessly inadequate in a very basic sense. I only have need for the Word, Excel and Outlook sections - I don't have the other programmes - but am quite happy to buy a comprehensive volume if it will do what I want it to. However, having graduated from Office 2003 to this one, I'm in real trouble with trying to make 2013 perform 2003 tasks and am not helped in my searches by a totally inadequate index.With what I have achieved, I seem to need two or three clicks where one used to suffice but, whilst I haven't spent hours poring over it, so far I've failed to find out how to alter my default settings, how to transfer pics from emails to files or, indeed, transfer pics from one file to another. Overlaying one text box on to another, e.g. to put normal text on to a pic, has proved impossible, although simple using 2003.In a book that size, I'm prepared to accept that the info MAY be there but finding it without an index has so far proved impossible. My computer usage is probably limited to the bottom 1-2% of its capability, so I'm not an enthusiast as such, but I had hoped for more help from over £20's worth of book.

This is a very good book, with useful information and easy to read. I'd certainly recommend it.Pros:- Well laid out with an easy to follow style.- Doesn’t use technical jargon to confuse the reader. Easy to understand with real world examples.- Doesn’t cover all features, just the ones you’re likely to need or find useful. For most people this is a benefit.- Good value.Cons:- Apart from the front and back cover, the book is entirely in black and white. Screen shots and illustrations are in greyscale, not colour as in the Kindle preview. This makes it slightly harder to read.- The book is a little out of date, office 2013 has been updated over the years. Not major changes but enough to throw you slightly every now and then. I spotted about 20 things that look or work differently now than what is described in the book. For example the Outlook navigation bar looks different, also in Excel when you click the Convert button to convert a spreadsheet from xls to xlsx format the program now deletes the original xls file (which is good). The book says you have to manually delete the xls file. That last one might be a mistake rather than an update. Updates may be listed on the publishers web site, haven’t checked.These are not show stoppers, still a good buy.

If you want to save musing around different sources about this subject, it is all explained in avid detail. Takes you by the hand and is well indexed at the back, as also the opportunity to check any updates since its publishing date (2013) everyone is invited to send in their discoveries of errata and help to contribute to make the next issue updated more comprehensively. Plenty of opportunities get en rapport with the Author and Publisher - as a Reviewer too - if you want. Go for it and save extra money, even if you think it costs a bit more than other books. It does say what the manual is printed on the book - a Missing Manual.

By far the best way to learn all the details you require to customise the software and use it to the full.I only have the Home & Office version of Office 2013 so don't need all the chapters of this book (which includes Access and Outlook) but it is still good value. I remember the days when Office was delivered with a shelf-full of reference books by Microsoft. Software providers have long since ignored the requirement to help their users get the best from their products but the Missing Manual series are probably the best alternative.Chris

Having recently discovered "The Missing Manual" series of books, and thinking they are excellent, I ordered this prior to publication. I would not go back to the likes of other books that are aimed at absolute beginners as they tend to be too restrictive. Even if you had never seen Ms Office before, this book gives you the basics and goes on to provide clearly explained methods to enable you to competently use all aspects of Ms Office 2013. If you then wish to delve deeper into one aspect of MS Office 2013 such as the Access Database, buy "The Missing Manual" for that programme. Highly recommended, a great read, or book to thumb through discovering things to try.