Access 2007: The Missing Manual
Matthew MacDonald
Pogue Press: O’Reilly
ISBN: 0-596-52760-8                       
Non-Fiction, Computer
Reviewed by Alain B. Renaud

With so many various guidebooks on the market promising to help you find your way around Access 2007, coupled with the fact that the last thing you have is time to be wasting, Matthew MacDonald makes the decision easy with this surprisingly logical yet entertaining book. Similar to the other Missing Manual books in the way that they are aimed towards a variety of audiences, rest assured that both the student and professional will be able to gain further insight into Access. As Microsoft Office 2007 programs are designed to run on both Microsoft Windows (XP Service Pack 2 or later) and Windows Vista, these new resources are there to answer your every question.

With the highlights including; how to learn how to navigate the software using the ribbon, or the new tabbed toolbar; creating databases to track inventory; tips on how to sort, search, and filter your data using tables; how to hunt down and summarize vast amounts of information using queries; the easiest way to turn raw data into printed reports, complete with formatting and subtotals; the trick of automating complex tasks with timesaving macros and Visual Basic, and how to best share your data with the rest of the world, how can anyone go wrong? These key lessons plus a variety of other important information will help you become an expert in no time.

While most guidebooks can bore you to death, I was pleasantly surprised with Mr. MacDonald’s approach. Using the same easy-to-understand pointers as he did previously in the Missing Manual books, I particularly liked the way he presented the material. I also liked the fact that instead of giving you an enclosed disc, you have full access to the digital version online as well as to all the sharewear programs you need. So, once more, another excellent guidebook from Missing Manual and O’Reilly!