Access 2000 for Windows for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: Not worth it
Review: ...My user level: beginner to intermediate (I already know how to build basic tables, forms, queries, trying to step up into the world of more complex relationships, reports, etc). I was pretty disappointed with this book: cut out the "for dummies" fluff and what's left are simple instructions on how to use the built in wizards. When I looked for example, for information on form controls in the index, I found they weren't even referenced. The front cover "cheat sheet" is just a listing of telephone and online tech support phone numbers (which you will end up shelling out $$ to call) and web addresses.

Kaufeld spends way too much time trying to make jokiness look like friendly instruction. Then, in place of real instruction, he constantly tells users to go get help from their company tech guy/gal. Wait a minute - I thought I bought this book so I could learn on my own! Apparently, he didn't envision Access users who work outside of a large corporation with an IT department.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Introductory Book
Review: I am completely new to Access 2000 and this book was just what I needed. It was both a good read (yes, I read it cover to cover) and informative. I had tryed other, more advanced Access books, but discovered that I was not yet at a level to fully understand them. I needed the basic level that "... For Dummies" books provide. Although the author covers how to use the Wizards, which are for the most part self-explanitory, he also delves into how to do everything from tables to queries to reports in design view. I'm a do-it-myselfer, so I prefer design view, but needed a book that would step me though the process. It is well organized and I plan on buying Access 2002 (XP) for Windows for Dummies when it hits the shelves so I can get a consise look at the new features and how to use them. If you're a Douglas Adams fan (especially Hitch hiker's Guide to the Galaxy), you'll like the title of Part III and the quips that are spattered throughout that section. Happy reading and good luck learning your way through a new program!

Rating:
Summary: Real Weak!
Review: I had a problem with an SQL query involving joins. According to the index for this book, this book doesn't even cover joins! I about talked myself into believing that Access doesn't support joins, but Access' online help does explain using wizzards to do joins (which this book does not even mention). I needed to do my work in SQL, so the on line help didn't give me an answer, just encouragement. Finally I discoved that I had used a two-word field name, which Access supports, but which SQL does not. When I changed the field name to one word, the SQL query worked perfectly.

I buy these books as resources to allow me to avoid spending an entire day with a simple syntax problem like this. "Access 2000 for Dummies" failed miserably in it's mission. (And it's not as funny as Kaulfield thinks it is, either...).

Rating:
Summary: Keep it moving, nothing to see here folks...
Review: I wish I had read these reviews before I bought this book, I would have taken a closer look at it first. I have used these books as a quick reference in the past and I rely on them to be basic and to the point. I guess it's supposed to be conversational, but wading through all of the cutesy garbage filler and words like 'kinda' and 'yup' drove me crazy. Chapter titles like 'Lions AND Bears OR Tigers? Oh, My!' are useless, especially to someone like me who is new to the software. I just hope I'm able to return it in exchange for a book that doesn't add aggravation to the frustration of learning new software.

Rating:
Summary: For a would-be developer: useless. For a user: a last resort
Review: I'll make this as brief and painless as possible...

Up until three days ago I had never seen or used a database program of any kind, ever. I played around with Access for 3 or 4 hours and then bought this book, hoping it would answer some of my questions. Unfortunately, I have discovered a sum total of one - just one - tiny new thing from reading this book. In other words, in 3 or 4 hours playing around, I learnt more than this book could teach me.

Typically, Kaufeld will skim the surface of a topic and move on, leaving the details you need to do anything useful unmentioned. For example, his treatment of relationships is very light. In other cases the features are not even mentioned at all: joins, a rather important aspect, is completely ignored.

The book does however have the traditional redeeming features of a "For Dummies" book - you could probably get MS Access running even if you don't know anything at all about computers (I seem to remember Kaufeld mentioning a power switch somewhere...), and he does an adequate job of explaining what a table, form, query and report are.

In short, if all you want to do is use databases created by others, and you have no one around to teach you, this book will suffice - and probably suffice well. But if you ever want to create anything more than the "Hello World" of databases, you need a more complete, more technical book.

Rating:
Summary: This Book Is An Absolute Waste Of Time To Read!!!
Review: This book will give you boring definitions, but it doesn't really go into anything why I needed to learn how to do. There are way to many "Ask someone who is computer literate to help you with this." There was one explanation that said the topic is too difficult to explain and I should trade some "homemade cookies" to someone that will show me how to fix the problem. I'm not kidding look it up for yourself if you don't believe me. I don't know what audience this book is for but it seems to me that it was written for computer illerate people that will not get any answers anyway. Its more like "This stuff is too tough for you to learn, tell you what go have a cookie." I like to tell the author to go do something else...

Rating:
Summary: important advise: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK !
Review: This is a complete waste of money! If you already bought this book, burning it in your chimney gives you more pleasure than trying to read it.

Content of the book: a few hours browsing and clicking through the application (and using Help), will be more instructive than reading any subject in this book.

Style: Most irritating and distracting, unless you prefer to refer to the Help function as the "Online St. Bernhard" etc...

Advise to Mr. John Kaufeld: I think your writing style will be more appreciated in children's books.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Introductory Book
Review: Up until now, I had never felt like a dummy for buying a "-for dummies" book. Up until now. Among the insipid and mildly insulting jokes I found just enough in this book to figure out what I already knew or could develop on my own using Access' own wizard. The chapters aren't especially helpful; for example, the section on creating forms leaves so much unexplored in this lovely database. In this book, if you come up against an interesting problem, well, you're supposed to find your company's IT nerd and beg. Perhaps that's it: if I make enough to buy the book, reward me as I have rewarded you, Kaufeld. There is a difference between being a dummy and being an innocent. Ah, well, fortunately, I discovered Anderson's "Complete Access Reference" the next week and got a great used copy on Amazon....

Rating:
Summary: Lots of stupid jokes, not much else
Review: When I was first handed Access 2000 I didn't know anything about Access or databases for that matter or where to start. So I bought this book. I found it very informative in telling me what's what and how to do basic functionality of the program. It took me about two days to feel comfortable with Access, anything beyond that and this book is not worth it. It was good for me because it got me to a point, then I needed to go searching for another Access 2000 book.