Teach Yourself® Microsoft® Access 2000

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book, Extras Not Included
Review: I am an access / database novice but have experience with computers, the net, and many software applications. That is probably why this book was easy for me to sit down, read a chapter or two, and really grasp what the author was trying to teach.

The book is set up with the lesson text on one page and screenshots with helpful comments on the other. The screenshots are not as helpful as you may think because they often dont show you enough of what the author is talking about, but they are a good reference.

A few nice features of the book are the "Take Note", "Cross Reference" and "Shortcut" tips that are presented on every lesson text page. Take Note gives you an added special tip helpful to the section. Cross Reference shows resources in the book you can turn to for more information, and Shortcut provides either keyboard commands or internet links for more infomation. (However, the links are few and far between, more on this later) Also, each lesson text page has an easy to read and understand title and focus.

Each chapter ends with a short 8 question quiz, a quick visual (screenshot) quiz and optional, VERY OPTIONAL, exercizes. (more later)

Now, on to the negatives. Although the book has good screenshots, they also do not usually reveal the entire scenario. Plus with more screenshots, their are fewer words and explanations. Next, this book does not come with a CD, so examples most be followed in the text and screenshots, a BIG disappointment. Also there is no webpage you can go to download his examples :( The links he does provide are usually to colleges computer science classes, and a few dont even work. Plus he only provides 1 link per chapter, AT BEST. The excersizes at the chapter ends are almost no-existant. They are usually hasty, and rarely teach you anything, a HUGE disappointment.

Overall, the text is good. If he would have provided more text and fewer picures and gave an ounce of thought to the exercizes, the book would approach perfect. Dont get me wrong, you will learn Access 2000, but... as is, only 3 STARS (***)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book, Extras Not Included
Review: I am an access / database novice but have experience with computers, the net, and many software applications. That is probably why this book was easy for me to sit down, read a chapter or two, and really grasp what the author was trying to teach.

The book is set up with the lesson text on one page and screenshots with helpful comments on the other. The screenshots are not as helpful as you may think because they often dont show you enough of what the author is talking about, but they are a good reference.

A few nice features of the book are the "Take Note", "Cross Reference" and "Shortcut" tips that are presented on every lesson text page. Take Note gives you an added special tip helpful to the section. Cross Reference shows resources in the book you can turn to for more information, and Shortcut provides either keyboard commands or internet links for more infomation. (However, the links are few and far between, more on this later) Also, each lesson text page has an easy to read and understand title and focus.

Each chapter ends with a short 8 question quiz, a quick visual (screenshot) quiz and optional, VERY OPTIONAL, exercizes. (more later)

Now, on to the negatives. Although the book has good screenshots, they also do not usually reveal the entire scenario. Plus with more screenshots, their are fewer words and explanations. Next, this book does not come with a CD, so examples most be followed in the text and screenshots, a BIG disappointment. Also there is no webpage you can go to download his examples :( The links he does provide are usually to colleges computer science classes, and a few dont even work. Plus he only provides 1 link per chapter, AT BEST. The excersizes at the chapter ends are almost no-existant. They are usually hasty, and rarely teach you anything, a HUGE disappointment.

Overall, the text is good. If he would have provided more text and fewer picures and gave an ounce of thought to the exercizes, the book would approach perfect. Dont get me wrong, you will learn Access 2000, but... as is, only 3 STARS (***)