Product Description

Maybe you got Access as part of Microsoft Office and wonder what it can do for you and your household; maybe you're a small business manager and don't have a techie on staff to train the office in Microsoft Access. Regardless, you want to quickly get your feet wet--but not get in over your head--and "Access 2003 for Starters: The Missing Manual" is the book to make it happen.

Far more than a skimpy introduction but much less daunting than a weighty tech book, "Access 2003 for Starters: The Missing Manual" demystifies databases and explains how to design and create them with ease. It delivers everything you need--and nothing you don't--to use Access right away. It's your expert guide to the Access features that are most vital and most useful, and it's your trusted advisor on the more in-depth features that are best saved for developers and programmers.

Access is sophisticated and powerful enough for professional developers but easy and practical enough for everyday users like you. This Missing Manual explains all the major features of Access 2003, including designing and creating databases, organizing and filtering information, and generating effective forms and reports.

Bestselling authors, database designers, and programmers Scott Palmer, Ph.D., and Kate Chase are your guides for putting the world's most popular desktop data management program to work. Their clear explanations, step-by-step instructions, plenty of illustrations, and timesaving advice help you get up to speed quickly and painlessly.

Whether you're just starting out or you know you've been avoiding aspects of the program and missing out on much of what it can do, this friendly, witty book willgently immerse you in Microsoft Access. Keep it handy, as you'll undoubtedly refer to it again and again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #136563 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-31
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 396 pages

About the Author
Kate J. Chase is a Microsoft MVP in Office Systems as well as the author/co-author or editor of more than 30 technical reference books, including several books and training modules devoted to Office products. She has developed and managed vibrant online support communities for industry leaders like America Online, The Microsoft Network, and ZDnet. In addition, she frequently uses the tools in Office to work collaboratively with partners throughout the US and the world.

Scott Palmer, Ph.D., has done database design and programming since 1985. He is the author of 21 books, including three best-sellers. He was computer columnist for The Washington DC Business Journal and has written for The Wall Street Journal, Federal Computer Week, InfoWorld, PC World, Cato Policy Report, Reason Magazine, and many other publications. He studied at Indiana University, the State University of New York, and the University of London. He is a member of the Mathematical Association of America and the American Economic Association.

Customer Reviews

Not Enough Information
It's clearly written and is clearly aimed at the novice. I'd advise people to see how much they can learn from the program help rather than spend the money on this one. You'll probably need a book but you'll need one that's more comprehensive.

In spite of its actual length, the book seems like it's 20 pages long. It's a friendly, very basic, intro to Access. Unfortunately it's going to leave a lot of beginners hanging when they encounter the myriad real world situations the book doesn't cover. I would not advise buying this book without a reference manual to go with it. Example: I wanted to know the syntax for quoting character strings in comparisons. Nothing. In fact all of the comparison and selection by value examples in the book use numbers or dates.

Not what I had expected
This book leaves alot to be desired. Cover to cover, It seemed way too brief. I felt like I was being coached through a few topics that could be figured out by just playing around with the program. Im confused as to why the authors felt it necessary to sacrifice so many trees in order to offer a step by step walk-through of how to use the program's various wizard modes. It seems to me that anyone could open up access and walk themselves through the wizard without reading any of this book. The other 25%-35% of the book that does cover the design view is way to0 brief to be of any use. You barely get a taste of what's out there. Basically you feel like your still.... searching for the "Missing" information.

VERY WORTHWHILE
If you are new to Access and want to learn how to do things, this book is very helpful. If you are an experienced user and want to become an expert, this book may not have everything you need. We use this manual in conjunction with the Video Professor and between the two, we are now very comfortable with Access.