How To Do Everything With Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 does exactly what it says on the tin, and with PowerPoint expert Ellen Finkelstein behind it, I wouldn't have expected anything less. What makes this new guide to the latest incarnation of PowerPoint shine is the fact that it eschews a simple how-to approach in favour of a how, when and why to take on using the application. Sure, this is a book that will take the absolute beginner and guide them step by step through the PowerPoint authoring process, but it does a lot more besides.
The book is divided into three parts, with the first focusing on the nuts and bolts of creating a presentation from scratch, the second on how to effectively incorporate multimedia elements into your presentations, and the third on customization, delivery and distribution of the end result.
Within these three parts each of the fifteen chapters is clearly divided into easy to jump to sections, which are themselves packed with bullet point summaries, quick tips and valuable how-to sections that are clearly marked out. The result is a book that can be used very easily as a quick reference for those looking to find out specific details at a given point in time. With a clear index, and well designed layout, along with hundreds of screen capture images it couldn't be easier to find exactly what you're looking for. And if this was all that the book did, it would be a success.
However, the strength of this particular guide is the fact that you have a PowerPoint expert guiding you not just through this standard reference material, but also giving key, sage advice throughout and how best to make use of PowerPoint 2007. So you'll find, for example, in the chapter on editing text not just step-by-step guidance on how to change your fonts and apply formatting effects, but also a great list of tips on how to make your text really count.
Another example, which is one among the many that work their way through the whole book, is the chapter on colors, borders and fills. Here we find reference material on how to create gradients and picture backgrounds, alongside useful advice on selecting appropriate colors for your presentation.
This makes all the difference - here is a book written by someone that actually uses PowerPoint, and knows all there is to know about using it effectively. There is plenty here for those who just want to know which button to press and when, but dig a little deeper and you have a treasure trove of design and implementation advice that really sets this apart from the competition.
In summary, if you are looking for a comprehensive guide to not only using PowerPoint 2007, but also using it to knock out effect, Finkelstein's book would make for a sound investment. Packed into over 400 pages you have all you're going to need to make sense of the new PowerPoint 2007 features, put together great multimedia presentations, and even deliver them with style and panache. If that sounds like a tall order, it is very much to Ellen Finkelstein's credit that she has managed to pull it off.
Further details
How To Do Everything In Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 by Ellen Finkelstein is published by McGraw Hill / Osbourne and is available now, priced $24.99.
Chapter summary
Part I: Create a presentation
Chapter 1. Get Started with Presentations
Chapter 2. Create Your First Presentation
Chapter 3. Edit Text
Chapter 4. Format Bullets and Paragraphs
PART II: Add multimedia elements to your presentation
Chapter 5. Add Art and Graphic Objects
Chapter 6. Work with Colors, Borders, Fills, and 3-D Effects
Chapter 7. Coordinate Presentations with Slide Masters
Chapter 8. Incorporate Graphs, Tables, and Diagrams
Chapter 9. Add Animation to a Presentation
Chapter 10. Use Multimedia
PART III: Manage and convey a presentation
Chapter 11. Interact with Others
Chapter 12. Display a Presentation on a Web Site
Chapter 13. Customizing PowerPoint
Chatper 14. Prepare to Deliver Your Presentation
Chatper 15. Present Your Slide Show
About the author
Ellen Finkelstein has been using AutoCAD since 1986 and PowerPoint since 1996. She has been consulting and teaching AutoCAD, PowerPoint, and other computer programs, including Microsoft Word and Excel, since 1993. Now she writes computer books and teaches Management courses. She has taught classes in Human Resources Management, Creating Usable Web Sites, and Web Writing.
