Word 2007: Beyond the Manual

by Connie Morrison

Book Overview

Word 2007: Beyond the Manual is written for the experienced Word user who would find an introductory manual boring, condescending, and a waste of time. Basic features of word-processing in general or of Word in particular are not discussed. Features new to Word 2007 are emphasized, as are complex features that, though available in earlier versions of Word, were not readily accessible. The narrative is fast-paced, concise, and respectful of the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590597990
• ISBN13: 9781590597996
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Apress
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Are you an experienced user of Microsoft Word? If you are, then this book is definitely for you. Author Connie Morrison, has done an outstanding job of writing a book for those who are interested in learning about what's new in Word 2007. Morrison, begins by providing an overview of the new look, changes and new features in Word 2007. Then, the author explains the structure and defines the parts of the Ribbon. Next, she covers document views and arranging windows--options that are all available on the View tab. The author also focuses on the commands and features available on the Home tab, which is the first tab displayed on the left side of the Ribbon. She continues by addressing the commands and tools available on the Insert tab, which is the second tab on the Ribbon. Then, the author presents the new themes available on the Page Layout tab, which is the third tab on the Ribbon. Next, she introduces new features on the References tab. She continues by describing the tools and options available on the Mailings tab. Then, the author shows you how to collaborate and share documents. Next, she also covers some of the more advanced features that can be accessed on the Developers tab. She continues by covering some of the advanced features available on the Developer tab. Finally, the author goes further by showing you the final stages before distributing a document. This most excellent book is not for beginners. Nevertheless, you will find plenty of tips and notes focusing shortcuts to complete both new and familiar tasks.

Overview of Word 2007 and standard Word features

I was initially going to give this book a 3-star rating, but decided that it has redeeming qualities, and more or less accomplishes its purpose. The book is about 300 pages long (including everything), printed on heavy paper, in quality binding. I got through the entire thing for the first time in two days, so it's by no means heavy reading. The organization of the book is fairly straightforward. After the first at-glance chapter, each of the subsequent chapters is dedicated to the features on the new Word 2007 ribbon interface. So, Chapter 3 goes over the View ribbon; Chapter 4 goes over the Home ribbon; and so forth. There are two chapters dedicated to the Developer tab (one for macros, one for XML), but the book does not going into VBA programming. The last chapter covers some publishing features, including some SharePoint basics, the PDF/XPS information, and the like. First, let me mention a couple of good points. One, each of the features in the ribbon is described, with the exception of simple formatting, font, bold, etc. The author also goes into differences from previous versions, both from the standpoint of organization and new features. For an experienced Word user, this is helpful, especially pointing out features of which the user was previously unaware. There are a couple of shortcomings. For one, the amount of material allocated to certain features is disproportionate. For example, tables are covered in great detail, but most experienced Word users have already used all of these features in previous versions. On the other hand, some less commonly used features, such as citations and footnotes, are devoted relatively little space. Another shortcoming is the format of instructions provided. While some procedures are outlined as steps, and do get involved (some as many as 10 or more steps), others are omitted entirely. Those portions not containing detailed procedures are useful by making the user aware of availability of certain features, but require the user to look elsewhere to find out how to make the feature work. The processes that are provided are isolated scenarios, and in most cases only 2-3 possible applications are given. In several instances, there is a disconnect between some features that seem related. This happens because chapters are broken out by ribbon tabs, not tasks. Perhaps the best example of this is the relationship of Themes and Styles. For one, Themes are not covered enough, and being a new Word 2007 feature, some more information is desired. But more importantly, a Theme is defined as a collection of fonts, colors, etc - by changing a Theme the whole document changes. This should be related to the Style gallery, and how to make the two features work together. There is no mention of such. Finally, there are a few advanced Word features that are described, but very limited information is provided. A good example of this is field codes. The author describes how to make some basic mo