New Perspectives on Microsoft Office 2007, First Course, Windows XP Edition [Spiral-bound]

I myself am fairly computer literate; I am after all a computer repair tech. I also work in my local college with people that are having difficulty with computers in general. I get to see this book often.

This is a good book since it covers all the basics of the world of Microsoft Office 2007, it goes over word, excel and PowerPoint nicely.

This book also has major issues with its wording, for the college student that grew up surrounded with computers it was not that bad. However for the older, say 40+ group it is a terrible book. Directions are hard to follow and understand. I have seen students come to me needing help with some of the work the book asks them to do and I have difficulty following and understand the instructions and I have been in the computer and electronics field since 1982.

Another MAJOR FLAW with this book is that it often asks you to work on a partly started document that you can download off line. Most of the time I spend with a student trying to help them with this book often requires me to spend the first 45 minutes trying to find the file. The web site is so intent in trying to sell you the book they didn't consider if someone who owns the book is trying to get access to the data there told to. It would be better if this book came with a CD with all the data on it.

If you're an "older" person who is looking to get a book to help with gaining some computer knowledge, this is possibly the worst book you can ever get your hands on. You will find your-self frustrated and unable to do the work with out any outside help. After paying the exuberant price for a "College" book you will most likely find your self eager to either return it or to burn it.

For the college student who is told that this is your textbook, with every homework assignment, give the "Case instructions" a glance and look to see it you understand it before you leave the classroom.

I purchased New Perspectives on Microsoft Office 2007, First Course, Windows XP Edition to help my son with his college computer applications course, which used New Perspectives as the class textbook. I consider myself tech-savvy. However, after guiding my son through a Word tutorial assignment using New Perspectives, I realized that I didn't know all there is to know about Microsoft Office. I realized that this book could teach me what I needed to know. New Perspectives is a user-friendly paperback book. It is spiral-bound, so the spine will never break and the pages will always lay flat. The tutorials are chock-full of colorful screen shots, so you'll never lose your place in the lesson. The tutorials seem to use every possible button and command in the MS Office suite. I know that when I finally complete the textbook assignments - I intend to work my way through every lesson from start to finish - I will be skilled in the Microsoft Office applications of Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.

This book covered the class well enough from basic to intermediate level. I found it a little hard to follow at times and too much detail. I think overall it is a good introduction to MS office 2007.