This is a great basic Excel text. It also covers the mac users (something I have not found with other texts).
Content Accuracy rating: 5
I saw no errors and found that the text is addresses multiple versions of Excel and multiple platforms.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The order of the content makes sense and is easy to navigate. Content can easily be updated as newer versions of the program come out.
Clarity rating: 5
Super easy to read and navigate. I love that there are screenshots of the program as well as text explaining what the read should be looking for.
Consistency rating: 5
Consistent terminology and content/layout.
Modularity rating: 5
The headings and subheadings make this text easy to navigate and pull out just what I need for a specific group/class or lesson.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The text is set up so that the reader gains more understanding and flows as the reader moves through the text. The reader doesn't need to flip between chapters to work through in a logical way.
Interface rating: 4
The interface is nearly perfect. Some of the screenshots are ever so slightly blurry (especially when the reader zooms in), but are discernable.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No grammar errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
The text focuses on a business mindset and examples are the same (generic employee names and business content).
Overall, a very easy to use and navigate book. I will be using this text for my community education courses as well as Spreadsheet Analysis.
Reviewed by Xinyu Zhang, Teaching Assistant Professor, West Virginia University on 5/5/23
This book is comprehensive for Excel beginners from non-STEM major. It also includes instructions for Mac user, which is very useful for students using Mac. The examples and practice problems are largely related to financial and career decision. read more
Reviewed by Xinyu Zhang, Teaching Assistant Professor, West Virginia University on 5/5/23
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
This book is comprehensive for Excel beginners from non-STEM major. It also includes instructions for Mac user, which is very useful for students using Mac. The examples and practice problems are largely related to financial and career decision making. This book doesn't have any science or engineering examples nor topics used frequently in scientific data analysis via Excel such as x-y scatter chart, logical functions (AND, OR, NOT), nested IF statement, functions like SUMPRODUCT, IFS, MATCH, INDEX, etc.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The accuracy of this book is good. But few figures missed the captions and some figures used very small font sizes thus difficult to verify the information.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The title indicates the book for Excel 2019. I suggest the author clarify the relationship between Excel 2019 and Excel 365 to avoid confusion for beginners since Excel 365 also appear in the texts.
Clarity rating: 5
The book is easy to follow.
Consistency rating: 5
The terminology is consistent. But there is an inconsistency in the headings. The assessment activities are called "scored assessment" in some chapters and "chapter scored" in other chapters. I suggest a consistent subheading and maybe a more self-explanatory subheading for the assessment activities.
Modularity rating: 5
The online version is easy to ready, but the pdf version can be improved . Sometimes the font sizes and spacing are not consistent or appealing for readers.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
Overall, good organization. I would suggest covering absolute reference and relative reference together instead of splitting them. I would also suggest covering all the Print topic together instead of splitting into different chapters. Even though your current logic of splitting them makes sense, it makes the "Print" and "Cell reference" topics less easier to be used as independent subunits. The subheadings "Printing" and "Preparing to Print" are not self-explanatory before reading the content.
Interface rating: 4
In the pdf version, font sizes of some figures are too small and the figure styles are not very consistent.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not found any grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
I didn't find anything relevant to this topic.
This is a good book for Excel beginners, particularly suitable for teaching Excel in a general elective course or business major. It would be better to have more practice and assessment problems in each chapter to for instructors to assign them as homework or self-practice activities.
Reviewed by Angel Escalona, Adjunct Professor, Middlesex Community College on 11/21/22
The book is clear and really easy to understand. read more
Reviewed by Angel Escalona, Adjunct Professor, Middlesex Community College on 11/21/22
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The book is clear and really easy to understand.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The book is highly accurate, I teach excel in my classes and I will be replacing the current book with this one.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Even though the book is made for excel 2019 It is still highly relevant since excel doesn't change a lot with the years, maybe a few thinks have changed since 2019 but it is still 99% relevant.
Clarity rating: 5
The book is clear, concise and detailed.
Consistency rating: 5
It is consistent, it maintains its quality through the chapters.
Modularity rating: 5
The book is divided into clear and short modules that provide a really clear workflow
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Well organized, the chapters are arranged in a way that helps the reader learn in a systematic manner.
Interface rating: 5
The interface is presented in an organized and appealing way. Charts and images are properly labeled.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The text does not contain grammatical errors. Paragraphs are coherent.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.
Reviewed by Nkechi Obodozie, Instructor, Eastern New Mexico University on 12/10/21
The book is for Beginners on Excel however will have appreciated if some of the BI tools used commonly at workplaces was covered in the book such as PivotTable. In addition there is no index nor glossary , or teacher's guide though it can be. read more
Reviewed by Nkechi Obodozie, Instructor, Eastern New Mexico University on 12/10/21
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
The book is for Beginners on Excel however will have appreciated if some of the BI tools used commonly at workplaces was covered in the book such as PivotTable. In addition there is no index nor glossary , or teacher's guide though it can be understandable since it is a practical course that involves step-by-step process
Content Accuracy rating: 5
Yes content is accurate, mostly error-free and unbiased
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
Content is relevant and easy to read and implement; basic and fundamental for Excel beginners. Again, in today's business landscape. some BI tools fundamentals in Excel should have been added in the book.
Clarity rating: 5
Text is simple, concise and easy to understand for Excel beginners
Consistency rating: 5
Consistency is maintained throughout the material. I will employ some of the content in my course content but because some BI are missing I will have to combine this material with another.
Modularity rating: 5
The text is sectioned in build-up contents for learning experience. Such a way that the learner builds on graduated blocks of practical exercises on Excel to mastery of the various components of the Excel as the learning progresses
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Very logical, clear manner of presentation. I like that the difference between Excel for Mac and Windows were incorporated in the material allowing the student to learn along with either of the tool he or she possesses
Interface rating: 5
Interface is user friendly and easy to navigate
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No seen grammatical error
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
No cultural offensive content observed
I like the book, its simplicity of content as well as the fact that the author took cognizance of the variation between Excel in differnt operating systems. This enables the user to adapt learning to the PC of use, allowing learning across board for all. Some other books stuck to the Excel for Windows without adapting the learning process for MAC users. So this is a plus for this material. Absent the relevant BI tool fundamental in the book, it is a good work from the author
Reviewed by Geethalakshmi Shivanapura Lakshmikanth, Assistant Professor, Emporia State University on 10/18/21
The textbook is comprehensive enough for learners who are learning Excel for the first time, just as the textbook is intended to be. The pictures along the way are a big plus for self- learners and students. The students however need to be. read more
Reviewed by Geethalakshmi Shivanapura Lakshmikanth, Assistant Professor, Emporia State University on 10/18/21
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The textbook is comprehensive enough for learners who are learning Excel for the first time, just as the textbook is intended to be. The pictures along the way are a big plus for self- learners and students. The students however need to be reminded that as the version of Excel changes, the pictures of actual pulldown menus or tabs might look different. But, that is common with any textbook that deals with a software tool.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The book's accuracy is good. Some places where Pivot Tables are explained need some work.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
It is highly relevant, as Excel is highly multi-disciplinary and the content of this textbook addresses the many facets of application areas with their examples.
Clarity rating: 5
It is definitely clear with the pictures and transitions explained clearly in supporting text. A downloadable data set provided with this text with additional examples for exploration beyond the references to the textbook examples would have made it more clear. Also, another improvement suggestion is to add a few points on the pre-requisite knowledge required to read a particular chapter , outcomes from the chapter and suggestions on post-chapter topics for continuity would also improve clarity of flow.
Consistency rating: 5
It is definitely consistent as the first chapter flows into the successive ones very consistently with the same kind of explanation aids- Figures, Textual guidance and Pictures of the excel sheet.
Modularity rating: 5
The textbook is modular. Some feedback comments in the clarity section might also help with increasing Modularity.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Interface rating: 5
I do not see any Interface issues. Version adaptability is always expected from readers.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
Do not see any errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
It can be made culturally more inclusive by tuning the examples.
Great recommendation to my students and I highly recommend this to any faculty member looking for an OER textbook for an introductory Excel course.
Reviewed by Maggie Schlerman, Associate Professor of Accounting, Central College on 6/4/21
The concepts covered range from beginner to intermediate and are appropriate for undergraduate coursework. However, the online version does not have an index or glossary, both of which would be helpful for a learner who may be unfamiliar with the. read more
Reviewed by Maggie Schlerman, Associate Professor of Accounting, Central College on 6/4/21
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The concepts covered range from beginner to intermediate and are appropriate for undergraduate coursework. However, the online version does not have an index or glossary, both of which would be helpful for a learner who may be unfamiliar with the terms used in the text. Although there is a search function that acts like an index, it does not take the student directly to the reference (it goes to the top of the section).
Content Accuracy rating: 5
Chapters 5 and 6 had a few errors that I suspect happened when updating to Excel 2019. In chapter 5, the screenshots for the pivot table don’t match the correct values while in progress, although the final screenshot does show the correct totals. Also, in chapter 5 the reader is told to place an image in the upper left corner, but the correct screenshot in the text is in the upper right corner. In chapter 6, the text gave some check figures that did not tie out with the totals from the data given. Since the data file for chapter 6 was called ‘Data File-New,’ the check totals likely did not get updated when a new data file was created. None of these would keep me from using this book, but I would point them out to students to decrease their frustration level.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
This text will likely need to be continually updated as new versions of Excel are released. However, it appears the authors are doing a great job of continually updating.
Clarity rating: 4
In general, the instructions are clear and straight-forward. There were a few times that extra explanation would have been helpful. For example, the text didn’t explain what TRUE and FALSE means in VLOOKUP instructions until Chapter 5. Before that, the reader was simply told to use one or the other without an explanation. There were several instances in which instructions didn’t match with given data sets and/or screenshots. For example, the reader was asked to update a chart with a title that did not yet exist, and several screenshots included formatting and modified chart elements that weren’t explained. When asked to remove duplicates from a table, the instructions given did not produce the expected result. I had to use a different method to remove the duplicates, so I believe there was an instruction missing.
Consistency rating: 5
The text is very consistent in terminology. The textbook is not consistent about using the same method to complete a task. For example, at least four ways to create a footer are introduced. This is ideal, as awareness of multiple methods is important in finding ways to complete unfamiliar tasks.
Modularity rating: 5
This could be easily split up into smaller modules and taught in a different order. As other reviewers have noted, modularity is somewhat decreased because many of the skills taught scaffold on each other. In a future version, perhaps including prerequisite skills at the start of each chapter or section might assist with modularity.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
I consider the content in chapter 6 to be introductory, so I would include it earlier in the book. However, this is a personal preference.
Interface rating: 5
The table of contents is easy to navigate and the data sets are located within the text exactly when needed.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No grammatical errors noted.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
No insensitive/offensive examples noted. Data sets often included names from many ethnicities and backgrounds.
I'm very happy with the quality and organization of the book. Some of my comments are probably pretty nit-picky, but I tried to do this as a student without much Excel experience. I've been the frustrated student trying to self-study before, so I empathize! I plan to incorporate this content into my classes.
Reviewed by Kris Ball, Associate Professor, Kansas City Kansas Community College on 4/14/21
The text is a good, comprehensive review of beginning Excel features, including fundamentals, math, formulas, functions, logical and lookup functions, charts, tables, and working with multiple worksheets. The book contains instructions for Windows. read more
Reviewed by Kris Ball, Associate Professor, Kansas City Kansas Community College on 4/14/21
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The text is a good, comprehensive review of beginning Excel features, including fundamentals, math, formulas, functions, logical and lookup functions, charts, tables, and working with multiple worksheets. The book contains instructions for Windows and Mac users.
Content Accuracy rating: 4
The book incorporates images from Excel 2016 /2019. The icons have been updated in Office 365, so the instructor should keep that in mind as it will appear slightly different for students using Office 365.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The material is up-to-date and the problems are timeless and relevant to students. As noted earlier, the icons used in illustrations match Excel 2016/2019. They are basically in the same locations as Office 365, but they may appear different to the students.
Clarity rating: 5
I found the text to be straight-forward and clear, and the instructions were precise and accurate. The reading level is appropriate for high school or post-secondary students.
Consistency rating: 5
The chapters follow a consistent format and are easy to follow. Instructions are presented for both Windows and Mac users without feeling too bulky.
Modularity rating: 5
Chapters are further subdivided into sections which are easy to follow and allow for multiple starting and stopping points. The material is organized with all relevant content contained in a section, without the need to refer to other parts of the book.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The text follows a logical and direct pathway, with appropriate material grouped together. The earliest chapters explain the ribbon tasks from left to right, and offers tips on all functions.
Interface rating: 5
The text is not overloaded with excess material--it presents information in a direct manner, without excess data to confuse the lessons.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No grammatical errors were detected.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
No culturally insensitive or offensive material were evident. The student and employee names could have been more diverse.
This would be a good text for students with no Excel experience. It is easy to follow and filled with appropriate activities for gaining knowledge and skills in beginning Excel.
Reviewed by Mary Lebens, Assistant Professor, Metropolitan State University on 3/9/21, updated 6/1/21
This book is a fairly comprehensive overview of Excel for beginning students. I would like to see an expansion of the functions and formulas to include a few more commonly used functions and formulas. It would also be helpful to include a chapter. read more
Reviewed by Mary Lebens, Assistant Professor, Metropolitan State University on 3/9/21, updated 6/1/21
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
This book is a fairly comprehensive overview of Excel for beginning students. I would like to see an expansion of the functions and formulas to include a few more commonly used functions and formulas. It would also be helpful to include a chapter on how Excel is used for reporting in the workplace and how to create a dashboard using the charts in Excel.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The step-by-step procedures for using Excel and the practice labs at the end of the chapter were highly accurate. I used this text in my course with thirty students, and usually students discover quite a few errors that I've missed in textbooks. This was not the case with Beginning Excel, however. No students reported errors, which was amazing.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The authors have clearly made an effort to update this textbook to keep is relevant as new releases of Excel occur. Software textbooks are challenging to keep relevant, and the authors have done an excellent job of revising this textbook for the new version of Excel 2019.
Clarity rating: 5
This textbook describes how to use Excel in a very readable style. The chapters are short and to-the-point. This book is free of the unnecessary fluff that pads a lot of the expensive textbooks on Microsoft Office. The technical terminology used is appropriate for beginning students.
Consistency rating: 5
The book is highly consistent in terms of how the Excel terminology is used. The framework is consistent throughout the book. For example, a small icon is used throughout the book to indicate special steps for Mac users. The Excel screenshots are presented in a consistent manner which makes it easier to complete the labs.
Modularity rating: 5
The text is well-organized into smaller modules to make it easier for students to digest. The blocks of text are concise, clearly labeled, and illustrated with screenshots from Excel to help students understand the concepts described in the text.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The topics in the textbook are presented in a logical fashion within the chapters. I would recommend covering workbooks with multiple worksheets earlier in the text than the final chapter, since this topic is easier than pivot tables, formulas, and functions, which are covered early in the book. However, since this book is an eBook, I found it easier to assign chapters "out-of-order" for my students since I could include links to the chapters in the course schedule.
Interface rating: 5
The interface for the textbook works well, and seems to be completely free of navigation issues. The Table of Contents on the left side of the screen contains convenient links to the chapters and sub-chapters, making it easy to navigate the textbook.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not find an grammatical errors in this textbook. Overall, the book seems to be proofread thoroughly and free of any significant typos. This is important for a software textbook, since small mistakes in the labs can make it difficult for students to complete their work.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
There was nothing in the textbook that seemed culturally insensitive or offensive. Since it is a software-based book, there isn't a discussion of social issues, such as race or ethnicity, in this textbook. The spreadsheets that are provided use real-life data examples that students from a variety of backgrounds may find familiar, like calculating a monthly budget or a car payment.
I used this textbook to provide review material for students in a beginning data analytics course, so that they could brush up their Excel skills prior to attempting more challenging data analysis assignments. The book worked very well in that context. Students had positive feedback about this textbook and appreciated being able to access the textbook for free.
Reviewed by Robin Gilcrist, Associate Professor, University of Alaska, Southeast on 11/18/20, updated 12/16/20
The text covers to each topic thoroughly and with tips for PC and Mac users. The glossary is helpful for getting to specific content quickly. Each chapter builds on the prior chapter, providing an excellent sequence for learning the program. This. read more
Reviewed by Robin Gilcrist, Associate Professor, University of Alaska, Southeast on 11/18/20, updated 12/16/20
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The text covers to each topic thoroughly and with tips for PC and Mac users. The glossary is helpful for getting to specific content quickly. Each chapter builds on the prior chapter, providing an excellent sequence for learning the program. This book is a good resource for anyone who is new to using Excel as well as for those who need a refresher.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
To the best of knowledge, the book is accurate and unbiased.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
The only reason to give this book a 4 rating in relevance has nothing to do with the content but more with the changes that occur as programs are updated. This is always a problem when teaching software programs. Although Excel has not change significantly over the years this is a 2019 version that will need to be updated as the program is updated.
Clarity rating: 5
The authors have done a great job of using text and screen capture to add clarity and provide accurate information. I appreciate this style of guidance and so do my students. This is as close to using a video tutorial as you can get with a text book. The only jargon used in the text is that which is directly related to the program and this is carefully explained at each occurance
Consistency rating: 5
Very consistent layout from chapter to chapter. The terminology is also consistent, as far as I could tell from the overview I completed.
Modularity rating: 5
The modules are easy to follow and are in a sensible order for the learner. Each chapter has good written descriptions augmented with screen captures that provide scaffolding of skills as the learner goes from one chapter to the next. It will be an excellent resource for any course that requires the use of Excel since each chapter can basically stand alone.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The book is organized in a logical order. The text is easy to read, clear and concise, and uses screen captures to illustrate the skills being introduced. The combination of text and illustration allow for easy searching for specific commands or functions.
Interface rating: 5
I found no issues with the navigation, or distortion of images and charts. There are no distracting images or text that would cause confusion for the reader.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I found no grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The text is not culturally insensitive, however this not the type of text that offers any opinion or views on inclusion.
This text will be an excellent resource for many different disciplines. The construction technology program requires an estimating course for which this text will be very beneficial to beginning students who will need to use excel. Thank you for making this an open resource. I know the students will be grateful for the guidance, and for not having to spend additional funding on yet another textbook.
Reviewed by Micheline Al Harrack, Visiting Faculty, Marymount University on 7/31/20
This textbook covers basic Excel topics relevant for an introductory spreadsheet course. It is well produced. It is designed for students freshly exposed to excel/spreadsheets or needing a review. It can also be incorporated as a reference book in. read more
Reviewed by Micheline Al Harrack, Visiting Faculty, Marymount University on 7/31/20
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This textbook covers basic Excel topics relevant for an introductory spreadsheet course. It is well produced. It is designed for students freshly exposed to excel/spreadsheets or needing a review. It can also be incorporated as a reference book in Statistics courses. The six chapters cover the basics of Excel necessary for a student pursuing a Bachelor's degree or for professionals needing to refresh their skills. A table of contents lays out the topics clearly. Definitions and summaries are included in each chapter where relevant. No glossary is present but it does not impact the value or relevance of the book.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The book covers the different topics accurately and concisely. It is cleanly written with no fillers.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
This book is still relevant. Even though it references Excel 2016 however, the functionalities are similar in different versions of Excel. If any updates are needed later, they would be easy to incorporate or add. Probably, chapter practices or assessments can be updated after few years or some alternative ones included.
Clarity rating: 5
All content is clear and easy to follow and read. Any jargon used is defined and simplified for the readers with visual aids as applicable.
Consistency rating: 5
The framework is consistent as well as the design and terminology used.
Modularity rating: 5
The textbook cab be easily broken down into smaller topics that can be incorporated into an introductory Excel course or a Statistics Course. It is clearly labeled with the text flowing easily. The Instructor can reorganize the units to fit into their course and subject.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
This book is well organized. It starts with an introductory overview chapter, then covers formulas, functions, charts, and tables in subsequent chapters. Each chapter starts with well defined learning objectives, then covers each topic in specific sections with examples and step-by-step tutorials. Shortcuts definitions and instructions are provided within each chapter in the relevant section. Multiple data files are offered for homework/practice. Each chapter ends with a practice exercise and a scored assessment.
Interface rating: 4
The interface is free from errors. Charts, graphs, and tutorials are clear, readable and understandable. The book can benefit from an automatic Table of Contents to facilitate reading and switching between different chapters and sections, instead of scrolling or looking for a page number. However, this is a minor issue.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The book is free from grammatical errors. The style is sharp and clean. It is easy to read and understand. Terminology used is defined in plain English.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The book is culturally relevant. No insensitive content was found within. Examples provided are universal and in no way offensive.
The data files provided are an excellent companion for a hands-on introductory course. While time-saving, they provide well prepared material for in-class use.
Reviewed by Eunju Lee, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell on 6/27/20
This book is comprehensive and well-organized with detailed explanations and screenshots. Learning Objectives at the beginning of each section helps readers understand the key topics of the section, and useful tips are additionally provided in. read more
Reviewed by Eunju Lee, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell on 6/27/20
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This book is comprehensive and well-organized with detailed explanations and screenshots. Learning Objectives at the beginning of each section helps readers understand the key topics of the section, and useful tips are additionally provided in each chapter through Integrity Check, Skill Refreshers, and Key Takeaways. Practice exercises at the end of each chapter are well presented with datasets, leading students to check their understanding and review what they learned. All chapters are connected smoothly so that students happen to acquire solid knowledge by the time they finish reading the book. Also, it describes functional differences between different Excel versions, which is very useful for beginners. Overall, this book is recommended for beginner excel classes or students who want to learn Excel without taking classes.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The content is accurate. I have not found any errors throughout the book.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
The book is based on Excel 2016, but the content is still applicable to a newer version (Excel 2019). I have not found any issues reviewing this book with a slightly older or newer version of Excel. This book also contains helpful explanations on differences between different versions. However, charts and datasets need to be updated with recent dates and figures.
Clarity rating: 5
All examples and explanations are clear and easy to follow.
Consistency rating: 5
The content is consistent within and across the chapters. Concepts and applications are clearly explained step by step. All related topics are well organized under the same umbrella.
Modularity rating: 5
The book categorizes basic concepts and their practical applications independently as well as organically. All chapters and sections flow well, so students do not need to waste time going back and forth unnecessarily.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Again, the book is well-organized and reads well. Even students who have not been exposed to Excel before can easily learn it with this book.
Interface rating: 5
I have not found any interface issues. The text and figures are presented neatly.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No grammatical errors were found.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
I have not found any cultural sensitivity issues in this book.
Overall, this is a well-structured excel book for beginners. Although the book introduces all useful shortcuts throughout, a summary table containing all the shortcuts will be beneficial for students and instructors who do not want to read back and forth when looking up a specific key. Also, there are several alternative ways of completing a task in Excel. For example, I can calculate the sum of a and b by typing “=a+b” or using the sum function. If the book enumerates these alternative ways for a certain goal and further explains differences among the approaches if any, it will enhance readers’ ability to use different approaches flexibly. The inclusion of a glossary will give readers easy access to specific terms.
Reviewed by Jerome Socolof, Associate Professor, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on 5/27/20
This book covers the ins and outs that all but the most advanced users of Excel will need. For a fairly succinct text, it establishes a sound foundational knowledge of the program, including formulas, formatting, conditional formatting, and. read more
Reviewed by Jerome Socolof, Associate Professor, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on 5/27/20
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This book covers the ins and outs that all but the most advanced users of Excel will need. For a fairly succinct text, it establishes a sound foundational knowledge of the program, including formulas, formatting, conditional formatting, and shortcuts. All of this information is structured such that a new user could conceivably be making conditionally-formatted charts with ease and confidence by the time they are done with the book.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The content was accurate and error-free as best as I can tell.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
This text is written for users of Excel 2016, but a newer edition (Excel 2019) has come out since its publication. However, because the design of the program and the core functions don't change too much from one edition to the next, I had no trouble following along and completing all of the exercises as written in Excel 2019. It is conceivable that a future iteration of the program may require an update of the pictures demonstrating where various features are located, but otherwise, this text looks to be relevant for a good long while.
Clarity rating: 5
The prose is clear throughout and uses appropriate terminology without being overly jargon-y. The procedures included in the text are both written as step-by-step instructions and demonstrated with well-labeled pictures. The clarity of the text is akin to having a knowledgable and amiable Excel user sitting next to you and helping you figure it out.
Consistency rating: 5
Terminology, formatting, and even chapter structure are consistent throughout.
Modularity rating: 5
Each chapter is a clearly delineated and sequentially structured topic unto itself, and each is then subdivided into sections that explain and demonstrate concepts relevant to the chapter topic. In the case of these longer sections, they are themselves subdivided so that one could easily pluck a particular function of the program out to share with students and the students would not feel as though they were missing out.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion that uses previous concepts to build up to new ones. Rather than a reference text, this is built as a teaching text which will build a skill.
Interface rating: 5
The text does not seem to have any interface issues. Navigation is a snap, images rendered well on both a laptop and a phone, and the display is clean and easy to read.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
There are no evident grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
One would not think that a book on using Excel would be a prime example of cultural sensitivity, but the example names and businesses used throughout reflect a wide array of cultural backgrounds. It is a low-key thing to include, but it is a very important inclusion.
This is an incredibly thorough and well-structured book that can take a new user from 0 to 60 by the end. This would be a great addition to any intro-level finance, accounting, or management survey class so that students have a strong base level of familiarity with Excel before starting in classes for which it is a necessity. Highly recommended!
Reviewed by Nikki (Felecia) May, Assistant Professor, LSUE on 4/29/20
This book is detailed, comprehensive, and teaches concepts in a step-by step manner. All menus and functions are covered in detail. read more
Reviewed by Nikki (Felecia) May, Assistant Professor, LSUE on 4/29/20
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This book is detailed, comprehensive, and teaches concepts in a step-by step manner. All menus and functions are covered in detail.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
I found the content to be accurate and error-free.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The content is based on Excel 2016, but still applies to the current version. I completed the tasks using Excel 2019 and didn't have any issues following along. As newer versions of Excel are released, the book would have to be reviewed to make sure there aren't substantial changes.
Clarity rating: 5
The step-by-step instructions are very clear. Terms and concepts are simply explained. Illustrations are used extensively and are very helpful.
Consistency rating: 5
The book is consistent throughout.
Modularity rating: 5
Content is introduced followed by hands-on steps for the user to apply what was discussed. This is done in small sections and is easy to grasp, especially for beginners.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The topics are organized in a logical, clear way. There are downloadable data files for the student to practice each skill. The content and exercises are easy to follow.
Interface rating: 5
Illustrations with labels, tables, text boxes, and main text are displayed well. No interface issues seen.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No errors found.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The examples are nondiscriminatory.
This is a very good book for beginners. Personally, I use a lot of keyboard shortcuts, and this book does a great job of presenting keyboard shortcuts throughout the book. I would like to suggest having an appendix that lists all of the keyboard shortcuts that were presented throughout the book.
Reviewed by Jason Lucas, Associate Director, Radford University on 1/31/20
This book is very comprehensive for all MS Excel basics. It covers basic formatting, formulas, conditional formatting, PivotTables, and even shortcuts. I have used MS Excel and taught MS Excel for over 20 years. This book covers all basics I. read more
Reviewed by Jason Lucas, Associate Director, Radford University on 1/31/20
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This book is very comprehensive for all MS Excel basics. It covers basic formatting, formulas, conditional formatting, PivotTables, and even shortcuts. I have used MS Excel and taught MS Excel for over 20 years. This book covers all basics I would cover in a first and second semester MS Excel course.
Content Accuracy rating: 4
All the text appeared accurate but I was unable to check data files and data file names. Some images are unable to be viewed clearly in the book. It is not crucial to the text but impossible to verify accuracy.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
This book focuses on MS Excel 2016. It was written in 2017. Currently MS Excel 2019 is available, soon to be something even newer. MS Excel does not change that much year to year so this book is still fairly relevant. It will not be relevant in 5 years but for now it is still well worth utilizing. This is at no fault to the publishers of this book - no books written on an always updating software can be 100% relevant and up-to-date.
Clarity rating: 5
The book is quite clear and easy to navigate. Chapters are well defined with terms, figures, and important terms are clearly marked and bold. By the nature of the book it can be somewhat unclear navigating between text and the actual software on a computer but again that is at no fault to the textbook.
Consistency rating: 5
The textbook uses the exact same format and terminology definitions throughout. The figures and directions are consistent throughout each chapter. The assignments and tasks are clearly numbered for each chapter. Very easy to follow throughout the textbook.
Modularity rating: 5
The text flows easily from chapter to chapter and from section to section in each chapter. The textbook uses scaffolding to build the student's knowledge and skill set from each chapter to chapter and each section to section within each chapter. Many other texts jump too quickly into advanced MS Excel tasks without building a knowledge base. This textbook scaffolds skills at an appropriate pace for a beginner.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The text is organized easily from chapter to chapter and from section to section in each chapter. The textbook uses scaffolding to build the student's knowledge and skill set from each chapter to chapter and each section to section within each chapter. This textbook is well organized for a beginner working through the entire book. It lacks the ability to easily focus on one particular skill. The table of contents does not fully designate all that each chapter covers. This may be difficult to locate a particular skill or task, i.e. PivotTable, without using the appendix to find multiple entries.
Interface rating: 3
The text is perfectly clear and easy to read. Some images are blurred or too dark to see exactly what the student should have on their MS Excel spreadsheet. This contains many charts, graphs, and images. The issue pertains to approximately 10% of the images.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
There are no apparent grammatical errors. Multiple images, figures, and charts use abbreviations.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
Cultural references do not apply to this textbook on MS Excel. The examples used in the text appear to be from a wide range of gender, race, and ethnicity.
This is a very thorough and comprehensive textbook for beginning MS Excel. The book is easy to follow and scaffolds skills at an appropriate pace for a beginner. The only downside to the book is the quickly dated material. This is the case with all textbooks pertaining to software. I would see no issues using this text for a first and second semester MS Excel course. Unfortunately I could not review the data files for content, clarity or accuracy.
Reviewed by Mindy Bean, Faculty, Linn-Benton Community College on 6/19/18
This book covers the basics of Microsoft Excel 2016. It includes all the basic skills necessary to create most documents in excel. It uses the terminology well so it can be translated precisely. The practical uses of logical and lookup functions. read more
Reviewed by Mindy Bean, Faculty, Linn-Benton Community College on 6/19/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This book covers the basics of Microsoft Excel 2016. It includes all the basic skills necessary to create most documents in excel. It uses the terminology well so it can be translated precisely. The practical uses of logical and lookup functions, charts, tables, and PivotTables.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The book is accurate, the modern take on the assignments that are logical in career application makes it a good addition to any course needing to teach Excel to first-timers.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
Microsoft Excel updates on a trend every three years. It usually takes most businesses/schools a few years before they fully adapt to a newer version. This will stay updated for a two years at least, depending on how different the newer version is.
Clarity rating: 5
The books purpose is to introduce Microsoft Excel to a first-time user. Students can learn Microsoft Excel from the learn guide with the program, but this text teaches Excel with its most common practical uses. It expands more on each application or function it reviews within its section.
Consistency rating: 5
The book uses consistent language that makes it easy to follow.
Modularity rating: 5
This is actually one of the only pieces of work I have been able to find where it teaches Microsoft Excel 2016, that makes it easy to divide into sections. A lot of work out there has each assignment build up slowly for at least 10 or more pages. This keeps assignments clear and concise but also using different skills.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The ideal method of any work written for Microsoft Excel 2016 is that it slowly introduces every basic functionality of uses. The text does a nice job of moving through a little quicker to get to the practicality of using the functions.
Interface rating: 4
The visuals are useful in the work, since it can show where to go from time to time. I did have issues scrolling through and having pages go blank. I would have to re-scroll multiple times back and forth to get the page to show up. The pictures when they showed did a nice job of showing exactly where you need to go to understand how to do a certain function.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not find any grammatical errors in the book.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
There is no culturally insensitive or offensive material in this book. The book is written well to translate.
Reviewed by Fay Gallacher, Senior Advisor, The Open Univeristy on 2/1/18
The book is covering all of the essential areas which a person will need when starting to use Excel. read more
Reviewed by Fay Gallacher, Senior Advisor, The Open Univeristy on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The book is covering all of the essential areas which a person will need when starting to use Excel.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
I have not come across any errors within the book.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The content is based on Excel 2016 which is the most current package. The only issue is that this will need to be reviewed each time a new version of MS Office is released.
Clarity rating: 5
It is writing in plain language which is easy to understand.
Consistency rating: 5
The text remains consistent throughout.
Modularity rating: 5
The sections are presented in a logical order and items are easy to find within specific categories.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The structure has been well thought out and laid out in the right way.
Interface rating: 5
No interface issues which I could identify.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No errors found.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
Not applicable in the context of Excel.
Very good books and facility to have available.
Reviewed by Beth Bjerregaard, Professor, UNC-Charlotte on 2/1/18
The book is fairly comprehensive for a beginning book. I would not expect it to cover much more. The table of contents clearly describes the topics covered in each chapter. read more
Reviewed by Beth Bjerregaard, Professor, UNC-Charlotte on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
The book is fairly comprehensive for a beginning book. I would not expect it to cover much more. The table of contents clearly describes the topics covered in each chapter.
Content Accuracy rating: 4
The book seems accurate. I did not see any issues.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
The version of excel is a bit dated and the text focuses on the Windows version of excel. I was still able to work through most of the examples and the information presented is not really version specific, so most of the information should be alright
Clarity rating: 4
The book was easy to follow. Things were well explained and the authors provided breakout boxes and screen shots to help the reader follow.
Consistency rating: 5
The terminology was consistent and each chapter followed a consistent pattern.
Modularity rating: 4
The text flows easily from section to section. Many of the sections could be assigned independent of the others, however, due to the nature of the material, you will need to understand the beginning chapters before tackling the later chapters.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The text was organized in a logical manner that was easy to follow.
Interface rating: 4
I did not have any difficulties navigating the text. The screenshots were helpful and rendered fine.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not find grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
There was nothing offensive. Cultural sensitivity is not really relevant.
I think the book would be useful for an introductory class in Excel or for a supplement in a class using Excel. I liked the fact that each of the chapters provided data for the students to follow along with the exercises and had summary practice exercises for students.
Reviewed by Walter Lambert, Adjunct, Metropolitan State University on 2/1/18
This reviewer’s interest in this text is as a detailed self-paced supplement for students studying business and finance. All of the Excel topics related to those studies are included in a sequence and format that would allow students to review. read more
Reviewed by Walter Lambert, Adjunct, Metropolitan State University on 2/1/18
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This reviewer’s interest in this text is as a detailed self-paced supplement for students studying business and finance. All of the Excel topics related to those studies are included in a sequence and format that would allow students to review established skills and learn new skills using a split computer screen and a learn by example mode. The detailed hyperlinked Table of Contents was more than adequate for finding search topics.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
There are too many versions of Excel in daily use to expect a single book to be completely accurate with items such as screen shots and still be practical. The various versions, however, are close enough to each other to allow a student to pick up the necessary skills while accommodating to whichever version of Excel is available. Otherwise, this text is an accurate tutorial for expanding a student’s skill set.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
This text is highly relevant to the computational requirements of the business and finance courses of interest to this reviewer. Recent press releases imply that future versions of Excel might be of even greater use. Longevity is another matter. The continual updating of Excel within and between platforms will make this text too outdated in a few years unless periodic updating is maintained.
Clarity rating: 5
This text is sufficiently clear by style and detailed content to allow students to master Excel on their own. This is particularly important to students who need to upgrade their Excel skill set in parallel with handling coursework for which Excel is a necessary support.
Consistency rating: 5
The nature of the topic imposes a high degree of consistency. The clear, detailed format used for skill building accommodates to the inherent consistency of the subject matter in a useful manner that supports strong self-learning.
Modularity rating: 4
Modularity, in terms of self-standing sections and subsections, is limited by the need to learn various sub-skills in sequence. Introductory material needs to be mastered before more advanced topics can be addressed. The result is that early chapters need to be studies in sequence, but later chapters can be rearranged or skipped depending on the needs of the supported course.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The book’s organization follows the logical sequence of skill building in Excel. Therefore, an individual learner should start at the front and work to the back spending time and effort in inverse proportion to existing Excel skill levels. This reviewer tested this strategy and was pleased with the results.
Interface rating: 5
User interface for the reviewed version of this text appears to depend on the user’s computer (Mac or PC), on which version of Excel is available, and on which format is selected for reading the book. This reviewer used the online format rather than the pdf format on a 2008 iMac, for example, because the links to data files worked with the online format but not with the pdf format. Other than that, the user interface for both formats were free of distortions and distractions. This would facilitate using a split screen on which both the text and example exercises could be displayed together. This is a particularly effective method for Excel skill building. Using dual screens is even better.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No spelling or grammar errors were recognized by this reviewer.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
This textbook is cultural neutral.
It would be convenient to mention somewhere in the early sections that Mac users might want to set a keyboard preference for using function keys as standard function keys so many of the shortcuts such as stipulating absolute references are easy to do. It might also be helpful to mention that most of the text’s material applies to other popular spreadsheet programs including recent versions of Excel for the Mac, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, and Google Sheets, recognizing that differences in screen layout and maybe the availability of some formulas and commands might require a small degree of translation from one application to another by the learner. This reviewer will likely recommend this text to future classes as a convenient Excel review tool.
Reviewed by Veronica Gibson, Assistant Professor, Virginia State University on 6/20/17
Very good outline/table of content layout and coverage of basic skills needed. read more
Reviewed by Veronica Gibson, Assistant Professor, Virginia State University on 6/20/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
Very good outline/table of content layout and coverage of basic skills needed.
Content Accuracy rating: 3
Unable to check accuracy for Assignments and Test sections for each chapter (was not able to open).
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Content is not considered obsolete and could be quickly updated with just changing numbers and wording on Assignments & Test sections for each chapter.
Clarity rating: 5
I see no issues with clarity.
Consistency rating: 5
I see no issues with consistency.
Modularity rating: 5
The text was broken down into appropriate skill sets for the reader to grasp.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
I am very pleased with the books' organization/structure/flow.
Interface rating: 4
Images were a little distorted but not to the point of being unreadable.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not see any issues with grammar.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
I am not aware of any issues with cultural relevance in this text.
I could not open the Assignments and Tests links to check visually and to go through instructions assigned to the assessments. I
I would like to see a comprehensive Assignments & Tests (covering all chapters).
Overall, I am very pleased with the content, organization, modular breakdown, and the basic skill sets covered.
Reviewed by Paul Ewell, Department Chair , Virginia Wesleyan College on 2/8/17
This is an extremely comprehensive book that provides a significant level of detail guiding the user from the very introductory stages of how to use the software program through more advanced applications. I was particularly appreciative of the. read more
Reviewed by Paul Ewell, Department Chair , Virginia Wesleyan College on 2/8/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This is an extremely comprehensive book that provides a significant level of detail guiding the user from the very introductory stages of how to use the software program through more advanced applications. I was particularly appreciative of the level of specific detail that the author used in describing even the most basic of steps. One of the biggest complaints that I've heard from students who use technology textbooks is that authors sometimes assume that students know more than they actually do. This author is clearly not neglected the basics and no minor detail has been left out.
I also particularly like that the author has made the program relevant to a variety of different types of users. This description of Excel is pertinent for students of business who will be using this type of program in their careers but it is also pertinent to students from other majors in that it includes examples such as how to manage personal financial scenarios. Thus, the reach of this textbook goes far beyond just business students.
I was a little disappointed that this book does not include a table of contents nor does it include a glossary. While hyperlinks are included within each chapter that refer the student to other chapters, having a table of contents would help students not only see the broad picture of what the text actually covers but would also provide the opportunity for students to be able to easily access sections that they need to improve on such as in the case where there using the textbook as a reference source.
It is also worthy to note that the book provides a significant number of graphics that actually show students where to click how to click and where certain components are found in the program as well as providing step-by-step instructions on how to perform various steps. The graphics are substantial and frequent and really adds a significant extra dimension to the coverage.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The textbook appears to be very accurate in that the directions provided in each of the assignments appear to be. I can only imagine how much of a challenge that must be given each new edition of the software program. I also found no evidence of any bias although it is difficult to infuse bias into a software manual.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
The content in this book is very current and certainly relevant but as I mentioned in the previous section I would hope the author would be able to update as new additions or versions of the software are developed. Much of the material or the processes covered in the book are fairly standard and I believe will not become obsolete at least not in the near future. Generally with the development of new Microsoft programs, minor changes such as the location of the tab or other tool or the addition of minor functionalities seem to be about the norm. I don't suspect it would be very difficult than to update this textbook to reflect those minor changes. The exception, of course, would be if a completely revamped version of the program was developed. I think back to the rollout of Microsoft Vista and how different Vista was from previous operating systems. While most will agree that Vista was not a good product, much of the consternation resulted from the drastic differences that existed with the new rollout.
Again, spreadsheet software, whether it be Excel or a Google worksheet generally maintain standard functionalities so updating a book such as this should be terribly difficult.
Clarity rating: 5
I think this book is extremely clear and how it is written and in how the material is laid out. There is an appropriate blend of text, listed instructions and graphics along with appropriate hyperlinks that allow for ease of navigation within the document. I think this is certainly appropriate for an online text book and I think most students would find this to be very user-friendly. Again, as I mentioned in my original narrative beginning of this assessment, one of the things I particularly like about this book is that it is written in a simple and easily understandable or met such that even the most novice of computer users could follow along and master the skills and concepts covered. I think this is a real competitive advantage with this book whether it is being used as a textbook as part of a formal class or if it was being used as a textbook to serve as reference material. Again, adding a table of contents and a glossary and/or Index at the end would make the book complete.
Consistency rating: 5
This textbook seems very consistent in how it's formatted and it is difficult to see any variations in either chapter layout, writing style or level of detail from the beginning to the end. The terminology is extremely basic and clear which again makes this textbook ideal for both the novice or the more advanced learner to use as a reference source. I also particularly like the starter files and the links used to access the starter files really blending the chapter material to actual worksheets.
Modularity rating: 5
This is a particularly important formatting issue for me because I understand that many students don't necessarily read a textbook from page 1 to the end and given that this textbook has 407 pages I find it highly likely they would do so here. For example, in section 4.41 could easily understand that this section is about using charts or integrating charts with Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint and it is not imperative that one have just finished reading the previous section to be able to refer to the section and very quickly learn how to use charts in this format. Again, that makes the reference capability of this textbook extremely important.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The organizational flow of this textbook is appropriate, especially for an entry-level textbook. It begins with the most basic elements of using Microsoft Excel such as how to open the program or even where to find the program in the start menu. You may be surprised to find the number of students who, when setting down to a computer for the first time, cannot figure out how to open a Microsoft program unless that program specifically has an icon on the desktop. This author starts the very basics in getting students to be able to understand how to even get the program open where to look for it. The text then, at an appropriate pace, develops the students understanding of Excel in a very thorough yet realistic manner. There is little doubt that, again based on the organizational structure of the book, beginning students who have no experience with Excel and maybe even feel very uncomfortable with computers in general, will find the pace appropriate for any level of expertise.
Interface rating: 5
I found no navigational problems. The links, more specifically the hyperlinks, seem to work appropriately and all of the Excel links were present.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
Cultural Relevance rating: 3
It's really difficult to answer this in terms of cultural relevance technology textbook that is being used to develop the skill set so there is very little cultural relevance that should be evaluated.
In summary, I find this book to be an excellent tool that can be used in either classroom or in a reference setting. When I was trying to decide on which book to review, this book stood out because, at least initially, I noticed the graphics and I noticed a very clear sustained how to format of the chapter sections. It is highly likely that I would use this book in future classes.
Reviewed by Ihab AbuZayda, Assistant Professor, Reynolds Community College on 2/8/17
This textbook is very well-written. It is comprehensive and covers a wide spectrum of important spreadsheet software topics. Nonetheless, there are topics I cover in my class, which are not covered in this textbook (e.g., Excel tables. read more
Reviewed by Ihab AbuZayda, Assistant Professor, Reynolds Community College on 2/8/17
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
This textbook is very well-written. It is comprehensive and covers a wide spectrum of important spreadsheet software topics. Nonetheless, there are topics I cover in my class, which are not covered in this textbook (e.g., Excel tables, PivotTables, and PivotCharts. Managing multiple worksheets and workbooks. Developing macros).
Content Accuracy rating: 5
I have not found any errors in the content.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
The text does a good job explaining spreadsheet software. On the other hand, it uses EXCEL 2010, an older version of EXCEL as we are currently using EXCEL 2016 (as of this writing). This is a typical problem with technical textbooks as technology evolves quickly.
Clarity rating: 4
The content is clear, accessible, and easy to follow. I suggest using a sans-serif font throughout the e-book and also additional font colors in the paragraphs to enhance clarity.
Consistency rating: 5
The text is of a pleasing level of consistency and conformity.
Modularity rating: 4
The text is divided into logical sections that are independent. The e-book's components may be separated and recombined, without presenting much disruption to the reader.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The structure is clear and the organization is well-thought-out.
Interface rating: 4
No interface issues. The navigation is simple and easy to follow. However, many of the figures are outdated.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I have not found any grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
Cultural relevance is not applicable in this context and, therefore, cannot be evaluated.
I appreciate the overall quality of this text. The author utilized many means (e.g., screenshots, videos, text) to explain various EXCEL topics. Good job!
I suggest updating the material to show the most recent version of EXCEL, incorporating additional topics, and adding a teacher's reference guide and solution files.
Reviewed by Joni Meisner, Instructor, Portland Community College on 8/21/16
The textbook provides comprehensive coverage of the fundamental skills of Excel, including mathematical computations, logical and lookup computations and presenting data with charts. The scope and sequence of the material is sufficiently detailed. read more
Reviewed by Joni Meisner, Instructor, Portland Community College on 8/21/16
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
The textbook provides comprehensive coverage of the fundamental skills of Excel, including mathematical computations, logical and lookup computations and presenting data with charts. The scope and sequence of the material is sufficiently detailed and logically organized. The step-by-step instructions are clearly written and easy to follow. The content includes screenshot examples and skill refresher and lesson videos which add value to the overall comprehensiveness of the content. The textbook does not cover working with tables which is a required components of our curriculum. There isn’t a glossary or index in the textbook.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The textbook content is accurate, error free and unbiased.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
The textbook uses Windows 7 and Excel 2010 which are not the current versions of either, so modifications would be necessary for some sections of the text. With some modifications along with additional supplemental materials, students could complete the chapters and assignments from this text regardless of the version of Windows or Excel being used.
Clarity rating: 5
The text is written in clear, understandable language. Terminology is further clarified through the use of screen shots and in many of the skill refresher and lesson videos
Consistency rating: 5
The textbook is consistent in terms of both terminology and framework. Each chapter begins with detailed learning objectives followed by an introduction of the chapter content. Each chapter is embedded with guided practice exercises, ‘Integrity Checks’ which are tips to help students avoid and recognize errors, ‘Key Takeaways,’ which summarize the key components of the lesson, ‘Skill Refresher’ videos which quickly demonstrate smaller components within the lesson, and ‘Video Lessons’ (chapter lecture/demonstrations). Section exercises are included which provide multiple choice questions so students can check their understanding of the content as they progress through the chapter, and end of chapter assignments ranging from easy to difficult are provided so students can apply the skills learned. Hands on chapter tests are also included for each chapter.
Modularity rating: 5
The text is divided into smaller reading sections within each chapter which could easily be pulled out and used independently.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Each chapter is built around skills which are presented in a logical and clear order. The topics introduced build on each other moving the student from simple understanding to complex application of the skills being taught.
Interface rating: 5
The text is free from any significant interface issues. The text and images are clear and easy to read. Images are appropriately labeled.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not find any grammatical errors in the text.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. The content is based on business/personal business examples that are culturally unbiased.
While requiring some updating, this text covers most of the bases for a beginning Excel class. Due to the abundant use of screen shots and video components, the text may need to be evaluated for accessibility in order to accommodate students who require educational accommodations.
Reviewed by Carrie Pedersen, Instructor, Portland Community College on 1/7/16
Learning objectives are provided for each section. Review questions are available. Chapter review assignments and chapter tests are provided for evaluation. Comprehensive coverage of the material is provided, but a glossary/index are not. read more
Reviewed by Carrie Pedersen, Instructor, Portland Community College on 1/7/16
Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less
Learning objectives are provided for each section. Review questions are available. Chapter review assignments and chapter tests are provided for evaluation. Comprehensive coverage of the material is provided, but a glossary/index are not. Material ranges from basic to advanced skills which build throughout the text.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The content is straightforward and without bias or opinion. A high number of instructional graphics are provided with clear indication of relevance. Screenshots provide visual reference to display direction to the student as the student completes the instructional steps.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
The textbook refers to Windows 7 (currently 2 versions behind - Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10) and Excel 2010 (currently 2 versions behind - Excel 2013 and Excel 2016). Also, many students are now using Office 365 which not only provides cloud service for the software and files, but automatically updates the software to current versions without student effort.
Clarity rating: 5
The verbiage used in this text is on par with the technical data provided. The jargon and technical terminology used are vital to the learning the material. However, the instructions are clear and easy to understand. Terms are linked to provide further explanation.
Consistency rating: 5
The correct terms are used to describe actions and Excel functions. Steps are clearly relayed and easy to follow. The procedure for completing lessons is consistent throughout the text providing a framework for students to follow and understand.
Modularity rating: 5
Lessons are broke into small sections reviewing a specific skill. Students are able to complete the task before moving on. The text has the ability to be separated into sections. Each lesson starts with a new document file as if the student had completed the previous section. Students are able to use either their own file or the one provided. This also provides a checkpoint for the student to compare their work with the data file provided.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
Topics are presented in a form that builds based upon the assumed knowledge of the learner. The lessons begin in a simple format with short, precise direction and basic terms. As the chapters progress, assignments become longer and more complex, building on the previous learning. The tasks become more complicated and complex to display a higher level of learning.
Interface rating: 4
The pages are clear and easy to read. The graphics are displayed well with limited use of colors and extraneous material. Each graphic is clickable to display a larger, higher definition display. Pages are uncluttered and easy to scroll through. Printing may be an issue due to the high use of graphics and shading of text. A clickable link to just the assignment directions for printing would be useful for students to complete more complex assignments without the need to "click" back and forth.
Grammatical Errors rating: 4
The grammar used is easy to understand and accurate. There are various typing errors that do not detract from the meaning of the lesson presented. Sentence structure is at an appropriate level for a college freshman course.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
There are few instances of cultural relevance. The lack of cultural integration in the text does not detract from the skills performed by the student. The context is data driven and does not provided opportunity for a great deal of cultural integration.
The entertainment value of the material is fair to low. The directions are simple and easy to follow, but lack a degree of interest. Completing the material for long periods at a time could lead to a lack of focus on the part of the student. The comprehensive nature of the text compensates for this issues and would interest the motivated student.
Reviewed by Diane Shingledecker, Full Time Computer Applications Instructor, Portland Community College on 1/7/16
The skills covered in the text are very comprehensive including a lot of screen prints. Unfortunately, we teach tables and working with multiple sheets/files in our Beginning Excel class, and these topics are not included. read more
Reviewed by Diane Shingledecker, Full Time Computer Applications Instructor, Portland Community College on 1/7/16
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
The skills covered in the text are very comprehensive including a lot of screen prints. Unfortunately, we teach tables and working with multiple sheets/files in our Beginning Excel class, and these topics are not included.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
I have not found any errors in the text. The directions are accurate and error-free.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
My concern with the text is that it is written for Excel 2010, and we are already teaching Excel 2013. At first, I thought this was a major drawback; but I worked through parts of the book in Excel 2013, and it worked fine. The only chapter that would not work in it's entirety is the charts chapter since charts changed significantly in 2013. Thinking about it some more, I think we could possibly teach the basics of charts with the chapter and then use other materials to teach the specific features of charts in 2013.
I plan on testing the book with Excel 2016 which I just installed on my laptop. If most of the text will work with this new version, that would mean the book is largely "version-free", and that's what we're looking for!
Clarity rating: 5
I think the text is written is accessible language for students. It has a good deal of business concepts in chapters 2 and 3, but they are explained well. The videos that accompany the book are very easy to understand and the technical language is not overdone.
Consistency rating: 5
I really like the framework of the text. Every section has Learning Objectives, Skill Refreshers, Key Takeaways, and Multiple Choice Exercises at the end of each section. At the end of each chapter, there are three levels of skills review and a Level 2 test.
Modularity rating: 4
The modularity of the text was good. I felt we could take portions of the text and use them without having to use a whole chapter or the whole text. The videos, exercises, and tests could also be pulled out and use as stand alone resources which is a big plus in computer classes.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
As stated in question 5, the consistent layout of each section and chapter made the text flow logically.
Interface rating: 3
The video and data file links did not work in the current copy of the book in www.Saylor.org. This would need to be fixed in order for the book to be useable in our classes.
The screen prints were clear and easily read.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not find any grammatical errors in the book.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The examples in the book were business-oriented vs. people-oriented, so they were not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.
I was pleasantly surprised about the possibilities of using this text with its videos and data files in classes taught in various versions of Excel.
Reviewed by Chuck McGill, Teaching Specialist, University of Minnesota on 6/10/15
This book is extremely detailed and comprehensive. It teaches Fundamental Skills, Mathematical Computations, Logical and Lookup Functions, and Presenting Data with Charts in a step-by step fashion and to a detailed level. This level of skill. read more
Reviewed by Chuck McGill, Teaching Specialist, University of Minnesota on 6/10/15
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This book is extremely detailed and comprehensive. It teaches Fundamental Skills, Mathematical Computations, Logical and Lookup Functions, and Presenting Data with Charts in a step-by step fashion and to a detailed level. This level of skill would be appropriate for professional or highly proficient personal use. It covers all menus and functions in detail.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The book is very accurate and this reviewer found no errors.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
The book refers and applies to Excel 2010 on the Windows 7 platform exclusively. It does not refer to other versions, platforms, or operating systems. The relevance and longevity depends on the user’s tolerance for interpreting instructions and graphics that may vary slightly from what is on the user’s screen.
Clarity rating: 4
The step-by-step instructions are very clear. Most, though not quite all, terms and jargon are explained. The clearly-labeled screenshots help immensely with the clarity.
Consistency rating: 5
The chapters and sections are very consistent, as are the end-of-chapter exercise and test materials.
Modularity rating: 5
The 4 chapters are each divided into 4 or 5 clear sections, each with its own objectives and exercises. Each chapter has a sections of exercises and tests at different difficulty levels. These different modules could easily be assigned at different points during a course.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The structure is highly organized. There are downloadable Follow-along Files for the student to practice each skill. The objectives, tips, exercises and tests are all easy to follow.
Interface rating: 5
All screenshots with labels, tables, text boxes, and main text are displayed well.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
This reviewer found no grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The personal finance section deals with mortgage payments, but does not assume home ownership in a culturally insensitive way.
The description on the Open Textbook Library site refers to Video Lessons, but this reviewer could not find any or access any through the text book either on PDF or HTML. If they exist, this reviewer could not find them.
This textbook was written for a community college introductory course in spreadsheets utilizing Microsoft Excel. While the figures shown utilize Excel 2019, the textbook was written to be applicable to other versions of Excel as well. The book introduces new users to the basics of spreadsheets and is appropriate for students in any major who have not used Excel before. This textbook includes instructions for Excel for Mac also.
Noreen Brown
Barbara Lave
Julie Romey
