Customer Rating:  
Summary: Not as bad as others suggest
Comment: This is not going to be a very long review, but I would just like to combat the reviews others have left.
This book is a step by step walk through of different scenarios. They are consistent in the fact that they do not skip steps, and if you follow precisely, you should not get too lost.
Case scenarios (homework sections) can be completed by applying what you do in the tutorials, which can be referenced if you get stuck.
I would say for a beginner to access, it could seem overwhelming, especially if using this for an independent study course - if you are just learning, try to get it in a class with a knowledgeable instructor to help you through!
I knew some access prior to coming into this class, so maybe that's why it wasn't as bad to me as others led me to believe.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good "step by step" textbook
Comment: I read the reviews on Amazon before buying this book and was not excited to have to purchase this book to complete a college course.
After recieving the book and actually working through 5 chapters(so far) I am happy with the book and the detail and instructions packed into the book.
Other reviewers have said they get "confused" with this book. I don't see how this is possible since the book instructs you what options to select and then actually has a picture of what the result will be. If you follow the book step by step you will be successful in learning how to use Access 2007 and actually start to prefer the 2007 version over the previous version.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good for a first edition
Comment: This is a good book for those new to Access and for experienced Access users who need hands-on work to get to know the ribbon. Granted, it has a handful of technical issues - out of the 7 chapters I've covered so far, I've found 5 relatively small items that didn't work the way they were supposed to. Experienced Access users should be able to figure these out with no problem. Inexperienced users will need to refer to the online Help or ask an instructor for help to resolve these. Still, if you actually read and follow the directions, you'll find it doesn't deserve the "horrible" rating given by another individual. It is easy to read, and the examples are easy to follow.
The book does assume a certain level of familiarity with computers and Microsoft Office in general, but then Access isn't a program for rank beginners. It's better for those new to computers to learn some basic word processing and spreadsheet applications before tackling a database program. (If you aren't comfortable with creating your own spreadsheets from scratch, start with a program more basic than Access!)
I've ranked this book with three stars at this time, primarily because I haven't finished the book yet. When I finish, if I think the ranking should change, I'll do another posting at that time. Given that it's the first edition, I'd say this book does a fairly good job at what it's supposed to do. (So far!)
Customer Rating:
Summary: HORRIBLE BOOK
Comment: One star is too generous. I'd give it none if I could. I am an experienced Access user, but like most people, I am confused by the new "ribbon" design. I took a course at a local community college which uses this book. It is terrible. It is more like a comic book, with little real direction. The tutorials are confusing, and do not include basic design info, such as copying the database periodically to avoid redos if a msitake is made. Many of the directions do not work (per using Microsoft for guidance). The formatting is pathetic. It is difficult to find anything. It really lacks focus and a clear methodology. The entire impression I have is that it was thrown together very quickly without a lot of thought, or review. Clear and concise are words evidently unknown to the authors. The format is almost comoc book in nature, and the color scheem becomes overwhelming after 2 pages. It's only use is in a landfill. I can't say enough negative things about it. My sympathies to poor students who have to pay the exhorbant price for garbage.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Requires abstracting the rule
Comment: This text takes you through step by step. However, formatting and technical aspects are given the same weight and are interspersed through each chapter. There is no list of generic steps to follow so you must abstract the rule when your database requirements differ from that in the text. The tutorials at the end (after chapter 4) require some skill that is not developed in the sample problems. It is unnecessarily wordy making it difficult to follow (there is no recognition that the user would have some basic Office skills like holding the shift key down to move a selected object). Often, a process is separated into several headings making it unclear how the process fits together as a whole. New Perspectives on Microsoft Office Access 2007, Comprehensive (New Perspectives)
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