PowerPoint
2007: The Missing Manual
Reviewed
by Dr. Eric Flescher
Author: E.A. Vander Veer
Oreilly
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596527389/index.html
Released:
December 2006
Pages: 488
$30
USD, $39 CND
ISBN-10: 0-596-52738-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-596-527838-9
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced
Strengths: Depth in providing information about creating and
improving PowerPoint slideshows and presentations. Nice tables, screenshots
(very good size and readable). Valuable technigues and information that goes
above and beyond just developing the PowerPoint. There is no CD with the book
but at the website you can find additional information about the book in
addition to shareware that can be found and utilized.
Weaknesses: Black and white. |
|
Introduction
PowerPoint is often thought of as maligned piece of
software and necessary at the same time. While this presentation/slide show is
at many times useful, many users don’t apply the features in the best way.
PowerPoint 2007: The Missing Manual is here to the rescue.
The author has background in programming and has
written for several of the Missing Manual series. Her articles appear online as
well. This book series is written by David Pogue, the New York Times Technology
columnist, and continues to the helm of the series of books called “The Missing
Manual”. Four other major contributors helped create this book besides the
author.
The words on the front cover of the book say it is “the book that
should have been in the box”. For the most part, you can call this the main
theme of this series of books. The series books are self-help guidebooks for
learning how to use software and hardware that come with more then the meager
original documentation or manuals. I like some of the series of these themed
books. This one caught my eye, as I was interested in what it says about
PowerPoint being a better slide show and presentation tool.
This 488-page book is divided into 4 parts and and 15
chapters. Part 5 is the Appendix (getting help). The nice index helps find
needed information. The white-on-black screenshots are integrated within the
instruction and while color would have been nice, the non-coloration does not
detract from the content. Text and screenshots are large enough to read and
decipher what you need to know. Easy to read step-by-step instructions are
found throughout the chapters. Application-laden screenshots demonstrate how
the tools can be utilized to complete carefully designed tasks. The visuals not
only save time, but illustrate how to make your graphic endeavors more
productive.
Throughout the book there are helpful tips, help boxes, notes along with some
very nice tables (conversions for different formats, Programs and PowerPoint
add-ins and more. Throughout the book, there are helpful ideas in the way of
tips, (called from the field, Nostalgia corner, workaround workshop frequently
asked questions Design time, up to speed) help boxes and notes. Also there is
a short hand system of arrows that replaces the use of “much more text
information” that guide you through the learning process and information.
This book included information about the different
style compared to the 2003 PowerPoint version. Missing from this missing manual
are the software’s redesigned look which does not have the once popular menu
wizards, menus, toolbars and panes. In its place is the “ribbon”. However you
can still develop your same trusty presentations that included those
characteristics within your presentations. The main new interest in PowerPoint
2007 is how you accomplish your presentation and what the book and the author
do to help you with your presentations. Since PowerPoint software is a
sometimes misunderstood, I was interested to garner information how this new
version and the Missing Manual book helps for creating better presentations.
While most computer users have tried PowerPoint in one
way, shape or form, this book starts from the beginning, so novice users can
create their first presentations. It is nice to know that (pages 2-4) the
differences between slide shows and presentations are compared, what you can do
with the PowerPoint 2007 are concisely explained. Since many PowerPoint
sessions are not handled properly it was interesting to note that the
information “When not to use PowerPoint”.
Information about the completely redesign interface
are explained. There is a very nice tour of the new interface, explaining
eight characteristics and additional information for making presentations. It
is good to know that tighter and more efficient integration among the other
Office programs are also included.
Part 1, included the slide show basics. While this
seems simple enough, it is refreshing that the author decided to include this
nice section entitled “The evils (or not) of Text”.
Approaches, ideas about
design are peppered throughout the book to give perspectives, ideas for
maintenance of solid techniques. using handouts, speaknotes and the pros and
cons of using them are highlighted. The 15 file types (page 48) and their uses,
is an eye opener. Editing slides, adding special characters, aligning text,
laying out slides and editing slideshows are covered in-depth, adding well
displayed charts, diagrams and tables.
Part 2, editing, customizing and packaging your
presentation for emails, for CDs, on the web are all here.
I really liked what the author had to say in the notes
of “Design Time” in Chapter 7, concerning “Tailoring your presentation for
self-running distribution”. Packaging for a CD (page 244) was insightful as
well as “ When to use the web” (page 247). A great series of screenshots about
converting to other formats are nicely done as well as a nice two tables
concerning file formats. This section also had including optimizing
presentations, compressing your images, the best way to deal with fonts and a
variety of very useful and informative ideas about how to make your
presentation the best it can be.
Part 3, “ Beyond bullet points” has more information
about multimedia access, use of interactive shows, animations and more. I have
always found it fairly easy to add pictures and images with PowerPoint. However
Chapter 9 had more information about modifying drawings and working with
multiple drawings (which is not something I usually work with but others may
find more useful).
Adding sound, video animations, slide transitions and
animated effects as well as making the slide click able are all ideas I have
managed on my own previously. I liked what the author said about “ when to use
multimedia”, multimedia copyrights, old and new sound options, “doing video
right” and even had a nice little blurb about “where to get good video clips”.
Part 4, “Working faster and more effectively”, is
very well done. Customizing PowerPoint, using macros (autopilot and little mini
programs) and collaborating with others is shorter section compared to the
other section (in the book) but well done. I wanted to see more information
about new and inspired techniques to use and promote efficiency and versatility
and that is what I found here.
Conclusion
This is a fine and detailed book with helpful detailed
information about learning about PowerPoint 2007. But more importantly I
wanted to know how this book could show how PowerPoint could be more versatile
and work with it efficiently through techniques. The helpful notes, ideas and
more included by the author, go beyond the software, to include solid “how to
include techniques” that you really and probably might not come up with on your
own. That is really what I was looking for in this Missing Manual book. And
most likely those who have already used PowerPoint and looking for extra ideas
and information as well as novice PowerPoint creators will find this a useful
guide. If you are planning to use this PowerPoint version efficiently, this is
a good buy. A resource, a visual guide, a learning tool, that is a great
resource. I recommend it highly.
