Beyond the Ordinary | O'Reilly Media

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Book:		Excel Hacks
Subject:		Beyond the Ordinary
Date:		2004-04-25 13:13:49
From:		Michael

Rating: This book is fantastic! I just made it through 17 of the 100 industrial strength tips included in this book and I'm very impressed. This will be an enormous help in improving my Excel skills. I can't wait to get through the other 83.

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Beyond the Ordinary, June 01 2004
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]

Hmm,

People (such as myself) will be using your review as a guide. This is a bad review.

It offers no specifics (oh yeah - you're impressed. By what?)

And you haven't fully read or tried out the book.

PUH-LEESE:

1) Don't review anything too early (and this sounded like it was -- "Hey, great novel! I've read the first few chapters, and this is a great book!")

2) Don't use words like "fantastic" unless you back them up (you didn't)

3) You went through 17 hacks (no specifics) Then how'd you do with variations on Hack#10? I found it worked the first time, and then failed in unexplained, complex ways, such as when any tweak was used. Anyone who's tried #10 more than once, I expect has run into problems.

I read this book on a train without my computer. Lots of potentially nifty ideas highlighted & noted. But the first one I tried started screwing up almost immediately. (Thank you, Microsft) Second one worked.

Nasty note, eh? Well, this looks like a book that required a lot of work to produce. And the reviews should respect that.

Be specific about what was useful to you. Don't make generalizations you don't back up. Do finish the book before you comment on it.

I don't mean to be horrid, but I've read too many half-baked/sloppy evaluations laid upon the world at large by people who don't distinguish between chatting with pals and putting something out for the world. This ain't just talking to your dog; it's public.

No reply requested. And don't take this too personally. It's a standard problem.

-squerb

Beyond the Ordinary, September 05 2004
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]

Let me say this. You are correct on two points:
1. I should have been more specific in my review. I was excited by some of the ideas that were presented in this book that I haven't seen in other Excel text and let it reflect in my overly positive review. How awful.
2. You are horrid as is your overly critical comments.

There are errors in the book that I've noted online. I still find HACKS an excellent source for Excel skills that do not appear in other text. For example: Summing on Specific Colors (HACK # 88). Using the Match Function in Dynamic Ranges to locate the last "text" and "number" entries (p. 100 & 101). Errors are present in this HACK (#42 p.101), but the idea will still add to my knowledge of Excel and help me with future projects. The book is worth the purchase price, but I will be more careful in my "review posting" knowing there are people out there like you. I can thank you for that.