Microsoft Access 2010 Step by Step 1st Edition

I've been buying the Access step by step books going back to Access 97, and I think this new edition is better organized than previous editions, especially the last edition for Access 2007.Each chapter includes hands-on exercises, which is the best way to learn Access. The practice files are now downloaded from a Web site instead of on a CD. I would rather have the CD, but once you download the practice files you have what you need to work with the book.I initially had a problem with the link to get the practice files and didn't get a helpful reply from Microsoft Customer Service, but Steve Weiss, Associate Publisher of O'Reilly Media / Microsoft Press was very helpful with the problem. Thank you Steve! I've found the link in the book does work now (it's on page xxiii).I recommend this book to anyone looking for an introduction to Access 2010. Doing the hands-on exercises will give you the essential skills you need to work with an existing Access database and create a database of your own. This book does not cover advanced topics like macros and VBA programming. But if you would like to continue with a more advanced book, this book gives you a good foundation.

This book really is step-by-step, and I have found it immensely helpful in getting a fundamental understanding of Access 2010.Moreover, an added surprise was that I bought the Kindle edition, not sure as to how good or bad this might be relative to the exercises.Well, let me tell you, it is a WHOLE LOT EASIER to work through the exercises with the Kindle than it is with a regular book, which is always somewhat cumbersom, but not cumbersom at all with the Kindle.And the Kindle edition costs about half as much as the hard copy.

This book is well laid out and easy to follow. This is my second Step by Step book on access. I bought it for Access 95 years ago and that one helped me to the point I was able to overcome the initial and common barriers to learning Access. I have not had to use access to create anything from the ground up for about five years so I thought this would be a good refresh for Access 2010. I tend to read these books from cover to cover and go through all the examples. I find this is the only way to get the best benefit from them. This book is no exception to that rule although using a specific chapter to conquer a concept is probably fine. Great book, it will get you launched into access and help you get through the changes since V2003.

If you follow the steps in the book it works great. Sometimes they assume a level of knowledge that isn't there... A problem with most instructional manuals. Better than most.

Good beginner overview for Access.

I purchased both this Step by Step book and The Missing Manual for Access 2010. I found The Missing Manual engaging and informative while the Step by Step manual simply presented the steps needed for actions and was therefore very dry.The Missing Manual also dealt with design theory and aspects of creating good database design, while the Step by Step manual did not (and even acknowledged that it would not). Since good database design is both art and science and extremely important for the life of the project, nothing strikes me as more important than communicating how best to design the database that the beginning user will be building, so I count this as a most serious lack.The text was clear, and the steps accurately presented, although with too many words and not enough illustrations to effectively demonstrate what was being discussed.

I love using this book. It helps me learn how to do different things in Access. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to create tables, queries and reports. zit gives Step by Step Exercises for you to do.

Ordered this book because the professor of my graduate course assigned it as a required text. If you already know Access it may work for you, but it was the worst software learning guide I have every used. The instructions didn't make any since. I learned more from websites online then I did from this book. Most of the students in my class felt the same way about this book. I cannot recommend this book to anyone