Microsoft Access has a steep learning curve all Microsoft Office applications. For that reason, Access is the Office application that Office users - even experienced, highly competent - tend to need help learning. Alison Bälter's Mastering Microsoft Access 2003 is a new addition to the shelf Access manuals, and is one of the best. Bälter do great job helping novice Access user (someone who can open the database and edit fields, but can do little more) to reach users. In other words, this book teaches Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming that applies to access. Bälter also does a good job of describing the Access development environment, including screen shots much access in the workplace and the application of the results of its code.