Use it as a Workbook!

I am very experienced programmer. However, I am not at all proficient in Excel. It is my habit to try to find books that will aid my learning curve. I found exactly what I was seeking in Pivot Table Data Crunching.

I went to the Que Publishing Site (url on the back cover) and downloaded the sample data provided there. I made my personal copies of those provided sample workbooks. By following along with every chapter, I made a worksheet that contained almost all of the quite extensive figures used in illustration in the book. I put each figure on its own worksheet and named that sheet with the same name as the illustration (Figure N.NN, etc.) The sample data is quite sufficient for this purpose. In most cases, the illustration proceed logically from one to the next so a copy of the worksheet from the previous illustration can be used as the basis for the transformation to the next illustration.

The above method of use of the work is not explicitly recommended by the authors in the text. It should be in my opinion. A thoughtful work through of Pivot Table Data Crunching using this method lead me toward a working understanding the extensive power of the pivot table reporting feature in Excel.

My time is valuable to me. I most enthusiastically and highly recommend Pivot Table Data crunching to those who wish to explore Excel's pivot tables with a view toward understanding pivot table capabilities and with a view toward directed practice in understanding pivot table mechanics including their sometimes non-intuitive features.

Other Reviews

• right on
• Excellent for a relative newcomer
• Use it as a Workbook!
• Pivot Table Data Crunching
• All you Need to Know to Support Pivot Tables