Book Review - A Complete Guide To PivotTables by Paul Cornell
Category Book Reviews
I've heard the term PivotTables in Excel, but I don't have a clue as to what they do and how they work. I figured that meant it was time to review a book on that subject. I got a copy of A Complete Guide To PivotTables - A Visual Approach by Paul Cornell (Apress). I'm now sold on the value of them...
Chapter List: What Are PivotTables?; Creating PivotTables; Working With PivotTable Components; Using PivotTables In The Real World; Working With PivotCharts; Analyzing Multidimensional Data With PivotTables; Programming PivotTables; Appendix; Index
This book is very focused on one thing... PivotTables (duh!). Don't expect to get a tutorial in Excel, and a basic level of familiarity with Excel is assumed. From there, the author talks about how data can be analyzed in Excel, how those analysis methods can break down under large amounts of data, and how PivotTables are designed to address those deficiencies. With an abundance of screen shots and examples, Cornell takes you through the processes of building PivotTables using the wizards, manipulating the parameters to get just what you're looking for, creating charts from that same data, and finally some basics on how to manipulate PivotTables using VBA.
For me, the book was ideal. I'm not into heavy data analysis techniques, and I knew nothing about the topic. After going through the material, I'm actually to a point where I could use this feature of Excel now. If people are looking for in-depth data analysis topics or every little tip and trick out there on PivotTables, they might be disappointed. I'd have liked to see a bit more on the programming aspect, as I can use that to interface my data in Lotus Notes into PivotTables in Excel. I can probably do it now with what was in the book, but more is always better.
Given the right audience, this is a good choice of material on the subject. I certainly learned a lot...
I've heard the term PivotTables in Excel, but I don't have a clue as to what they do and how they work. I figured that meant it was time to review a book on that subject. I got a copy of A Complete Guide To PivotTables - A Visual Approach by Paul Cornell (Apress). I'm now sold on the value of them...
Chapter List: What Are PivotTables?; Creating PivotTables; Working With PivotTable Components; Using PivotTables In The Real World; Working With PivotCharts; Analyzing Multidimensional Data With PivotTables; Programming PivotTables; Appendix; Index
This book is very focused on one thing... PivotTables (duh!). Don't expect to get a tutorial in Excel, and a basic level of familiarity with Excel is assumed. From there, the author talks about how data can be analyzed in Excel, how those analysis methods can break down under large amounts of data, and how PivotTables are designed to address those deficiencies. With an abundance of screen shots and examples, Cornell takes you through the processes of building PivotTables using the wizards, manipulating the parameters to get just what you're looking for, creating charts from that same data, and finally some basics on how to manipulate PivotTables using VBA.
For me, the book was ideal. I'm not into heavy data analysis techniques, and I knew nothing about the topic. After going through the material, I'm actually to a point where I could use this feature of Excel now. If people are looking for in-depth data analysis topics or every little tip and trick out there on PivotTables, they might be disappointed. I'd have liked to see a bit more on the programming aspect, as I can use that to interface my data in Lotus Notes into PivotTables in Excel. I can probably do it now with what was in the book, but more is always better.
Given the right audience, this is a good choice of material on the subject. I certainly learned a lot...
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