Rating: 
Summary: if you actually USE ms access...
Review: ... then don't waste time or money on this book... especially if you're an intermediate to advanced Access user. Basically this book just reiterates what's in the help section - and we all know how good MS has made their help sections - of the program. I can't get answers to any of my questions... you'd have better luck going to the MS online forums and asking your questions there. But hey, if you're new to Access or not real computer savy, this book may be helpful. Beats learning/perfecting the art of obtaining help from MS "help". One last note, Access Bible is the same thing, so if you do get one of them, only buy ONE.
Rating:
Summary: Into the bin
Review: Don't think of spending money on this book.
It's no good as a quick reference and who has time today to walk your way through 1000+ pages?
The book is as unwieldy as the product it describes. Be happy, if you can get by without ever touching Microsoft Access (and this book).
Rating:
Summary: if you actually USE ms access...
Review: I found the book hard to follow along. Feddema goes into all of the features of Access 2002, but only gives them a cursory glance. I found it was not enough of a treatment to fully understand the features, or how to apply them in my own circumstances. Some explanations were easy to understand, but that had more to do with the simplicity of the feature and not her explanations. The sections on VBA coding have alot of code, but no explanations as to how the code can be constructed. I found myself refering back to Access Step-by-Step many times while trying to use this book. Eventually I had to get the Access 2002 Bible.I would not recommend this book to anyone who finds the step-by-step format the most useful to follow. The CD is just a rehash of the book, so not really any more helpful either.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard to follow along
Review: I found the book hard to follow along. Feddema goes into all of the features of Access 2002, but only gives them a cursory glance. I found it was not enough of a treatment to fully understand the features, or how to apply them in my own circumstances. Some explanations were easy to understand, but that had more to do with the simplicity of the feature and not her explanations. The sections on VBA coding have alot of code, but no explanations as to how the code can be constructed. I found myself refering back to Access Step-by-Step many times while trying to use this book. Eventually I had to get the Access 2002 Bible. I would not recommend this book to anyone who finds the step-by-step format the most useful to follow. The CD is just a rehash of the book, so not really any more helpful either.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy It!
Review: I have a little vice. I buy Access books at about the rate Imelda Marcos bought shoes.
This Access book is quite simply the best I've come across. Every time I dip into it, I find something really useful that makes my Access experience better. And Feddema writes with matchless clarity.
I liked this book enough to buy a second copy for a friend. He wanted to borrow it, and I didn't want to be without it, so I bought a second copy.
Mitzi in Maryland
Rating:
Summary: A unique approach with plenty of support!
Review: I have more books than I want to admit. This book is in my top 4 - one of two that pertain to Access. I think this is a must have if you want to do more than just build/use mediocre databases. Her approach is well thought out, her insight is fresh and unique, and she covers what needs to be covered - something most books do not do. While other books regurgitate the same information again and again, Helen shows you what you actually need to know. Plenty of VBA code, examples, & insight. This is the first book that I have ever bought that has any real level of support. If you have not been to her web sites I encourage you to do so. They are searchable & as such it is easy to get the information you want, real examples for real situations. I have even had the author answer most of my e-mail questions - that is unusual in this day and age. She knows her stuff, she explains it well, & she supports her products. If you are looking for a really well thought out & presented book covering the stuff you really need to know and the stuff you really will use, well then, buy this book today. I am sure you will be pleased with the purchase, I am.
Rating:
Summary: InsideOut A Winner
Review: I have spent the last several days with this book building a database for a list rental company. Being used to Access 97, I appreciated the chapter devoted to the differences in version. Compared to the Access Bible by Prague and Irwin, the language was easier for a novice to understand, less technical, more end user friendly. The step by step instructions are great because of the abundance of screen shots used. When I couldn't understand the words (like when you are trying to create a complex report), the pictures were priceless. The InsideOut text boxes kept me from a few pitfalls, like the advice on wrting SQL statements. I apprecited the explanations of how to perform tasks in more than one way, both suggestions in the same place, alleviating the search thru the index and table of contents. The only thing I haven't been able to find an explanation for is manually setting a primary key when you want it to AutoNumber, but with your own number. It's probably something really simple.
I've written a lot of tech bulletins, and I can appreciate the minute detail that went into the how-to's in this book.
I highly recommend this, intermediate to advanced DB Admin.
Rating:
Summary: InsideOut A Winner
Review: I have spent the last several days with this book building a database for a list rental company. Being used to Access 97, I appreciated the chapter devoted to the differences in version. Compared to the Access Bible by Prague and Irwin, the language was easier for a novice to understand, less technical, more end user friendly. The step by step instructions are great because of the abundance of screen shots used. When I couldn't understand the words (like when you are trying to create a complex report), the pictures were priceless. The InsideOut text boxes kept me from a few pitfalls, like the advice on wrting SQL statements. I apprecited the explanations of how to perform tasks in more than one way, both suggestions in the same place, alleviating the search thru the index and table of contents. The only thing I haven't been able to find an explanation for is manually setting a primary key when you want it to AutoNumber, but with your own number. It's probably something really simple.
I've written a lot of tech bulletins, and I can appreciate the minute detail that went into the how-to's in this book.
I highly recommend this, intermediate to advanced DB Admin.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T BUY IT, IF......
Review: I was very disappointed in this book; perhaps I was expecting too much; perhaps Microsoft didn't allow Helen to "tell it like it is". In any case, this book focuses primarily on externals and may be fine if you are a true advanced user of the standard Access user interface, and you *don't* need to know how Access really works, or you *don't* need to worry about DB design principles, or in particular, you *don't* need to do moderate to heavy VBA programming in Access. By the time I read thru the 5th chapter I could hardly take it anymore. Helen (or more probably Microsoft) takes the far too common approach of tediously stepping you thru screen shot after screen shot telling you just what button to push -- and this was for Wizards! (I thought the whole purpose of a wizard was that you didn't need someone to hold your hand!) I needed to know experienced specifics about VBA programming in Access. Helen devotes essentially only one chapter to VBA and even that is really nothing more than an rudimentary introduction to VBA programming in general. For example, nowhere does she mention why you might open a Recordset as Table type, or Shapshot, or Dynaset. I don't think she even explains these options, much less give a programmer hints as to why one might choose one over the other. If you only plan to work with Access using its predefined user interface, this may be a fine book for you; but if you need to program in VBA to manipulate Access in a real application, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: A unique approach with plenty of support!
Review: If you are looking for a book, written in plain English, not Technobabble, to help you learn and use Access 2002, this is the book for you. It is clear and concise for the new user and experienced alike. I highly recommend it.
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