Effective Executive's Guide to PowerPoint 2000: The Seven Steps for Creating High-Value, High-Impact PowerPoint Presentations

Rating:
Summary: Very little substance
Review: I bought this book as it has a catchy name and recommended by some. I expected the book will hold my hand and enable me to prepare killer presentations. Unfortunately, the book assumes that the reader is proficient in other MS Office applications and just glosses over the basic powerpoint menus that one can learn by exploring the application for couple of days. The book does not build any slide from A to Z, and topics have been presented in not so structured fashion. For example, import of charts and tables are discussed before text formatting. However, the book includes few tips for users during oral presentation, which was welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Great guide for actually making Powerpoint presentations
Review: I've used Powerpoint before but in this book I found several additional practical tips. I especially liked the 2 chapters on actually making the presentation so that you can be more successful as a presenter. I think for most people, this book would be all you needed.

Rating:
Summary: Competence and Confidence in a Paperback.
Review: It is refreshing to find a technical book that is usably complete without getting mired in minutiae. The instructions are direct and to the point. I also appreciate the focus on delivering outstanding presentations, not just the technical aspects of the software. I feel far more confident about my presentations than I have before.

Rating:
Summary: Lightweight
Review: My goal for purchasing this book was to upgrade my PowerPoint skills, both in format as well as appearance. This book comes short on both accounts. I found this book to be aimed at someone that hasn't used PowerPoint or has little experience. Because this book has such little substance, you're time and money will be better spent perusing and referencing the help tool that comes PowerPoint rather than purchasing this book.

Rating:
Summary: PowerPoint: A Powerful Tool
Review: The Effective Executive's Guide to PowerPoint 2000 will teach you more than how to create a captivating PowerPoint presentation; it will teach you how to be a good presenter. I was surprised by the how thorough the book was. The book goes through the different features of PowerPoint, such as adding in movies and sounds and adjusting timing, to the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of charts. In addition the book has a good index to reference different parts of the book later.