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Introduction

ew things are more disappointing to me as a software trainer than
to see people who have just enough basic knowledge to work in
F a sophisticated program such as Excel waste inordinate amounts
of time doing their work “the hard way” because they don’t really know
how to go about harnessing the program’s features. This book is a vehi-
cle for taking that next step into efficient use of Microsoft Excel, a program
about which I have written a great deal and am naturally very partial. It
is my sincere hope that it helps you become not only more competent in
Excel but also much more confident in your ability to use rather than be
used by it.

Saving Time with This Book

The Timesaving Techniques For Dummies books focus on high-payoff tech-
niques that save you time, either on the spot or somewhere down the
road. These books get to the point in a hurry, with step-by-step instruc-
tions to pace you through the tasks you need to do, without any of the
fluff you don’t want. I’ve identified more than 60 techniques that Excel
users need to know to make the most of their time. In addition, each
technique includes lots of figures that make following along a breeze.
Decide for yourself how to use this book: Read it from cover to cover
if you like or skip right to the technique that interests you the most.

In Excel Timesaving Techniques For Dummies, you can find out how to

Tame time-consuming tasks: Because I demystify the inner workings
of Excel for you, letting you in on more than 60 tips and tricks along
the way, you can spend more time on creating great results and less
time on fiddling with a feature so that it works correctly.
Take your skills up a notch: You’re already familiar with the basics
of using Excel. Now this book takes you to the next level, helping you
become an even savvier Excel user.