Prior to becoming an article marketer, I worked as an Excel Trainer and Reports Analyst for several years. Although I enjoy writing articles, I continue to earn a portion of my living by providing Excel support and general computer services.

Excel can be an intimidating application to new comers, so I ecstatically created this beginners road-map of sorts for newbies. In addition to reviewing several Excel books, we’ll evaluate various types of Excel tutorials for beginners.

"Excel 2003 in easy steps" by Stephen Copestale is yet another great title from the series "in easy steps". I’ve been using these wonderful guides for nearly five years and haven't been disappointed thus far.

"Excel 2003 in easy steps" is approximately 186 pages of straight-to-the-point mini lessons. This book contains fifteen short chapters and covers everything from the Excel toolbar to using macros in Excel. The first chapter is designed to help the new comer get up-to-speed promptly, while chapter two does a great job of explaining worksheet basics. In my opinion, the first six chapters alone make it well worth the price.

If you’re looking for a book that provides in-depth explanations, this may not be the title for you. The book also has a tendency to jump from subject to subject without warning. However, if you’re looking for quick answers or an easy reference guide, this is an excellent choice.

Our next guide ‘Excel Workbook For Dummies’ is especially designed to provide new comers with hands on experience. The newbie learns by actual completing various step-by-step lessons; there are literally hundreds of real-life exercises.

This tutorial caught my attention for three important reasons. To begin with, I was absolutely awed by how much information it covers. Not only does it practically cover all of the basics, it also does an impressive job of reviewing a number of intermediate concepts.

This guide also comes with an impressive, practical CD-ROM. The CD is packed with financial templates, sample worksheets and great Excel tools. However, you actually need a copy of Excel to utilize the CD.

Finally, chapters 5 through 13 do an excellent job of explaining Excel functions and formulas. I highly recommend this title for beginners who utilize Excel 2003 or an earlier version.

According to my most humble estimation, and the opinion of hoards of intelligent Amazon readers, we recommended the following (in other words; we think that the following books and DVDs are cool):

If you’ve ever thought about seeking live assistance for an existing Excel problem (or any computer related issue for that matter), you may be interested in Ether.com.

What is Ether.com?

Ether.com is a web-based service that allows specialist to provide live assistance to customers. In essence, the expert or consultant is selling valuable information by phone. I utilize ether.com both as a provider of computer assistance for beginners, and as a professional who’s interested in communicating with others within my field.

As you might imagine, I conducted a fair amount of research on the company before signing-up to become an ether expert. Aside from a few negative reports, which in my opinion were relative to the situation, Ether.com has a fairly good name. It’s been my experience that services of this type are bound to attract a few bad apples, so it’s always a good idea to conduct your own investigation.

Give Ether.com a try!

I believe wholeheartedly that learning should be a fun process whenever possible. The following videos illustrate that philosophy beautifully. Although I don't know the creators actual name, I do know that he’s a Business Instructor at Highline Community College in Des Moines, WA. He goes by the alias of ExcelIsFun, and as the name implies, his videos are a lot of fun. That being said, this is probably an excellent way to end this article; enjoy!