Hoffman’s book is an Excel console manual, no more and no less. It has no introduction and is neither a how-to book nor a textbook. It consists of a description of each Excel command, with the commands arranged in alphabetical order rather than by major function. Each command description is well-written--it is comprehensible to the beginner but does not insult the advanced user--and nicely complete.

An interesting feature is this manual’s lifeboat: the manual itself is textbook-size and well-suited for keyboard-side use. In a kangaroo pouch inside the rear cover is a pocket-size, 105-page condensed version for putting into a pocket or briefcase, for Excel use away from the user’s base machine.

The manual seems well edited, well printed, and complete. To learn Excel, however, or for an organized explanation of why to choose Excel rather than Lotus or some other competing system, the reader must look elsewhere. So must students, for not only is this solely an alphabetical listing and explanation of the Excel functions, it lacks lists of keywords or review questions. A manual is all this book claims to be, but it seems to be a good one.