The Outlook Answer Book: Useful Tips, Tricks, and Hacks for Microsoft Outlook 2003

by Tom Archer and Brian Delahunty

Learn how to master the world's most popular e-mail program, while avoiding its many trouble spots ; Written for Outlook users of all levels; Contains clearly explained answers to the most common and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0321303970
• ISBN13: 9780321303974
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Length: 613 Pages
• Weight: 1.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Get the most out of Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is a powerful program that can do much more than merely send and receive emails. Even without a user manual, Outlook is pretty easy to set up and use. Its basic features are rather intuitive. But this book will help you go much deeper and tap into the full potential of the program. The authors divide their content into 16 chapters: setup and configuration, categories, address book/contacts, email, calendar, notes, journals, tasks, searches, custom forms, macros, outlook express, exchange server, web access, security, and archive/backup. "The Outlook Answer Book" is generous with pictures and contains easy to follow instructions. As the title would suggest, the format is all Q & A. Every single heading is in the form of a question. Though helpful for a new user, I found this format annoying at times and even redundant. For example, was it really necessary for the authors to take 6 pages to tell us how to add shortcuts for new email, a new note, a new task, a new appointment, a new journal entry, and a new contact? (pp. 9-15). All in all, though, "The Outlook Answer Book" is a fine book that will allow you to get the most out of a great program.

Helpful to me as a workstation user! Recommended!

I agree with the three previous reviewers that this book had covered the majority of questions one can think of about Outlook and gave easy and direct answers through its FAQ format. The chapters on security and backup might even delight many. However, I am obliged to suggest to the authors, if there will be an updated version, to add some notes on the usage of some specific functions on the Tool Bar, say, the "Rules Wizard" under "Tools", which can be used to set the criteria of forwarding specific email(s) to specific persons. The administrators may find it too simple. IMHO, it's very helpful for any workstation user. Recommended!

Outlook gets a second chance...

To be honest with you, I had always hated Outlook. Hated it. So it was with some scepticism that I opened this book to see if I could glean some tips and tricks to improve my Outlook experience. And boy, am I glad I did. This book takes the inherent complexity of Microsoft's propriety email client and turns it into a simple to use and feature packed email and organisation package. If you only use Outlook purely for its email capabilities, chances are that a lot of this book will be lost on you initially. However the more you read this book, the more impressed you will grow with Outlook's features. I can't tell you the number of times I had "I didn't know Outlook could do that!" moments! The language used in the book, is clear, concise and to the point. It emphasises the important aspects of the software, but still gives information about the smaller, almost forgotten features. The vast gulf left by Microsoft's refusal to package an Outlook instruction book with its software has left many users with gaps in their knowledge of the software. This book fills that gap admirably, causing this reviewer to wish that all Microsoft software came with such clear and well written instructions. Whether you are a casual home user or an over-worked professional, you will find something of value in this book. Highly recommended.

Outlook Explained

If you've got a question about Outlook whether you are a beginner or advanced this is the book for you. Curious about the array of features available to you in Outlook or have a specific question about Journals then this book will cover both needs. This book is well written and logically structured. Personally I really like the FAQ style format and Useful tips. Invaluable tippets of information that Microsft never seem to bother telling you about. I found the chapters on data security, archiving and backups an invaluable source of information. Areas that I had always questions about but could never get clear and concise explainations. An excellent refernce book on Outlook.

Not just Outlook!

Think of a question about Outlook and this book truly has the answer! The book is logically structured and covers everything from starting with Outlook all the way up to designing forms and creating macro's. It not only covers HOW you should use a certain functionality but also WHY and WHEN you want to use it. Make sure you don't skip the last 2 chapters as they cover security and backups. Although these topics sound dull and complicated it is not something where you want to go wrong on. Both get covered in the easy step-wise approach like the rest of the book and you'll find it no more difficult than creating a new contact. I was a bit surprised to see Outlook Express and Outlook Web Access (OWA) being covered as well but then I realized that they both have "Outlook" in their name as well (I guess I'm just too much Microsoft Office Outlook minded :-D). The book is targetted to the end-user (both home and corporate) so don't expect too much admin stuff in it. I still really recommend having a copy available on your Service Desk especially if your Service Desk more or less only has time to deal with technical instead of functional issues. The addition of Outlook Express and OWA makes sense here again because that is most likely how they deal with the company e-mail at home.