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Book ReviewOriginally published in The British Journal of Healthcare Computing & Information Management. |
N. D. Wells & R. Dean Taylor (1999). SAMS Teach Yourself StarOffice 5 for Linux in 24 hours. Macmillan: Indiana.
StarOffice 5 for Linux is a package based on Microsoft Office 97 which has the advantage of being completely free for private, non-commercial use. It can be downloaded from http://www.stardivision.com/ for Windows, OS/2, and Sun Solaris, in addition to Linux. Some of its wares include a wordprocessor, a complete drawing package with image manipulation, internet browsing, a spreadsheet, database functions, a presentation package similar to PowerPoint, and even a scheduling program for tasks and meetings. Crucially, it can import and export different file formats, which opens up Linux users to the wider (geographically, not intellectually, of course) world .So the program is worth having: Does the book explain it well? The short answer is, yes. It employs the familiar SAMS teach yourself format, with handy boxes containing tips, alerts, and notes, and manages to communicate the confidence required for beginners to get going with the system while remaining useful for more experienced operators. For example, StarOffice 5 allows for complex switching between windows and applications which the book clearly explains, using excellent screenshots, and by providing useful rationales for the various functions. In general, it takes the time to explain why certain features should be used as advised.
For those inveterate bootstrappers who are determined to learn programs by trial-and-error, this book might just convince them that there is a productive alternative approach. And the beginners will be pleased to find out that they can follow the step-by-step instructions all the way from installation to fancy output.