Excel Basics In 30 Minutes: The beginner's guide to Microsoft Excel, Excel Online, and Google Sheets. Questo articolo non è disponibile.Excel Basics In 30 Minutes: The beginner's guide to Microsoft Excel, Excel Online, and Google Sheets

If you've ever opened Microsoft Excel and immediately felt lost, this book is for you. Excel Basics In 30 Minutes, 3rd Edition is a fast, friendly tutorial written in plain English, with step-by-step instructions and full-color screenshots that show exactly what to do. Whether you need Excel for work, school, or personal projects, this guide will take you from complete beginner to confidently productive in a single sitting.

This is not a 500-page Excel bible. It's a focused, practical guide that answers the questions real beginners actually ask — what cells are, how formulas work, what that Greek letter button does, and how to build a chart without pulling your hair out. Most instructions apply to Excel for Windows and macOS, Excel Online, the Excel mobile apps for iOS and Android, and Google Sheets.

Who This Book Is For

• Office workers and job seekers who need basic Excel skills for workplace tasks, reports, or a new role
• Students learning spreadsheets for school projects, data analysis assignments, or college coursework
• Small business owners who want to track expenses, build simple budgets, or organize data without hiring a specialist
• Home users managing household finances, event planning, or personal projects
• Returning users who need a quick, no-fluff refresher after time away from Excel

What You Will Learn

• Excel screen layout, ribbon tabs, cells, rows, and columns — the vocabulary you need from day one
• How to enter data, write your first formula, and use essential functions including SUM and AutoSum
• AutoFill — the time-saving trick that applies formulas across hundreds of rows in seconds
• Formatting cells, numbers, and text for clean, professional-looking spreadsheets
• Working with percentages, static cell references (absolute vs. relative), and multi-sheet workbooks
• How to sort and filter data — alphabetize lists, rank scores, and isolate specific records
• How to make charts in Excel — bar charts, pie charts, and customized visualizations
• Printing tips so spreadsheets don't cut off columns on the page
• Exporting to PDF, CSV, TSV, and other formats
• Collaboration and sharing via OneDrive and shared workbooks

Compatible With

• Microsoft Excel for Windows and macOS (current and recent versions, including Microsoft 365 / Office 365)
• Excel Online (free browser-based version)
• Excel for iOS and Excel for Android (mobile apps)
• Google Sheets — most instructions apply directly, with differences clearly noted

Common Questions This Book Answers

• What is a spreadsheet, and what is it used for?
• What are cells, and how do formulas reference them?
• What does the Greek letter (Σ) button do in Excel?
• How do I calculate percentages and averages in a spreadsheet?
• How do I alphabetize a list or sort by highest and lowest values?
• How do I create a chart or graph from my data?
• How do I print an Excel spreadsheet without cutting off columns?
• What is the difference between Excel, Excel Online, and Google Sheets?
• How do I share an Excel file and collaborate with others?
• How do I import or export data as a CSV or PDF?

Ian Lamont is an award-winning technology journalist, author, and publisher, and the founder of i30 Media Corp. and IN 30 MINUTES Guides. His books include Twitter In 30 Minutes and Lean Media: How to focus creativity, streamline production, and create media that audiences love. A graduate of Boston University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he lives in the Boston area with his family.