Excel 2013: The Missing Manual

Q&A with Matthew MacDonald, author of "Excel 2013: The Missing Manual"

Q. Why is your book timely-- what makes it important right now?

A. Office 2013 was recently released.

Q. What information do you hope that readers of your book will walk away with?

A. First, readers will learn how to create spreadsheets for any type of number-rich information, whether it's a student grade report, household expense report, or profit-and-loss statement. Then, readers will learn how to create calculations that can crunch the numbers, spot trends, and even predict the future. Readers will also learn how to present their data dramatically and effectively, using advanced visualization techniques like charts, color scales, and info graphics.

Q. What's the most exciting and/or important thing happening in your space?

A. Excel is increasingly becoming a "business intelligence" tool. A key part of this shift is Excel's ability to pull information out of massive company databases rather than simply store it in Excel spreadsheet files. In fact, Excel 2013 can fetch millions of rows of up-to-date information out of any database, whenever you need it. You can then explore this data with Excel's standard analysis, charting, and calculation tools.