First things first: this introductory chapter is intended for readers who have no prior experience with Excel, and only provides the minimum information necessary to use the rest of this book. Emphatically, this chapter is not meant to replace a spreadsheet manual; if it were, that part alone would occupy more space than that of this entire workbook. Instead, during and after using this workbook, you may be tempted to consult an Excel manual (of which there will be several in your local library and bookstore) to learn what else it can do for you – but that is up to you.

Second: this book is not intended to be read, but instead to be used while you sit at the computer keyboard, trying out whatever is described in the text. Learning to use a spreadsheet is somewhat like learning to swim, to ride a bicycle, or to paint: you can only learn it by doing it. So set aside a block of time (one or two hours should do for this chapter, unless you are really new to computers, in which case you might want to reserve several such sessions in order to get acquainted), make yourself comfortable, turn on the computer, and try things out as they are described in, say, the first three sections of this chapter. (If it confuses you on your first try, and there is nobody at hand to help you along, stop, do something else, and come back to it later, or the next day, but don't give up.) Then try the next sections.