Being a certified spreadsheet geek, I've collected a smattering of books that relate to Excel. My latest purchase, though, is heads and tails above the rest. I really wanted to mention it here, because I know that many of my readers use and adore Excel as much as I do. Thanks to ExcelGeek, the creator of this kick-butt Freedom Account spreadsheet, for tipping me off to John Walkenbach's Excel 2003 Bible.

My opinion: This book rules.

At 936 pages, the Excel 2003 Bible isn't exactly light reading. But I cannot begin to quantify the amount of great information I've gleaned from it.

I'm no Excel "Power User" or anything, but I've used it every day of my life for the past 6 or 7 years, both at work and at home. Even with that, I had no idea Excel could do some of the things that Walkenbach writes about in this book. Before I bought it, I only thought I was staggered by what someone could accomplish with a decent knowledge of Microsoft's ubiquitous spreadsheeting program.

If you're looking for a fantastic overall roundup on Excel, and one that despite its size makes it quite easy to find answers in a pinch, then Excel 2003 Bible is your book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.