Written in an upbeat, jargon-free style, it assumes no prior knowledge of Databases Adopts a learn-by-doing approach Contains lots of practical graded assignments taking the student from elementary level to advanced Integrates both theory and practice but theory is supplied in manageable chunks Symbols are used throughout to indicate learning objectives, useful tips and important points Written specifically for Microsoft Office 2000 but assignments can also be completed using Office XP or Office 97 Includes a glossary of database terms, which can be used as a quick reference Solutions to the assignments will be available on the Gill & Macmillan website (www.gillmacmillan.ie)