Look and Listen

Biography

I have been using computers since I went to Uni in 1974 - and training other people to use them since 1984. I have a Bachelor of Business, Diploma of Education, Workplace Assessor & Trainer certification - and training is something I love doing. Professionally, I have also been involved in event management, managing a conference centre and numerous contracts utilising my innate 'problem-solver' skills and/or my writing skills. Along the way, I have qualified as a Naturopath & Remedial masseur - for the past 15 yrs, I have led a 'split professional life', 50:50 Naturopath:IT Trainer. I also conduct training in the Natural Therapies field and write regular articles aimed at empowering people with knowledge so that they can take control of their own health. Personally, I love bike-riding, swimming, hiking, 4WD-ing, camping and generally exploring places I've not been before. Others seem to find it strange, but I have now renovated 2 properties entirely by myself - plastering, tiling, building decks, installing doors, leadlighting, removing walls ... if my parents would have allowed it, I would have become a carpenter (that was what I wanted when I was 15 yrs old) I also love to dance, and have done so in many forms since I was a child. For the past 3 years, I have also been a member of a professional bellydance troupe. Life is a wonderful journey, and I fully intend to explore as much of it as I can.

Inspiration

I have always been able to write in any format - and I've always loved writing. I started out simply responding to the necessity of reworking my training resources to accommodate the totally-new-look ribbon interface of Office 2007 (and, subsequently, 2010). Feedback from my students and clients indicated that I was not alone - and my training resources evolved into this book. What Office 2010 has done to experienced users of Microsoft Office, is akin to what would happen to an artist if somebody totally rearranged his/her studio without prior warning and without leaving any clue as to where things had been relocated - the artist knows WHAT TO DO with a paintbrush, but is now unable to do it until/unless he/she can discover WHERE THINGS ARE. WHERE THINGS ARE is the core issue for experienced users upgrading to Office 2010 - and there is no book on the market which simply addresses this issue. Nor is there another book on the market which is compact, portable and free of unnecessary embellishments. The full 'evolutionary story' is included on my website www.experteaseinoffice.com This is the book I wished someone had already written - because I was in need of it - and I still refer to it often!