Introduction

The only thing standing between you and your writing is your word processor. Yeah, I know: It’s supposed to be helpful. Well, it tries. Computers can do only so much. But you, as a smart person, are capable of so much more, which is why I’m guessing you opened this book.

Welcome to Word For Dummies, which removes the pain from using Microsoft’s greatest and most confusing word processing software ever! This book is your friendly, informative, and entertaining guide to getting the most from Word.

Be warned: I’m not out to force you to love Word. This book won’t make you enjoy the program. Use it, yes. Tolerate it, of course. The only promise I’m offering is to ease the pain that most people feel from using Microsoft Word. Along the way, I kick Word in the butt, and I hope you enjoy reading about it.

About This Book

I don’t intend for you to read this book from cover to cover. It’s not a novel, and if it were, it would be a political space opera with an antihero and a princess fighting corrupt elected officials who are in cahoots with an evil intergalactic urban renewal development corporation. The ending would be extremely satisfying.

This book is a reference. Each chapter covers a specific topic or task you can accomplish by using Word. Within each chapter, you find self-contained sections, each of which describes how to perform a specific task or get something done. Here are some sample topics you encounter in this book:

  • Moving a block
  • Check your spelling

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