Books
Practical books to help you learn, explore and make better use of everyday technology.
Here you’ll find books from Training & Documentation, together with carefully selected books from other authors that complement the subjects covered on this site.
Books from Training & Documentation
Practical, step-by-step books written to accompany the guides, courses and seminars available through Training & Documentation.
AI in Everyday Life
10 Practical Ways to Make Life Easier
A straightforward guide to getting useful results from AI without needing technical knowledge — and without handing over your own judgement.
Paperback — £15.00
Recommended books
Some subjects benefit from having a good reference book close at hand. Here you’ll find books that complement the practical guides and courses on Training & Documentation.
These aren’t intended to replace our own learning materials. They have been selected because they offer useful additional information, reference material or a different approach to the subject.
About these recommendations: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Training & Documentation may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Microsoft Word
Reference books and specialist guides for getting more from Microsoft Word.
Microsoft Word Step by Step (Office 2021 and Microsoft 365)
Joan Lambert
A comprehensive guide to Microsoft Word that progresses from everyday document creation through to more advanced features such as styles, templates, references, tables of contents and mail merge.
Why I recommend it
Microsoft Word contains far more features than most of us use regularly. This book provides a useful reference when you want to explore Word in greater depth or need detailed guidance on a feature that goes beyond the practical tutorials on this site.
Microsoft Excel
Reference books covering formulas, functions, data analysis and the wider capabilities of Excel.
Microsoft Excel 365 Bible, 2nd Edition
Michael Alexander & Dick Kusleika
A comprehensive reference for Microsoft Excel 365, covering everything from everyday spreadsheet work to formulas, data analysis, charts and more advanced Excel features.
Why I recommend it
This is the kind of book to keep beside your computer as a reference. Rather than working through it from beginning to end, you can turn to it when you need more detail about a particular Excel feature or technique.
Microsoft 365 Excel Formulas & Functions For Dummies, 7th Edition
Ken Bluttman
A specialist reference for anyone who wants to understand and make better use of Excel formulas and functions. It covers calculations, dates and times, statistical functions, troubleshooting formulas and many other practical techniques.
Why I recommend it
Excel’s formulas and functions are enormously powerful, but they can also be one of the more difficult parts of the program to master. This book provides a useful reference when you need to find the right function, understand how it works or solve a problem with a formula.
AI in Everyday Life
Books offering additional perspectives on artificial intelligence, its uses and its implications.
How to Think About AI: A Guide for the Perplexed
Richard Susskind
An accessible exploration of artificial intelligence that looks beyond individual AI tools to consider what the technology is, where it may be heading and the wider questions it raises for society.
Why I recommend it
My own AI in Everyday Life concentrates on practical ways to use AI. This book takes a different approach, helping readers think more broadly about AI, its development and what increasingly capable systems may mean for the future.
What If We Got AI Right?
Eleanor Drage
An exploration of artificial intelligence that asks how the technology might be developed and used differently. It considers questions of ethics, power and responsibility, and the effect AI may have on people and society.
Why I recommend it
AI is not only about what the technology can do, but also about the choices people make about how it is designed and used. This book provides a useful counterpoint to practical AI guides by encouraging readers to consider some of those wider social and ethical questions.
Family History
Books that help you explore the lives and stories of earlier generations, and understand how their experiences helped shape the family that followed.