What You Get With This Book
Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 Access 2016 Introductory By Lisa Friedrichsen is a straightforward walkthrough of Access 2016 for people who need to build databases from scratch. It covers forms, queries, reports, tables, and the general layout of the program. The format is image-heavy with step-by-step instructions, which works well if you learn by watching rather than reading dense paragraphs. I found it useful for absolute beginners who need to get something working without understanding the theory behind relational database design. The book won't teach you normalization theory or advanced VBA, but it will get you from zero to a basic working database in a few hours.
Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 Access 2016 Introductory By Lisa Friedrichsen
The core structure of the book follows a logical path. It starts with the Access interface, then moves into creating tables, setting up relationships, building queries using the query design grid, constructing basic forms, and finishing with report generation. Each chapter ends with practice exercises. The visual approach means you can follow along on your own screen while the book shows you exactly what to click. One thing I noticed right away is that the exercises assume you are following sequentially. Skipping around works fine for reference, but the cumulative nature of the examples means you might miss steps if you jump ahead. The first few chapters on table design are where most beginners stall out because they don't grasp primary keys and relationship types before moving forward. I ran into a specific issue when working through the queries chapter. The book walks you through a simple select query using the Northwind sample database. On my installation, the sample database file wasn't included in the default Access install on Windows 10. I had to download the Northwind.accdb file separately from Microsoft's archive and place it in the Documents folder. Once that was done, the query exercises worked without further problems. The book doesn't mention this gap, which is a minor frustration for anyone running a fresh install.
Another edge case I hit was with the form building section. The textbook assumes a consistent screen resolution and font scaling setting. When I tested the steps on a laptop at a lower resolution, several of the ribbon screenshots didn't match where the actual buttons were on my screen. This made the instructions harder to follow for about twenty minutes until I adjusted my view. It's not a flaw in the book itself, just something to keep in mind if you're working on a smaller display.
What the Book Handles Well
The step-by-step visuals are genuinely useful. You rarely get lost because each action is paired with a screenshot. For someone who has never opened Access before, this reduces the intimidation factor considerably. The writing is plain and doesn't assume any prior knowledge of database concepts. Terms like "foreign key" or "one-to-many relationship" are introduced slowly and with context. The practice exercises are practical. Most of them mirror real-world scenarios like tracking inventory, managing a customer list, or recording project tasks. This makes the learning feel relevant instead of abstract. The answer files are available online, which is helpful when you need to check your work.
Where It Falls Short
The biggest limitation is that the book stops at introductory level. If you want to build complex reports with grouping and subreports, or write VBA code for automation, you will quickly hit the ceiling. The VBA chapters that do appear are very surface-level and barely scratch the surface of what the language can do. There is also no coverage of Access runtimes, database splitting, or multi-user access considerations. Any real-world business database eventually needs these things. The book simply doesn't go there. I wish the last chapter addressed the transition from a single-user demo database to something that could actually support more than one person, but it doesn't. If you are planning to use Access beyond simple personal projects, you should pair this book with additional resources. A good companion would be something focused on database normalization theory or Access VBA programming. Those topics are where the actual power of the application lives, and this book leaves them untouched.
Practical Advice for Using the Book
Work through the chapters in order the first time. The examples build on each other, and while the book is usable as a reference, it is designed as a curriculum. Keep a second monitor or open a blank Access window on top of the PDF so you can follow along without constantly alt-tabbing. The visual nature of the book means you will benefit from having the interface visible alongside the instructions. Download the Northwind sample database before you start so you aren't stuck mid-chapter looking for files. The Access install on a clean machine often omits these samples, and the book assumes they are there. The book is available through most major online retailers and academic book vendors. Search for the full title Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 Access 2016 Introductory By Lisa Friedrichsen along with the ISBN if you are looking for a specific edition. The materials align with Microsoft's own training modules, so it pairs reasonably well with free online video courses if you want supplementary coverage.
Use it if you need a clear starting point with Access. It is not going to make you an expert. It will get you to a functional level and give you the vocabulary to know what to search for when you run into problems that the book doesn't cover.
