Office X for Macintosh: The Missing Manual, by Nan Barber, Tonya Engst and David Reynolds. 714 pp. Pogue Press/O’Reilly, 2002. $29.95.

Now that Apple and Microsoft have extended through April 7 the $300 discount on Microsoft Office v. X when purchased with a Mac, a lot of Mac buyers will be snapping up Office v. X at the bargain price of $199. If you’re among them, or if you’re already using Office v. X, squeeze out another $29.95 for Office X for Macintosh: The Missing Manual. You’ll be glad you did.

The Missing Manual series steps in to replace the printed manual that is no longer provided with most software applications, Office among them. Office v. X actually consists of four applications—Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage. To cover the capabilities and complexities of all four programs, a printed companion is all but essential. Office X for Macintosh: The Missing Manual ably fills the bill, providing clear instructions for beginners, tips for power users, and approaches to help everyone leverage the powerful synergy among the programs.

A section of the book is devoted to each of the four Office applications, and a fifth section, “Office as a Whole,” details ways the applications work together. Troubleshooting tips, workarounds for times when Office doesn’t behave quite the way you want, and ample black and white illustrations and screen shots round out the book. Highly recommended.