Whichever approach you choose, start by installing the software on your computer. All of the classes in the world won't help unless you have the opportunity to practice what you have seen. People who get the most out of computer instruction are those who have looked at the program and formulated questions about how it works and what they need to do. Now that you' re ready to learn more, let's consider some of the options. Books I love books, but it can be very difficult to choose from the thousands of computer books at your local bookstore.
Most technical books are either tutorials or reference books.
It's a rare book that can serve both of these functions. The Step by Step series from Microsoft are excellent tutorials on learning the Office suite of applications. However, I rarely turn to these books when I need to use a specific function in Excel for example. I encourage you to look more closely at computer-based training rather than videotapes. Most CBT programs have features like skills assessment, and bookmarking that enable you to pick up a lesson where you left off.