"John Preston" is an associate professor at Eastern Michigan University in the College of Technology, where he teaches microcomputer application courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has been teaching, writing, and designing computer training courses since the advent of PCs, and he has authored and co-authored over 40 books on Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. He is a series editor for the "Learn 97," "Learn 2000," and "Learn XP" books. Two books on Microsoft Access he co-authored with Robert Ferrett have been translated into Greek and Chinese. He has received grants from the Detroit Edison Institute and the Department of Energy to develop Web sites for energy education and alternative fuels, and has also developed one of the first Internet-based microcomputer applications courses at an accredited university. He has a B.S. in physics, mathematics, and education from the University of Michigan, and an M.S. in physics education from Eastern Michigan University. His doctoral studies are in instructional technology at Wayne State University.

"Sally Preston" is president of Preston & Associates, which provides software consulting and training. She teaches computing in a variety of settings, which provides her with ample opportunity to observe how people learn, what works best, and what challenges are present when learning a new software program. This diverse experience provides a complimentary set of information, which is blended into the "Learn" series books. Sally has been a co-author on the Learn series since its inception. In addition, she has authored books for the "Essentials" and "Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) Essentials" series.Sally has an MBA from Eastern Michigan University and graduated magna cum laude. When Sally is away from her computer, she is often found planting flowers in her garden.

"Robert L. Ferrett" is the director of the Center for Instructional Computing at Eastern Michigan University, where he provides computer training and support to faculty. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 books on Access, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, WordPerfect, and Word, and he was the editor of the "1994 ACM SIGUCCS Conference Proceedings." He has been designing, developing, and delivering computer workshops for nearly two decades, and is a series editor for the "Learn 97, Learn 2000," and "Learn XP" books. He has a B.A. in psychology, an M.S. in geography, and an M.S. in interdisciplinary technology from Eastern Michigan University. His doctoral studies are in instructional technology at Wayne State University. As a sidelight, Bob teaches a four-week Computers and Genealogy class and has written books on genealogy and local history.