7 Microsoft Powerpoint Books That Will Elevate Your Presentations

Explore these Microsoft Powerpoint books written by leading experts like James Holler, Barbara Boyd, Doug Lowe, and Joan Lambert to master your skills.

Updated on June 28, 2025
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What if I told you that your next presentation could captivate your audience effortlessly? Microsoft PowerPoint remains the cornerstone tool for professionals, educators, and creatives aiming to communicate ideas clearly and compellingly. Yet, many users only scratch the surface of its capabilities, missing out on features that can transform a simple deck into a memorable experience.

The books featured here are written by authors with decades of hands-on experience and deep understanding of Microsoft PowerPoint. From James Holler's practical crash course to Chantal Bossé's advanced techniques, these works provide trustworthy guidance, reflecting real-world applications and evolving software features. Their authority stems from professional backgrounds and extensive teaching, ensuring you gain insights that truly make a difference.

While these expert-curated books provide proven frameworks, readers seeking content tailored to their specific experience level, learning style, or presentation goals might consider creating a personalized Microsoft Powerpoint book that builds on these insights. Customization helps bridge general expertise with your unique challenges and ambitions.

Best for efficient skill building
James Holler has spent twelve years as an IT consultant witnessing firsthand how many employees underuse programs like PowerPoint. His passion for computing and teaching inspired him to write this book to help you harness the full potential of Microsoft PowerPoint. By adopting clear, simple language, Holler makes complex features accessible, aiming to transform your presentation skills and efficiency at work.
2024·119 pages·Microsoft Powerpoint, Presentation Design, Software Skills, Slide Animation, Macros

Drawing from over a decade of IT consulting experience, James Holler wrote this book to address how many professionals use PowerPoint superficially, leading to wasted time and errors. You’ll learn to navigate PowerPoint’s interface confidently, incorporating charts, animations, macros, and multimedia elements to craft engaging presentations. The book moves you from beginner to advanced skills in just seven days, covering everything from slide design basics to time-saving shortcuts and formula applications. If you want a straightforward guide that breaks down PowerPoint’s functions without jargon, this book suits you well—especially if you create presentations regularly and want to boost your efficiency and polish.

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Barbara Boyd, who worked at Apple from 1985 to 1990 and authored numerous technology guides, brings her deep expertise to this book. Her background in tech writing and firsthand experience with Apple’s ecosystem informs the clear, visually driven approach she takes to teaching PowerPoint 2016. This book reflects her commitment to helping visual learners quickly unlock the full potential of PowerPoint, making it accessible and practical for everyday users looking to enhance their presentation skills.
Teach Yourself Visually Powerpoint 2016 book cover

by Barbara Boyd, Ray Anthony··You?

336 pages·Microsoft Powerpoint, Presentation, Design, Slide Creation, Templates

Drawing from Barbara Boyd's extensive experience at Apple and her prolific authorship in tech guides, this book simplifies PowerPoint 2016 for visual learners. You’ll quickly grasp how to craft slides, enhance them with templates, animations, and sound, and present effectively in various settings. The book’s visual tutorials and step-by-step screenshots make complex features approachable, such as navigating new updates or creating engaging content without overwhelming jargon. If you want to spend less time puzzling over software and more time delivering compelling presentations, this book suits you well, though seasoned PowerPoint users might find its pace introductory.

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Best for personalized presentation plans
This AI-created book on Microsoft PowerPoint is crafted based on your background, skill level, and specific goals. By sharing your presentation interests and desired focus areas, you receive a tailored book that highlights the tools and techniques most relevant to you. Personalizing learning this way helps you cut through generic advice and master exactly what you need to deliver powerful presentations.
2025·50-300 pages·Microsoft Powerpoint, Presentation Basics, Slide Design, Multimedia Integration, Animations

This personalized book explores Microsoft PowerPoint with a focus tailored to your unique background and presentation goals. It covers essential and advanced features, revealing how to craft compelling slides, integrate multimedia, and design engaging visuals that resonate with your audience. By concentrating on topics you care about, this tailored guide navigates through key tools and techniques to elevate your presentation skills effectively. It examines presentation structure, slide aesthetics, animation use, and audience engagement, blending expert knowledge with your specific interests. This personalized approach ensures you learn the most relevant content, making your mastery of PowerPoint both efficient and enjoyable, and empowering you to deliver impact with confidence.

Tailored Guide
Presentation Synthesis
1,000+ Happy Readers
Doug Lowe brings over 25 years of IT experience and authorship of 50+ technology books to this edition, reflecting deep expertise in Microsoft Office tools. As the Information Technology Director at a civil engineering firm, he understands practical user needs, which shaped this book to help you quickly gain confidence with PowerPoint 2021. His background ensures clear guidance on creating dynamic presentations that hold audiences' attention and make your ideas resonate.
2021·400 pages·Microsoft Powerpoint, Presentation, Software, Slide Design, Templates

What started as Doug Lowe's extensive experience managing IT networks evolved into this practical guide focused entirely on Microsoft PowerPoint's latest features. You learn to navigate the interface confidently, create presentations from scratch or templates, and enhance decks with charts, videos, and seamless transitions. The book is designed for anyone wanting to boost their presentation skills, whether you're new to PowerPoint or looking to master the Office 2021 edition's tools. For example, chapters on integrating multimedia and collaborating with colleagues offer concrete ways to make your presentations stand out and hold attention from start to finish.

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Chantal Bossé, with over 25 years in instructional design and a Microsoft PowerPoint MVP since 2013, brings her deep expertise to this guide. She has empowered hundreds of thousands of learners through her LinkedIn courses and now distills her knowledge into this book, designed to help you use PowerPoint’s advanced features and deliver impactful presentations efficiently.
2023·338 pages·Presentation, Microsoft Powerpoint, Visual Design, Slide Masters, Multimedia Integration

What started as a mission to help professionals harness advanced PowerPoint tools became a detailed guide by Chantal Bossé, a seasoned instructional designer and Microsoft MVP. This book teaches you how to plan your presentation content, master slide and document templates, and use PowerPoint’s lesser-known features like AI enhancements and third-party add-ins. Bossé also covers delivery techniques such as Presenter Coach and PowerPoint Live for remote presenting. If you want to elevate your presentation skills beyond templates and basic slides, this book offers concrete methods to create polished, interactive presentations with confidence.

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Best for certification preparation
Joan Lambert has worked closely with Microsoft technologies since 1986, blending deep technical knowledge with decades in training and certification. As President and CEO of Online Training Solutions, Inc., she has authored over forty books on Windows and Office products, including multiple Microsoft Office Specialist guides. Her expertise makes this study guide a reliable companion for anyone aiming to build measurable skills in PowerPoint 2016 and attain official certification.
2016·176 pages·Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Certifications, Microsoft Word, Presentation Skills, Visual Design

Joan Lambert’s decades of experience with Microsoft technologies led her to craft a resource that goes beyond basic tutorials. This guide zeroes in on the skills and procedures directly tied to the PowerPoint 2016 MOS certification, offering detailed chapters on creating presentations, managing multimedia elements, and applying animations. You’ll find clear instructions paired with hands-on tasks and sample files that sharpen your ability to meet Microsoft’s performance standards. It’s a focused tool, ideal if you want to prove your proficiency or elevate your practical skills in a structured way, although it’s less suited for casual users seeking creative design inspiration.

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Best for rapid skill gains
This AI-created book on Microsoft PowerPoint is tailored to your skill level and learning goals. You share what PowerPoint aspects you want to focus on and your current experience, and this book presents a personalized 30-day plan to boost your proficiency quickly. By focusing on the specific features and techniques that matter most to you, it helps you avoid overwhelm and make steady progress toward confident presentations.
2025·50-300 pages·Microsoft Powerpoint, Powerpoint Basics, Slide Design, Visual Elements, Animations

This tailored book offers a focused pathway to rapidly enhance your Microsoft PowerPoint skills with step-by-step actions suited to your current proficiency and goals. It explores essential and advanced features, guiding you through slide creation, design principles, animation, multimedia integration, and effective presentation techniques. By matching your background and specific interests, the content unfolds in a way that emphasizes practical learning and hands-on practice. The personalized approach reveals how to develop confident presentation skills in just 30 days, blending expert knowledge with your unique objectives. This tailored guide transforms complex PowerPoint capabilities into manageable daily improvements, ensuring your learning aligns perfectly with your ambitions.

Tailored Guide
Skill Acceleration
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for beginners with visuals
William (Bill) Wood is a consultant with expertise in Microsoft Office Suite and VBA programming, combining his biomedical engineering education with graduate studies in Medical Informatics. His diverse background informs this visually rich guide aimed at helping you master PowerPoint 2010 through accessible, step-by-step lessons enhanced with full-color screenshots. Wood’s approach reflects both technical precision and practical teaching, making this resource well-suited for those seeking a hands-on introduction to presentation design.
305 pages·Microsoft Powerpoint, Presentation Design, User Interface, Slide Management, Multimedia Integration

What makes this guide different is its clear visual approach tailored for beginners. William Wood, with his technical background and teaching experience in Microsoft Office, breaks down PowerPoint 2010 into easy-to-follow lessons enhanced by full-color screenshots that show exactly what you should see on your screen. You’ll gain practical skills in creating presentations, managing slides, and using multimedia features, all without getting lost in jargon. This book suits anyone new to PowerPoint or those who prefer learning by example rather than text-heavy manuals. If you want a straightforward way to grasp the essentials and build confidence in designing slides, this fits the bill.

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Best for PowerPoint 2019 certification
Joan Lambert has worked closely with Microsoft technologies since 1986 and is a Microsoft Certified Professional with decades of training expertise. She has authored numerous certification guides and developed this book to translate complex exam requirements into accessible learning. Her background ensures that this study guide serves both those seeking certification and users aiming to deepen their practical PowerPoint skills.
2020·224 pages·Microsoft Certifications, Microsoft Powerpoint, Presentation Design, Slide Management, Text Formatting

Joan Lambert, with decades of experience alongside Microsoft technologies and extensive expertise in certification training, crafted this guide to address the specific skills needed for the Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint Associate exam. You gain detailed, objective-aligned instruction on managing presentations, crafting slides, and applying animations, reinforced by hands-on exercises and practice files. The book’s clear breakdown of tasks like inserting SmartArt or managing media equips you to master Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 and Office 365 features confidently. If you’re preparing for certification or want structured skill enhancement in PowerPoint, this book offers a focused pathway without unnecessary filler.

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Conclusion

These seven books collectively emphasize three key themes: mastering foundational skills, advancing with strategic practices, and preparing for official certification. Whether you're looking to enhance slide design with Barbara Boyd's visual methods or aiming to certify your expertise with Joan Lambert's focused guides, there's a clear path forward.

If you're new to PowerPoint, starting with "Teach Yourself Visually Powerpoint 2010" and "PowerPoint For Dummies, Office 2021 Edition" will build a solid base. For seasoned users seeking polish and efficiency, "Microsoft PowerPoint Best Practices, Tips, and Techniques" and James Holler's practical guide offer actionable strategies. Certification candidates should prioritize the MOS study guides by Joan Lambert.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized Microsoft Powerpoint book to bridge the gap between general principles and your specific situation. These books can help you accelerate your learning journey, making your presentations more effective and your workflow more confident.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with "Teach Yourself Visually Powerpoint 2016" if you prefer a visual approach, or "PowerPoint For Dummies, Office 2021 Edition" for a practical, easy-to-follow introduction. Both lay a strong foundation before moving to advanced topics.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Microsoft PowerPoint?

Not at all. Books like "Teach Yourself Visually Powerpoint 2010" and "PowerPoint For Dummies" are designed for beginners, using clear visuals and simple language to ease your learning curve.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with beginner-friendly guides, then progress to advanced techniques like those in "Microsoft PowerPoint Best Practices, Tips, and Techniques." Certification guides come last if you want formal validation.

Do these books assume I already have experience in Microsoft PowerPoint?

Some do, especially the certification guides and advanced best practices book. Others, like Holler's crash course, welcome complete beginners and build skills step-by-step.

Which book gives the most actionable advice I can use right away?

James Holler's "Microsoft PowerPoint" crash course offers practical tips and shortcuts you can immediately apply to improve your presentations and efficiency.

Can I get a Microsoft PowerPoint book tailored to my specific needs?

Yes! While these books provide expert knowledge, you can also create a personalized Microsoft Powerpoint book that aligns exactly with your skills, goals, and focus areas for faster, targeted learning.

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