Foreword by Sandy Ussia

Microsoft 365 is a huge and fairly complex collection of interrelated cloud applications, many of which could be the subject of an entire book. Gaurav and Sudeep have taken this enormous, ever-changing body of content, and have broken it down into a cookbook-style collection of practical “recipes” which you can use as needed and can come back to time and time again.

This book is aimed at beginner to intermediate “chefs” who want to know how to perform a specific task in one of the Microsoft 365 applications, and who is also interested in learning how and why things work in the background, to come to a deeper understanding of the platform. Each recipe follows a pattern similar to a cooking recipe, with sections on Getting ready (kitchen/utensil prep), How to do it (ingredients and the method), How it works (cooking theory), and in many cases, There’s more (a deep dive into related topics).

My favorite cookbooks contain not only lists of ingredients and what to do with them, but also notes about cooking basics and practical ideas that allow me to extend my skills beyond the written recipe. Although the specifics may change – ingredients may be unavailable, for instance – a good cookbook gives me the foundational knowledge of what’s important to the recipe, so I can cook well no matter what I have on hand. Similarly, the Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online Cookbook will give you a strong understanding of key concepts that you can continue to use, even as applications and features change.

I suggest using this book as you would any cookbook: study the fundamentals of each broad topic, then delve into individual recipes as per your requirements. Bookmark your favorite recipes, and combine and use what you learn to create your own digital transformation menus!

Sandy Ussia (@SandyU)

Microsoft Business Applications MVP

Technical Evangelist, Lightning Tools

Partner, NLightning

June 2020