I have travelled the world as a SharePoint evangelist talking to all levels of End Users, and Information Workers, Site Managers, SharePoint Power Users, and Site Collection Administrators who come to me with the same question, no matter where I'm speaking, "Are there any resources for our End Users?" Getting users up to speed on the day-to-day use of SharePoint is a universal problem in all companies from the largest Enterprise, to the smallest business utilizing SharePoint.

The problem has compounded since the release of SharePoint 2010 and the UI Ribbon. Talk about a tough situation. Not only do we have to get buy-in from the people moving into a new system, but End Users are pretty much on their own when it comes to using it in the context of their jobs.

The book you are holding in your hands is part of the solution to that problem. When I was first sent the drafts, I thought to myself, "This is good… really good." I was drawn in by the simplicity of the language used and the concentration on real world uses for solving problems, combined with the lack of technical jargon. What kept me interested, was the authors' insistence on thinking of SharePoint as a problem solving solution, not a technological solution.

The question is not just "How should I use SharePoint?", but "Why should I use SharePoint?" Describe to me why something is done as you show me how something is done, and I will understand it at a much deeper level.

Dux Raymond Sy, Richard Harbridge, Sue Hanley, Andrew Woodward, and Paul Culmsee are at the forefront of a revolution in SharePoint. They are the ones who are evangelizing the message that the statement of the problem and a description of the desired outcome, without consideration of the technology, is what is essential to get through the next maturity phase in SharePoint.

This book is a good starting point not only for understanding why something should be done in SharePoint 2010, but also how to do it. It's not an easy thing to do. This is information you will want within arm's reach as you continue to mature and evolve your understanding of SharePoint.

I wish that every one of these chapters was an article on EndUserSharePoint.com. If you know me and my work, you'll understand that's the highest recommendation, I can give.

Mark Miller

Founder and Editor, EndUserSharePoint.com

Chief Community Officer and SharePoint Evangelist, Global 360

Founding Member, NothingButSharePoint.com