Excel used to be the poor schmuck’s database, with spreadsheets that just sort of sat there. You could create something more sophisticated with LOOKUP functions, but they were a huge hassle to set up.

Using Excel’s PivotTables and PivotCharts, you can quickly analyze large data sets, summarize key data, and present it in easy-to-read format. Here’s how to get started with these powerful tools.

Sorts are a simple task in Microsoft Excel if all you need is an ascending or descending sort. Excel is smart enough that it can interpret the data range. Not all sorts are so easy. Fortunately, Excel ...