Top 12 Tableau Books To Enhance Your Visualization Skills

Why should you read Tableau books?

Data has become a quintessential factor, driving business decisions today. There are various tools That help convert this data into profitable business insights and Tableau is one of the finest. In this article, we are going to help you with the Top 12 Tableau books that help you enhance your visualization skills and master this fantastic tool.

Firms generate humongous data on a regular basis. At some point, It had become difficult for them to analyze their data. This necessity led to the birth of data visualization tools. These tools convert humongous data into simple and understandable graphs.

Data visualization tools make it easy to understand competitors, consumer behavior patterns, general trends, outliers, etc. Tableau is one of the finest and most widely used data visualization tools in the world today. It helps organizations convert a great deal of data into maps, graphs, stories, dashboards, etc.,  that are easy to check, analyze, sort, and understand.

Tableau is widely used by high intellectuals who have the ability to think out of the blue using data and present complex cognitive tendencies in easy yet simple visual representation. Interested in mastering this tool? checkout Henry Harvin’s Tableau course

Top 12 Tableau books:

1. Learning Tableau – 

This book is authored by Joshua N. Milligan. Tableau is the software that translates a database query into a simple graph representation. One can conduct ad hoc analysis using thousands of rows of data in less than a minute. so, In the world today, no decisions are guaranteed without analyzing the data associated with them. 

In such scenarios, Tableau is a must-go-to visualization tool. It helps convert complex problems into actionable insights that keep businesses up and running. Though it solves complex problems, it is relatively simple and fun to use, and “Learning Tableau by Joshua N Milligan” is the first among the top Tableau books that can educate you about this amazing tool. 

Starting with creating your very first dashboard to telling and sharing data stories, you can find problems and solutions with detailed techniques employed. This will help you learn, use, and master Tableau with ease.

Key Concepts: 

• Exploring and analyzing your data through basic and advanced data visualization techniques.
• Use custom calculations to create interactivity, fix problems related to data, and improve your analysis.
• Collect the data from various sources, and analyze it using bending and joining techniques.
• Use annotations, labels, and custom formatting techniques to alleviate visualizations.
• Learn custom maps, LOD calculations, and sheet swapping methods
• Understand Tableau dashboard creations
• Understand the functionality and the value of the data.
• Learn to be an effective storyteller by creating and using interactive dashboards with the help of story points.

2. Tableau 10 Complete Reference – 

Second, on the list of Top Tableau books is “Tableau 10 Complete Reference”. This is yet another jewel written by Joshua N Milligan. If you are someone who has the passion to better understand the data and be an impactful storyteller, this book is a must-read for you.

In this book, Joshua brings us several used cases and real-world business scenarios along with easy methods to convert complex data sets into easy and understandable graphical representations. It starts with a basic understanding of data visualization, its history, importance, and applicability in contemporary businesses

The author also explained connecting, cleaning, and analyzing data with tableau. You will learn to explore to execute simple calculations in this software and use table calculations to help drive greater analysis of your data. 

You will also learn about different types of advanced charts that require a basic understanding of tableau basics and basic calculations. This book lets you discover advanced dashboard techniques and best practices in a simple and easy format. 

It also covers advanced topics like data preparation, geospatial visualizations, analytics, etc. This tableau book also covers storytelling techniques. By mastering storytelling techniques, one can comfortably design and present complete interactive dashboards in Tableau. 

By mastering tableau, you can handle large volumes of data and gain the competence to analyze it. You can quickly draw business insights that contribute to the larger goal of organizations from the data. 

Finally, you will gain the confidence to communicate these insights by communicating the data in the form of charts and presenting the data through interactive dashboards using the power of storytelling. 

Key Concepts: 

• Learn the art of developing dashboards, story points, and visualizations.
• Understand basic to advanced chart creations 
• Identify, understand and use table, row-level, and aggregate calculations.
• Learn advanced concepts such as distribution and clustering models that are widely used in data analysis.
• Collect, analyze, prepare and transform data into business insights.
• Develop mapping capabilities to visualize information.
• Learn to use storytelling techniques to advance decision-making 

3. Visual Analytics with Tableau – 

The third on the list of top tableau books is “Visual Analytics with Tableau”. Alexander Loth wrote this book. Alexander is a digital strategist and had been with tableau since 2015. With over a decade of experience in business analytics, big data, Digital transformation, and machine learning, Alexander strived to inculcate data-driven culture in organizations.

If you are an absolute beginner with zero knowledge of visualization tools and don’t know where to start, this book is the right one for you. In this Tableau book, the author explains that Tableau is a great tool and can be used by businesses, marketers statisticians, analysts sales managers, and anyone who depends on data to drive decisions.

This tableau book is a beginner guide for users who are from non-technical backgrounds. You can starts with the basic concepts of data to connecting, creating, publishing, and presenting data using creative dashboards. 

Key Concepts: 

• Learn to create different types of charts using data
• Master using parameters, calculated fields, and aggregations.
• Develop impactful maps.
• Create and share highly interactive dashboards.

This book uses screenshots, detailed navigation instructions, etc, to break down the complexity and make concepts look simple and easy to follow.

4. Practical Tableau – 

Fourth on the list of top Tableau books is “Practical Tableau”. This tableau book was authored by Ryan Sleeper. Tableau consultant, Tableau Public visualization of the year author, Tableau Zen master, and author Rayan Sleeper is the most qualified expert and can guide you to drive valuable inferences from data using Tableau. 

He also helps us with suggestions, tutorials, strategies, and visualization tips to expand your tableau knowledge base and avoid potential pitfalls. 

If you are someone who already knows the basics and is in the race of creating advanced visualizations, then this book is for you. This book teaches you the know-how about creating compelling visual applications. 

 

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Key Concepts: 

• Understand the basics of visualizations and the use of Tableau.
• With the help of step-by-step tutorials mentioned in the book, learn to create different types of charts in Tableau.
• Learn color theory, understand the use of parameters, use and run Tableau worksheets effectively.
• Master the use of the INSIGHT framework in designing and developing Tableau dashboards.
• Learn the art of storytelling using foolproof tactics along with tips and tricks to implement them effectively.

5. Tableau Your Data – 

The fifth on the list of top Tableau books is “Tableau Your Data”. This amazing Tableau book was written by Daniel G. Murray. This book describes tableau as an easy and effective visual analytics software.

It has features that give the best user experience. The feature that tops the chart is “Drag and Drop”. Users say that this feature is very handy when it comes to creating visualizations, dashboards, and interactive reports, all with no training.

You can build amazing dynamic visualizations with tableau. This book provides an expert explanation of advanced techniques and best practices. 

Key Concepts: 

• Understand the process of customization specific to organizational requirements. 
• Learn scaling, syntax, data security, etc, with real-world examples.
• Discover the use of visualizations across different departments in an organization from HR, finance, operations marketing to sales.
• Understand the implementation calculations and functions of Tableau in the value chain.
• Learn visualizations of working models and other resources

6. Tableau: Creating Interactive Dara visualizations –

Sixth on the list of top Tableau books is ”Tableau: Creating Interactive Dara visualizations”. This tableau book was written by Jane Stirrup. This book discusses data analysis involves collecting data, and analyzing it using statistical and mathematical formulas. 

We then filter and group data and draw inferences that help businesses. This book details creating visualizations and dashboards that could best represent these inferences in a way appealing to the stakeholders. 

This tableau book can guide you to create visualizations with changing complexities. It walks you through vital features such as heat maps, scatterplot metrics, sizing, dual axes, advanced string functions, etc.

With features mastered, you will then move on to creating complex graphs. This book has numerous examples. These examples help you understand and build dashboards, custom markets filled maps, etc.

You will learn to apply logic, filters, and calculate aggregate measures.  This book is a great resource for those who are just starting out to intermediate users. 

Key Concepts: 

• Understand business needs and convert them to impactful insights using tableau.
• Design, develop, prototype, and deploy effective dashboards using tableau.
• Understand the process of creating shape files and filled maps.
• Understand basic to advanced features of tableau public.
• Learn and build geographic maps that are vital to bringing context to the data.
• Learn to create interactive public visualizations in tableau using filters, actions, etc.
• Understand the process of embedding and publishing visualizations and dashboards created in the tableau in articles.

7. Advanced Analytics with R and Tableau – 

Seventh on the list of top Tableau books is “Advanced Analytics with R and Tableau ”. This book was authored by Jen Stirrup again. This book can be considered an advanced version of the previous book. 

This tableau book talks about predictive modeling and advanced analytics with the leverage of R. It helps you understand visualizing complex calculations using R and Tableau. If you are someone who wanted to exploit the full potential of Tableau, this book is the right match. 

“R” helps you go beyond the Tableau interface in this process. You may wonder if you need to master R to master this book. Don’t worry, this book got it covered. It starts with basic examples of R and then moves to advanced analytics using data. 

This book is helpful for those who want to integrate R with Tableau. You will be introduced to Reserve a feature used to visualize R functions in Tableau. If you are one among data visualization savvy users and enhance businesses with mind-blowing visualizations using R and Tableau, this book is a must-read. 

Key Concepts: 

It helps you, deep dive, into analytics and data science. It also teaches you to:

• Learn to implement learning algorithms, both supervised and unsupervised in R and values returned to Tableau.
• Understand the process of taking cogent, quick, and data-driven decisions using advanced techniques such as association rules, classification, clustering, prediction, forecasting, and other advanced features such as calculated field functions.
• You will learn simple data visualizations with robust statistical computations and industry standards using R and tableau.
• Apart from data visualizations, you will also learn advanced analytical concepts.

8. Tableau Dashboard Cookbook – 

Eighth on the list of top Tableau books is “Tableau Dashboard Cookbook”. This book was written by Jennifer Jane Stirrup. In order to unveil the truth of data, businesses are in a race of capturing visualization dashboards that can very well communicate data.

Tableau software with its plug-and-play features makes it easy to access and share dashboards acrosses businesses. This book familiarizes you with complex features that can create advanced visualizations.  

This book helps you with using data sources to build a series of enterprise dashboards. It will clearly elucidate basic to advanced features and from design to the discovery process. 

Key Concepts: 

With this book, you will learn to: 

• Create, design, and build excellent insightful dashboards using Tableau.
• Learn data visualization principles that come in handy while creating dashboards that aid in the business decision-making process.
•  As you deep dive into this book, you will learn the functionality of tableau which is supported by real-world examples.
• This helps you develop your own solutions
• You will learn the art of customizing designs, specific to your business needs.
• Understand the process of dashboard prototyping, developing, and deploying.
• Learn the process of sharing dashboards both internally and externally using tableau public.
• Create mashed-up dashboards
• Learn motion, color, and design techniques and implement them to create stunning dashboards.
• Use the tableau formulae feature to create custom rules specific to your business.
• You will also learn to use psychology and color theory and several proven ways to use them to solve business users’ and data consumers’ needs.

9. Communicating Data with Tableau – 

Ninth on the list of top Tableau books is “Communicating Data with Tableau”. This book was authored by Ben Jones. It helps you create impactful data presentations that go beyond tables and spreadsheets. 

This amazing book acts as a guide and helps you convert data into incredible presentations. It deep dives into visualizations and is an excellent resource for researchers, analysts, journalists, and engineers.

It teaches to create crafty dashboards using Tableau Public and Tableau dashboard 8.1.

Key Concepts: 

 It also explains:

• Understand the process of presenting comparisons
• Create rates and ratios using blended data sources
• Use percentages and propositions concepts to create charts
• Learn the visualization measures of median, mean, and mode.
• Understand the process of communicating multiple quantities in the same view.
• Learn the art of displaying changing events and quantities over time.
• Learn the process of communicating positional data using maps
• Master the art of using multiple vsualizations to build effective dashboards.

10. Getting Started with tableau 2019.2 –

The tenth on the list of top Tableau books is “Getting Started with tableau 2019.2”. This is yet another jewel written by Tristan Guillevin. Tableau is regularly updated with new features to match to the volatile business trends. 

This is the latest version. You can study advanced dashboarding, reporting, and visual analytics in this version. To begin with, this book explains advanced visualization concepts with suitable examples. 

Starting with connecting to the data, building a data source, analyzing the data, visualizing the data, building the dashboards, and sharing data online, this book comes with the most advanced concepts involved in these processes. 

Also, data blending and cross-database joints will be discussed. This book can be considered a beginner guide to BI professionals. Tableau enables businesses to build simple, pocket-friendly, quick, and efficient business intelligence (BI) solutions. 

Key Concepts: 

As you go along :

• You will learn advanced features as as “Ask Data”. This feature helps in using natural language to interact with data.
• Learn splitting columns, pivoting the field, connecting tables, and other advanced concepts.
• Discover to develop effective data sources for analysis.
• Understand the functionality of properties and different mark types that are crucial to creating data visualizations.
• Create and develop stories and dashboards.
• Learn the process of interacting and sharing data with tableau.
• Use data to build insights into business challenges using tableau. 
• Learn advanced analysis, visualization, and dashboarding concepts.

11. Mastering Tableau2019.1 – 

Eleventh on the list of top Tableau books is “Mastering Tableau2019.1”. This book was authored by Marleen Meier and David Baldwin.  One can efficiently solve analytics and business intelligence challenges using Tableau. 

This book contains solutions to challenges specific to business intelligence (BI) paradigms. This is the second edition of “Mastering Tableau”. With updated codes, features, and easy examples, this book covers essential concepts with advanced functionalities. 

This book discusses Table Prep as well as Tableau Hyper which guides you to easily prepare and handle data. Data blending tasks, unions, spatial joints, complex joints, etc will be extensively discussed in this book. You will also learn simple granular data displays using the data densification technique. 

You will learn visual design, mapping, advanced calculations, and other extensions that help in understanding data visualizations and dashboard performance and connecting to the tableau server. 

This book also covers used case studies such as geospatial analytics, time series analytics, self-service analytics, etc along with connecting to Python, MATLAB, and R. Mastering this book helps you deal with common and unusual BI challenges. 

Key Concepts: 

You will learn to:

• Understand various components of Tableau.
• Know data preparation techniques using Tableau prep
• Work to create PowerPoint-like presentations using Tableau.
• Learn to create and use tableau dashboard designs and visualization techniques.
• Understand tableau functionalities and architecture of tableau server and learn to interact with it.
• Learn new dashboard development and visualization techniques.
• Lean geospatial, time series, self-service analytics features.

12. Tableau For Dummies – 

Last on the list of top Tableau books is “Tableau For Dummies”. This book was written by Molly Monsey. As the name suggests, this is a must go to book, if you are someone with zero knowledge on data visualization skills. 

It is an easy-to-use manual and it will explain the user interface, connect data to software, use charts, graphs, create dashboards using numerous data sources, and convert them into high-impact business insights.

Key Concepts: 

 You will :

• Understand user interface to explore tableau features.
• Develop an intricate snapshot of your business using databases, spreadsheets, and other data sources.
• Using the drag-and-drop feature, create visualizations
• Learn to use tableau workbooks and templates to organize and build data visualizations.

Learning Tableau is easy. But, you need expert training to master this amazing tool. Henry Harvin’s Tableau course developed with NASSCOM standards help you learn to create compelling visualizations and certify you as “Tableau Desktop Certified Associate” to begin with. 

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