Reviews

I have been using Tableau at work for about 5 months and relying on their online tutorials, which are quite good, to perform given tasks. I also have another Tableau book, so I did not think I needed anything else, but the author spoke at our Tableau Users Group earlier this month and his talk was great so I ordered the book.

It turns out this book is probably the most helpful thing I’ve acquired since getting Tableau, itself. It has not only improved the way I use Tableau, it’s changed the way I think about Tableau.

Unlike other books, this one provides a complete view of what Tableau actually is and how it works from the ground up. For the first time, I feel like I am thinking about Tableau’s functions in context and in order.

The book also has this fantastic quality of being both readable and informative – like talking to a thoughtful, knowledgeable person about using Tableau versus reading a robotic user manual.
— ulrike

If you need a great reference for starting with Tableau this is it. I work at Tableau and picked up this book to read on my commute. I have picked up new tips and tricks every day. I highly recommend this book!
— K. Schultz “Bug”

This book is an excellent guide for a beginner or advanced user in Tableau. Dan Murray clearly lays out how Tableau works, and how it can work for you. It is easy to go back and refer to sections as you work with the software. If one is a novice with Tableau Software, just stepping straight through this book using the free version (Tableau Public) and demo data, one would quickly become well-versed in this great software. Dan has done a great job with this book, and I recommend it for anyone interested in Tableau or already a user of Tableau.
— Karl D Riddett

Dan is the master! As one of the longest and most steadfast partners of Tableau he has seen all the use cases and solved all the business challenges presented by users. And, he has brought them all together in this one book to help the rest of the future Tableau users gain the same insight and capabilities. Dan is articulate and thorough in his explanations and hand-holding to make all visualizations and analyses easy and understandable. He is not the master of deception – it is easy – but may not appear so when just beginning. With Dan holding your hand, you will become a pro (and have fun) in no time.
— S. L. Hoffman

I was a consultant at Tableau for 30 months, and, have been an independent BI consultant for 15 years. I have every Tableau book written. This one is, absolutely, the best book, reference guide, examples, tips, tricks, etc. ever written, for Tableau. It fully covers both Desktop and Server, theory, installation and use, Chapter 12, real customer solutions, showcases some great examples. This book will be with me in my consulting travels, and, will be recommended to all my clients! Thank you, Dan, and every other contributor! Well done!
— Chuck Hooper

I pre-ordered this book last year and it did not disappoint. I have been working with Tableau for a while now and also have a deep, technical business intelligence background. I feel Dan’s book is great for BOTH business users that want to get a solid foundational skillset in Tableau v 8.0 and also techies/consultants like me that want to take Tableau further. I currently recommend this book to my clients as the one, must have book for Tableau.
— Jenifer A Underwood