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Tableau Your Data!: Fast and Easy Visual Analysis with Tableau Software
Transform your organization's data into actionable insights with Tableau Tableau is designed specifically to provide fast and easy visual analytics. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface helps you create interactive reports, dashboards, and visualizations, all without any special or advanced training. This all new edition of Tableau Your Data! is your Tableau companion, helping you get the most out of this invaluable business toolset.Tableau Your Data! shows you how to build dynamic, best of breed visualizations using the Tableau Software toolset. This comprehensive guide covers the core feature set for data analytics, and provides clear step-by-step guidance toward best practices and advanced techniques that go way beyond the user manual. You'll learn how Tableau is different from traditional business information analysis tools, and how to navigate your way around the Tableau 9.0 desktop before delving into functions and calculations, as well as sharing with the Tableau Server.Analyze data more effectively with Tableau DesktopCustomize Tableau's settings for your organization's needs with detailed real-world examples on data security, scaling, syntax, and more Deploy visualizations to consumers throughout the enterprise - from sales to marketing, operations to finance, and beyond Understand Tableau functions and calculations and leverage Tableau across every link in the value chain Learn from actual working models of the book's visualizations and other web-based resources via a companion website Tableau helps you unlock the stories within the numbers, and Tableau Your Data! puts the software's full functionality right at your fingertips.
736 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
50 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 1, 2015
At this point in time this is the most expensive book ($28) that I have purchased in the Kindle format. This book is officially endorsed by Tableau Software and was, in fact, introduced to me by a Tableau account rep at a goodwill lunch for current/potential customers.
I was introduced to Tableau in late 2013 when my employer was evaluating “Data Discovery” tools. At the time I barely understood what Data Discovery software was all about. We sat through the dog-and-pony shows of a few vendors, rejected one or two, and continued our search. When the Tableau team demoed their product, we were blown away! Participants asked “Can Tableau do …” after which the speaker dragged-and-dropped pills that immediately became gorgeous and highly interactive visualization (“viz”) of the request. We were blown away by what the product could do on the fly! Our firm already had pockets of Tableau users that personally confirmed the product’s capability. Normally when we evaluate such products we narrow the choices down to a couple of contenders but Tableau was the clear winner.
At this point many of us received evaluation versions of Tableau. I was surprised at the vizzes I could immediately produce even at my newbie stage of exposure to this product. I immediately saw the possibilities and became a Tableau evangelist. At this point in time, I am trying to roll it out to our department. Tableau has the potential to replace reports that often required extensive programming on my part with workbooks containing more interaction, more detail, and overall better information and can do all of this much faster than before! I’m all tingly at the possibilities.
It is at this point in my Tableau experience that I read this book. I really hoped that this would give me the tools to super-charge my implementation efforts. While it is been very informative and helpful, I can’t really say that it has lived up to the hype that I was exposed to.
For one thing, much of this book has the flavor of a Tableau infomercial. Mr. Murray is obviously all-in with Tableau but you’re not going to get an objective presentation. The case studies had a real commercial feel to them and the illustrations were too small to evaluate properly. These were for promotional (of his firm as well as Tableau) rather than instructional purposes.
The middle section of the book gave a high level overview of the Server product. He should’ve spent more time teaching us the best ways to create workbooks optimized for Server publication. There’s some of that but too much is a too-generalized-to-be-useful walkthrough on installing the server product. The relevant audience of potential Server installers would be better served by referring to the technical manual. We’re here to learn how to use an already-installed product.
Despite the above rants, this book can’t be totally dismissed. It’s part I that really shines. Using sample data downloaded from his overhyped, otherwise useless website; he shows the reader how to utilize the different features of Tableau. If the reader get stuck (as I did on a few occasions), you can reverse-engineer your way to enlightenment. It did a good job of showing why as well as how. He sprinkles the instruction with basics of data visualization best practices. It’s this block of chapters that (mostly) redeem the book.
What struck me in a bad way was, for content that instructs us how to use a product that uses data to enlighten us, there are some strange organization issues. The weirdest is having the introduction at the END of the book. The appendix section with the list of functions, you can skip. Tableau’s explanations in its Help section are easier to understand. Murray’s use of bold print and underlines to further illustrate functions doesn’t help and his examples aren’t specific enough (unlike Tableau Help).
Furthermore books of this type should have an index. If you’re going to sell a book for $50 (The SRP earlier in its life. Suckers!), it should at least have an index!
Furthermore, he could’ve distributed the sample workbooks via the Tableau Public service. Instead, if you don’t already have Tableau, you have to download an evaluation copy (good for something like 14 days). It bugs me that I had to use my work copy of Tableau to read this book! Would-be Buyer beware!
Tableau is a great product and I’m excited at the possibilities it offers. For all the negative flavor of this review I have to admit that as a result of reading this book I know more about Tableau that I did before. I’ve got to believe that there are better books out there that serve this purpose.
I was introduced to Tableau in late 2013 when my employer was evaluating “Data Discovery” tools. At the time I barely understood what Data Discovery software was all about. We sat through the dog-and-pony shows of a few vendors, rejected one or two, and continued our search. When the Tableau team demoed their product, we were blown away! Participants asked “Can Tableau do …” after which the speaker dragged-and-dropped pills that immediately became gorgeous and highly interactive visualization (“viz”) of the request. We were blown away by what the product could do on the fly! Our firm already had pockets of Tableau users that personally confirmed the product’s capability. Normally when we evaluate such products we narrow the choices down to a couple of contenders but Tableau was the clear winner.
At this point many of us received evaluation versions of Tableau. I was surprised at the vizzes I could immediately produce even at my newbie stage of exposure to this product. I immediately saw the possibilities and became a Tableau evangelist. At this point in time, I am trying to roll it out to our department. Tableau has the potential to replace reports that often required extensive programming on my part with workbooks containing more interaction, more detail, and overall better information and can do all of this much faster than before! I’m all tingly at the possibilities.
It is at this point in my Tableau experience that I read this book. I really hoped that this would give me the tools to super-charge my implementation efforts. While it is been very informative and helpful, I can’t really say that it has lived up to the hype that I was exposed to.
For one thing, much of this book has the flavor of a Tableau infomercial. Mr. Murray is obviously all-in with Tableau but you’re not going to get an objective presentation. The case studies had a real commercial feel to them and the illustrations were too small to evaluate properly. These were for promotional (of his firm as well as Tableau) rather than instructional purposes.
The middle section of the book gave a high level overview of the Server product. He should’ve spent more time teaching us the best ways to create workbooks optimized for Server publication. There’s some of that but too much is a too-generalized-to-be-useful walkthrough on installing the server product. The relevant audience of potential Server installers would be better served by referring to the technical manual. We’re here to learn how to use an already-installed product.
Despite the above rants, this book can’t be totally dismissed. It’s part I that really shines. Using sample data downloaded from his overhyped, otherwise useless website; he shows the reader how to utilize the different features of Tableau. If the reader get stuck (as I did on a few occasions), you can reverse-engineer your way to enlightenment. It did a good job of showing why as well as how. He sprinkles the instruction with basics of data visualization best practices. It’s this block of chapters that (mostly) redeem the book.
What struck me in a bad way was, for content that instructs us how to use a product that uses data to enlighten us, there are some strange organization issues. The weirdest is having the introduction at the END of the book. The appendix section with the list of functions, you can skip. Tableau’s explanations in its Help section are easier to understand. Murray’s use of bold print and underlines to further illustrate functions doesn’t help and his examples aren’t specific enough (unlike Tableau Help).
Furthermore books of this type should have an index. If you’re going to sell a book for $50 (The SRP earlier in its life. Suckers!), it should at least have an index!
Furthermore, he could’ve distributed the sample workbooks via the Tableau Public service. Instead, if you don’t already have Tableau, you have to download an evaluation copy (good for something like 14 days). It bugs me that I had to use my work copy of Tableau to read this book! Would-be Buyer beware!
Tableau is a great product and I’m excited at the possibilities it offers. For all the negative flavor of this review I have to admit that as a result of reading this book I know more about Tableau that I did before. I’ve got to believe that there are better books out there that serve this purpose.
June 9, 2014
One of the better guides to help those that are new to Tableau become experts quickly. I have recommended this to all of my staff that are new and lent it more than once in the last 3 months of ownership.
March 4, 2017
Didn't do much for me - I preferred the free pdf download "Communicating Data with Tableau" which is for an older version but which I found an easier and more engaging introduction.
April 16, 2018
As a novice in both data visualization and Tableau software, I was looking for the best kick start guide into this new universe of communicating data. Although the Tableau Desktop user interface is relatively intuitive, and in spite of the fact that there is a comprehensive product documentation online and a lot of free video tutorials on Tableau are provided, I wanted a guide that is both inclusive and beginner friendly. Based on friends recommendation and online user reviews, Tableau your data by Daniel Murray turned out to be the best book on best practices and step by step instructions on using Tableau Software.
The book is divided into three parts: Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server and Case studies. The first part in rightfully the most detailed starting with an introduction to the user interface before proceeding to cover important topics on connecting to your data, calculations, maps and different visualizations. The sections ends with an handy list of tips, tricks and time savers and bringing all the learned content together by building advanced dashboards and stories. The second part of the book covers important topics on installing, managing and automating tableau server. The final section covers best practices for ensuring a successful Tableau deployment.
Dan Murray has over 30 years of work experience and is a champion of Tableau software. He discovered Tableau in 2006 through the data visualization expert Stephen Few before going ahead to found Interworks. Since publishing the first edition of Tableau your data, Dan has given over 70 speeches in different continents on data visualization.
In an over saturated market on Introduction to Tableau books, Tableau your Data by Daniel Murray stands out as both comprehensive and user friendly. It follows the format used in the free Tableau training videos but coats the content with handy tips and best practices. It is thus far the only book that I know to comprehensively cover the important topic of Tableau server. The book is also written in a easy to follow along format. I highly recommend it to all beginners.
The book is divided into three parts: Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server and Case studies. The first part in rightfully the most detailed starting with an introduction to the user interface before proceeding to cover important topics on connecting to your data, calculations, maps and different visualizations. The sections ends with an handy list of tips, tricks and time savers and bringing all the learned content together by building advanced dashboards and stories. The second part of the book covers important topics on installing, managing and automating tableau server. The final section covers best practices for ensuring a successful Tableau deployment.
Dan Murray has over 30 years of work experience and is a champion of Tableau software. He discovered Tableau in 2006 through the data visualization expert Stephen Few before going ahead to found Interworks. Since publishing the first edition of Tableau your data, Dan has given over 70 speeches in different continents on data visualization.
In an over saturated market on Introduction to Tableau books, Tableau your Data by Daniel Murray stands out as both comprehensive and user friendly. It follows the format used in the free Tableau training videos but coats the content with handy tips and best practices. It is thus far the only book that I know to comprehensively cover the important topic of Tableau server. The book is also written in a easy to follow along format. I highly recommend it to all beginners.
November 14, 2022
Even as old as it is is in 2022, Tableau Your Data! is a solid book documenting the behavior and features of Tableau Desktop, Server, and Online (now 'Cloud'). The color illustrations and print quality are above average for Tableau books I've read. Quite a few features have been added since it was written, so it won't suffice as the only reference, but it still covers a LOT of material. One of the most valuable components is the function appendix, which documents all functions available when it was written and provides the basic, intermediate, and/or advanced use cases as applicable.
July 7, 2021
Great material to learn the basics of Tableau
May 11, 2022
Okay, not great -- last 100pages or so... Just eh, Visual Analytics is much better, direct and to the point. This can be considered a backup user manual.
September 3, 2019
I never read the second half and ironically where I work uses Power BI so I would have better been served studying that, but it doesn't run on the Mac. That is the problem with so many computer books, you need to read them right away and technology changes so fast and you don't get to pick the tools you use because the company decided to standardize on something or a project ends. I probably will read less technology books going forward and read more for pleasure, but I have at least one or two more tech books I want to read to help with my day job.
March 19, 2016
I read this late, after I've been using Tableau for 2 years. The functions/tips provided here is pretty good for beginners. I would've saved a lot of time if I read this book earlier.
It's a heavy book. well, on the other hand, paper quality is great. Not easy to carry around though.
It's a heavy book. well, on the other hand, paper quality is great. Not easy to carry around though.
September 1, 2014
Great content on tableau server, most books about tableau focus on the building reports, this one is very complete.
March 23, 2014
Great book on Tableau. Tips and tricks. Best practices. Very well written and designed book.
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September 23, 2015Location: ND6 IRC
Accession No: DL027529
Accession No: DL027529
November 25, 2015
book come with very good knowledge on tableau
December 23, 2017
The book introduces some basic concepts but examples are hard to follow, especially when you use Tableau Public. Minor things are sometimes discussed very extensively while basic functions are not explained well enough. It's clear that the main purpose of this book is to advertise the company that the author work in. You'll get some general overview with this book but you can probably use your money and time in a much more effective way e.g. by studying Tableau online resources which the author very often refers to.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews