Mastering Tableau 2023: Implement advanced business intelligence techniques, analytics, and machine learning models with Tableau

The book is amazing and one of the best Tableau books i have read in my lifetime. It has so many examples and various different process which are all covered from start to end. Being a tableau Developer. It helped me get the best practices need to be done to help me learnThe book starts from basics which has all the essentials which are required to kick off the Tableau journey to making an individual ready for the world from that it takes a notch higher and to learn advance concepts like integrating the programming language and governance around it. Which would make you all round Tableau user.The author Marleen she is very good grasp of what she is teaching and gives all the minute examples with screenshots to make it easy for anyone regardless of their expertise to follow.I highly recommend this book for everyone who gets intrigued by working of Tableau

This text is one of the most comprehensive tableau books on the market. I don’t care if you’re a tableau newbie or a seasoned veteran, you will find value in this text.

I am occasionally asked to review new technical books to determine what development tools could be beneficial to mefor current and upcoming data presentation and analysis projects.One such resource that I have had the recent pleasure of reviewing is theMastering Tableau 2023 Fourth Edition authored by Marleen Meier and published by PackT Publishing. Ihave been a Tableau user for just a little over two years and originally read the Mastering Tableau 2021Third Edition by Marleen Meier and David Baldwin when it was first released. This fourth edition builds uponthat same foundation offering greater insight into Tableau 2023. Mastering Tableau 2023 Fourth Edition coversan exhaustive set of Tableau's features from design, preparation,practice and presentation but one thing that makes this book easily digestible is the toneof Meier's explanations. She makes it relatable and breaks the topics down into personable language and occasional humoras if you were present in a her course.The topics in this book covers the majority of topics that I have read in most Tableau resources including a refreshingreview of the basics like worksheets, dashboards, dimensions, tables, calculations, joinsand PrepBuilder. Meier takes a deeper dive into explaining TabPy's integration of Tableau and Python'sability to receive arguments and effectively return data from functions.There is a great explanation of joins and unions of logical tables whichcan enhance or create blended data relationships, data densifications and domain completion in forecasting.Meier covers Tableau's Prep Builder environment and gives detailed yet simple exercises and instructionsto help the reader understand useful applications of prepping their data inputs to be cleaned, massaged and prepared for easy toingest data analysis. Although I primarily use SQL and other tools to perform joinsand calculations before inserting data into Tableau, Meier does a great job explaining how a non-developercan perform the same features and joins within Tableau and Tableau Prep. There have been times that I havehad errors joining fields between logical tables in Tableau and Meier gives great instructions on how thiscommon issue can be remedied by modifying the adjoining string columns of similar data type to performbetter matching. For the reader who is particularly interested in using Pivots for their data,there is a very good instructional exercise of using Pivots in Tableau Prep Builder. I have struggled beforeparticularly in Tableau with combining multiple lines or visuals from three or more graphs onto one and thisbook explains how this data can easily be prepared using Prep Builder to design a visual synchronizing multiple axisinto one. Meier also covers Data Flow Insertion, Incremental Refreshes and Bulk Renames from Prep Builder.Of another particular interest to me was Meier's explanation of Regression Analysis which coversthe estimating of variable relationships such as linear regression be itlogarithmic, exponential or polynomial. Meier explains that the scripting language R is a flexible tool for regression analysis anddoes a great job of explaining how variables can be fitted into the R function for multi-variable linearregression linear models.Further into this book Meier hints at the ability of fusing AI with Tableau Analyticsafter the announcement of new products like Tableau GPT and Tableau Pulse which will be hitting the market soon.Great book overall.

I got an opportunity to provide an early review for the book Mastering Tableau 2023 by Marleen MeierTableau has been evolving since its inception and a review of the latest updates in 2023 was exciting to go through.Thank you Vignesh Raju 💹📑 and the team at Packt for this opportunity.Topics that stood out for me and why you should consider getting a copy for yourself1. To start out, its a huge book (close to 600 pages). It covers everything from the basics of starting out with Tableau to the other end of the spectrum of leveraging Tableau for advanced analytics. So if you are interested in a one-stop shop for everything Tableau, this is a great one to considerSide note: Receiving a physical version of the book was quite an experience in the current world of ebooks.2. In-depth explanation for level of detail calculationsThe chapters are associated with live workbooks which will allow you to practice the level of detail calculations alongside the author. This is especially important if you are just starting out with LODs and need to build a strong foundation for them.3. Focus on presenting with TableauI liked that the focus for the book is not just limited to the technical aspects of the tool. Presenting the right piece of information is sometimes more important than the tool itself. The book covers specific topics for creating templates, embedding in Powerpoint and google slides and building story points4. Best practices for visualizationsIs one of my favorite topics and is an underrated skill for developers. Stakeholders are not looking for fancy visuals, they are looking for the right information for their decision making.The book covers the simplicity principle beautifully and allows the users to gradually absorb these practices5. Last but not the least, is the topic of leveraging advanced analyticsEvery now and then when your stakeholders are looking for something “extra”, advanced analytics is going to elevate you in a position to do thatThe book covers topics like scatterplots, correlation matrices, and geo-spatial analytics to help users understand these topics

One of the key strengths of this book is Marleen's ability to explain complex concepts with practical examples. From mastering Tableau components like calculated fields, table calculations etc.What sets this book apart is its coverage of data governance, a crucial aspect of business intelligence. Marleen emphasizes why data governance matters and provides practical guidance on its implementation.

As my mentor wisely shared, "Don't set boundaries for yourself; instead, strive to learn as much as you can." Inspired by this advice, I recently bought and immersed myself in the book "Mastering Tableau 2023, Fourth Edition" by Marleen Meier in order to learn more about uncovering insights from company data.Marleen's book vividly describes her journey into the world of Tableau and data analysis, emphasizing the significance of understanding data across various career opportunities. She highlights Tableau's role in making data interactive and accessible, covering the latest features in Tableau Server, Prep, and Desktop, and offering practical examples and solutions to real-world challenges. The content progresses from fundamental concepts to advanced functionalities, including data preparation, complex joins, spatial joins, data blending, and best practices on dashboard design.Notably, Marleen addresses often overlooked areas, such as dashboard performance, Tableau Server connection, data visualization, and advanced use cases like self-service and geo-spatial analysis. A unique aspect is her comprehensive coverage of data governance, focusing on Tableau Server features for compliance with data privacy regulations.This book is a valuable resource for business analysts, business intelligence professionals, and data analysts seeking to master Tableau for solving complex business intelligence problems.

It is well-organised and easy to follow, making suitable for beginners and veteran developers alike. I have been a fan of Marleen since I met her ages ago in one of the Tableau events in Amsterdam. Her previous books were always a reliable source when questions popped up and I had nowhere to go.📍 One of the standout features of this book is the abundance of exercises and practical examples.📍 Marleen leaves no stone unturned, covering everything from foundations to advanced techniques.📍 Finally a book covering Tableau Prep, Server and Cloud!📍 New features are included. This book provides step-by-step instructions and examples on how to use these new developments effectively.📍 Chapter 7 is a lifesaver when in doubts of the Level of Details calculations. Very well explained! LODs can be confusing :)📍 My personal struggle is working with maps. Marleen is dedicating an entire Chapter (9) to show how to layer maps and use the Mapbox.📍 This book will help you to gain knowledge from other areas that you might not cover yet, like data governance, advanced analytics or Server. Demystifying R or Python installation and integration to Tableau. It will definitely prepare you to work better with your technical colleagues.📍Additionally, the book addresses common performance bottlenecks and provides solutions to overcome them, ensuring a seamless user experience.