Jumpstart Tableau: A Step-By-Step Guide to Better Data Visualization

I like this book for a quick starter guide. Three things keep me from giving it five stars:1. Different chapters use different data sources and setups, and it isn't always easy to figure out which data source and which setup is being used. I think this could be made more explicit.2. While I like the general approach, I think a short (one or two sentence) summary of the goal and reason for each chapter at the beginning would have helped me focus better. Why am I building a hierarchy? What question might I want to answer? Stuff like that would have helped.3. At times it felt too similar to the free online videos from Tableau. It might have been nice to have a completely different data set to work with. (Mind you, this is a very small issue for me.)Otherwise, I think this book is exactly what it intends to be, and beginners might do well to start here.

While this book is very clear, several of the examples are almost too dumbed down. An entire chapter on renaming a value or copying a sheet? Right-click, choose option, Enter. This is for the extreme beginner. So, if you have very little computer knowledge, this is a good book. If you've been working with computers for any length of time, this may be a little too basic for you.

“Jumpstart Tableau” is an excellent resource, whether as a primer or reference tool, for all skill levels from junior accountants to seasoned data analysts. The author does an excellent job in organizing the information in a simple, yet comprehensive view demonstrating to readers how to present data through visualization.If you have basic knowledge of spreadsheets, pivot tables, and charts – “Jumpstart Tableau” will help elevate your presentations to an executive level…

Recognizing this is a "jumpstart" book, it is so basic that I am not sure even a new Tableau user would find it very helpful. It is basically 300+ pages of frequently repetitive screenshots and instructions describing what to do, but not why. The majority of pages have 2-3 lines of text providing some directions but minimal, if any, explanations about the action taken. I myself get irritated at readers who complain that "dummies" types of books are too simple (with the word "dummies" in the title what do you expect?), but I am not sure there is an audience for this book. Even the index is minimal--in the alphabetical listing the letters H through O are collapsed into one section, with only two "H" terms terms referenced. I would recommend the online training materials offered by Tableau and user forums for free and purchase a bit more in-depth text like Learning Tableau to enhance basic skills and understanding.

The overview and step-by-step guidance were very helpful in reinforcing skills needed for Tableau 10. I would like to see another book by the author in the same format that addresses more advanced issues such as calculated fields, mapping, etc.

easy to follow, fit to beginners.

This is a great "How To" text that introduces the novice user to Tableau and its functionality. I had never seen Tableau when I first opened this book. By the time I had finished working through the exercises I was able to build my first functioning dashboard. Screenshots and concise instructions guide the reader step by step through the basics and on to more advanced features. Exercises cover everything from logging on and connecting to multiple data sources to sorting, grouping, building hierarchies and forecasting. This book is not a textbook of business intelligence or analysis topics, it is a clear, concise how to guide and it delivers on a promise to quickly bring you up to speed and working in Tableau.

As a newbie without any Tableau experience, I found this book is very helpful to get me started. Yes, the book includes many screenshots which some people may not like, but to me, that's what makes it so easy to follow and help me check if I did it correctly. The instructions are concise and clear. Also, it covers most basic features Tableau has. After familiar and master what's covered in the book, you can confidently claim yourself a Tableau user:-) Highly recommend!!!