Best Books to Learn Business Analytics and Business Intelligence

Discover the best set of books to master Business Analytics and Business Intelligence

Technology Trends
10 min readFeb 3, 2020
Best Books to Learn Business Analytics and Business Intelligence

Companies irrespective of their sizes are trying to come up with ways to tap the potential posed by the data collected by their systems for getting a competitive edge in their business. As a result, the demand for business analytics and business intelligence-based position is witnessing a sharp upward swing. The best thing about all this is the fact that the demand promises to stay strong as we prepare to enter a new decade.

It would, therefore, be of little wonder if you are looking forward to pursuing a business intelligence course or perhaps a business analytics online course to learn business analytics. In the course of your study for such programs, you are likely to want to read and consult books on the two topics. So, today we present to you a list of the 10 must-read books on the two domains. We hope that from newbies to seasoned analytics professionals, everyone would get some real benefit by diligently going through these titles.

Titles To Consult for Business Intelligence Courses

1. Business Intelligence For Dummies authored by Swain Scheps

Business Intelligence For Dummies authored by Swain Scheps
Business Intelligence For Dummies by Swain Scheps

This is one of the best-selling BI titles. It gets you up and started with BI basics and even novices can begin to understand the complex world of BI by going through this book diligently. It acquaints the reader with critical BI terminology and concepts from the very beginning and one can learn the steps to undertake for achieving BI goals in a clear step-by-step way. The book helps to understand the subject and lets you see it in perspective of other technical fields.

2. Business Intelligence Guidebook: From Data Integration to Analytics authored by Rick Sherman

2. Business Intelligence Guidebook: From Data Integration to Analytics by Rick Sherman
2. Business Intelligence Guidebook: From Data Integration to Analytics by Rick Sherman

This Rick Sherman book emphasizes and describes the importance of data in today’s world and the reasons behind that. The book contains an explanation of all intricate BI subjects and covers almost every important BI topic. Through a reading of the book, the reader acquired the ability to design BI systems architectures along with the data warehousing and integration apps required to support the same practically.

3. Successful Business Intelligence, Second Edition: Unlock The Value Of BI & Big Data authored by Cindi Howson

Successful Business Intelligence, Second Edition: Unlock The Value Of BI & Big Data by Cindi Howson
Successful Business Intelligence, Second Edition: Unlock The Value Of BI & Big Data by Cindi Howson

This book has been authored by a Gartner Research Vice President who happens to be an expert business analyst too. The book contains precise details and demonstrates how organisations stand to benefit from the evolution of BI and analytics. The books contain step by step guides to achieving organization BI goals. The book covers many BI and Big Data topics along with other insightful and relevant topics.

4. Business Intelligence Roadmap: The Complete Project Lifecycle For Decision-Support Applications authored by Larissa T. Moss & Shaku Atre

Business Intelligence Roadmap: The Complete Project Lifecycle For Decision-Support Applications by Larissa T. Moss &
Business Intelligence Roadmap: The Complete Project Lifecycle For Decision-Support Applications by Larissa T. Moss & Shaku Atre

This particular title consists of two separate parts. Part one gets you acquainted with the stages and steps involved with a particular BI project. The other part guides you through the vital references and tools needed for BI projects. It covers basic development guidelines. The two parts together encompass the different BI project stages.

5. Data Strategy: How To Profit From A World Of Big Data, Analytics And The Internet Of Things by Bernard Marr

Data Strategy: How To Profit From A World Of Big Data, Analytics And The Internet Of Things by Bernard Marr
Data Strategy: How To Profit From A World Of Big Data, Analytics And The Internet Of Things by Bernard Marr

This book points out the crucial fact that as of now less than .5% of all data is put in to use and analysed. The book guides you through the creation of a healthy data strategy. It provides explanations to the precise identification of strategic data needs and even more critically how to put into use this data thus collected for insights into the organization which helps to facilitate better business decisions and improves business performance as well. The book contains several case studies and through real-world examples learn to build up the data competency of an organization.

6. Hyper: Changing the way you think about, plan, and execute business intelligence for real results, real fast! authored by Gregory P. Steffine

Hyper: Changing the way you think about, plan, and execute business intelligence for real results, real fast! authored by Gre
Hyper: Changing the way you think about, plan, and execute business intelligence for real results, real fast! authored by Gregory P. Steffine

This differs from the other books in this list as it does not really concern itself with BI technicalities and instead takes a broad yet practical approach to the subject. It lays out how to overcome the major BI process challenges. The proven planning methods and plenty of practical advice make the book helpful especially for analytical projects.

7. Business Intelligence: The Savvy Manager’s Guide authored by David Loshin

Business Intelligence: The Savvy Manager’s Guide authored by David Loshin
Business Intelligence: The Savvy Manager’s Guide authored by David Loshin

This book is particularly helpful for business managers. With a suitable introduction to BI and its technical terms this book guides managers through BI development and how to make it work. The book introduces to the reader both old and new tools technologies in the field and how the same is changing to give room to the needs of digital data.

8. Business Intelligence in Plain Language: A practical guide to Data Mining and Business Analytics authored by Jeremy Kolb

Business Intelligence in Plain Language: A practical guide to Data Mining and Business Analytics authored by Jeremy Kolb
Business Intelligence in Plain Language: A practical guide to Data Mining and Business Analytics authored by Jeremy Kolb

This title serves especially well as a primer into the introduction of BI concepts. It proves its worth irrespective of the type of business we are talking about and almost everyone can benefit from reading this book. In the book, the author informs the reader in the many ways BI can work for you and why it is so much in demand in our times. The book explains to the reader how businesses can benefit from using BI. The inner process at work behind BI is especially well expressed in plain terminology that doesn’t require technical expertise to understand.

9. Data Analytics For Beginners: Your Ultimate Guide To Learn And Master Data Analysis. Get Your Business Intelligence Right — Accelerate Growth And Close More Sales authored by Victor Finch

Data Analytics For Beginners: Your Ultimate Guide To Learn And Master Data Analysis. Get Your Business Intelligence Right — A
Data Analytics For Beginners: Your Ultimate Guide To Learn And Master Data Analysis. Get Your Business Intelligence Right — Accelerate Growth And Close More Sales authored by Victor Finch

This book is particularly suited for professionals who are totally new to the field of BI. But at the same time, the title freshly approaches the topics and has really helpful information for BI professionals of all levels. Apart from the strong introduction to BI fundamentals, this title consists of great insights that make it a brilliant resource. The book emphasizes the utility of digital data to sustain commercial success. It is a really good balance of ideas and tips which would help you maximize your BI ROI.

10. Business Intelligence and Analytics: Systems for Decision Support (10th Edition) authored by Ramesh Sharda, Dursun Delen and Efraim Turban

Business Intelligence and Analytics: Systems for Decision Support (10th Edition) authored by Ramesh Sharda, Dursun Delen and
Business Intelligence and Analytics: Systems for Decision Support (10th Edition) authored by Ramesh Sharda, Dursun Delen and Efraim Turban

This title serves as an updated and thorough guide to the system technologies that support management and how they serve to facilitate the taking for better business decision making. This 10th edition has a special focus on BI as well as for analytics intended to support decision making in large enterprises, all presented as a streamlined book title.

Titles to Consult for Top Business Analytics Courses

1. Data Analytics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Data Analytics authored by Edward Mize

Data Analytics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Data Analytics authored by Edward Mize
Data Analytics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Data Analytics authored by Edward Mize

This title is meant as a guide for beginners in data analytics. The writer is a best-selling author who has a knack for distilling hard to understand business analytics topics easily. This book guides you through leaning business analytics and implementing it in line with your business needs.

2. Data Analytics: Become A Master In Data Analytics authored by Richard Dorsey

Data Analytics: Become A Master In Data Analytics authored by Richard Dorsey
Data Analytics: Become A Master In Data Analytics authored by Richard Dorsey

This book shows readers the easiest way to interact with data and do data analytics work. As the writer puts it working with data is not the easiest of tasks as you have to carry out identification of the particular analytical model for the data in perspective of the situation and the requirements. With practice and the help of this book, this task becomes relatively easy to handle.

3. Predictive Analytics for Dummies authored by Dr. Anasse Bari, Mohamed Chaouchi and Tommy Jung

Predictive Analytics for Dummies authored by Dr. Anasse Bari, Mohamed Chaouchi and Tommy Jung
Predictive Analytics for Dummies authored by Dr. Anasse Bari, Mohamed Chaouchi and Tommy Jung

This title deals with perhaps the most important business analytics branch through which businesses can predict future probabilities as well as trends which is termed as predictive analytics. The book is replete with examples that teach the reader how to predict future business outcomes. Also, the book guides you through the application of data visualization tools.

4. Business Analytics: Data Analysis and Decision Making authored by S. Christian Albright and Wayne L. Winston

Business Analytics: Data Analysis and Decision Making authored by S. Christian Albright and Wayne L. Winston
Business Analytics: Data Analysis and Decision Making authored by S. Christian Albright and Wayne L. Winston

By going through this book title readers can expect to grasp excel modeling, data analytics and even gain spreadsheet skills with excel. The book gets you acquainted with the techniques and tools in the field especially the quantitative methods through citing suitable examples. The book stands out by its simple and easy to understand language.

5. Data Science for Business: What You Need to Know About Data Mining and Data-Analytic Thinking authored Foster Provost & Tom Fawcett

Data Science for Business: What You Need to Know About Data Mining and Data-Analytic Thinking authored Foster Provost & Tom F
Data Science for Business: What You Need to Know About Data Mining and Data-Analytic Thinking authored Foster Provost & Tom Fawcett

This is the book for you if you are looking for a thorough guide to the subject of business analytics. It helps you build your data science base through the presentation of the practical applications as well as the fundamental principles of the subject. The title contains various case studies of businesses using data science to cope with real-world business problems of considerable complexity.

6. Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics: Algorithms, Worked Examples & Case Studies authored by Aoife D’Arcy Brian Mac.Namee & John D.Kelleher.

Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics: Algorithms, Worked Examples & Case Studies authored by Aoife
Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics: Algorithms, Worked Examples & Case Studies authored by Aoife D’Arcy Brian Mac.Namee & John D.Kelleher

This book is a great primer on all the key ML approaches that can be applied in data science-related predictive analytics. This book teaches you the 4 vital ML approaches to business analytics which are explained in an easy to understand and non-technical way. These approaches may then be used to carry out predictive analysis.

7. Lean Analytics: Use Data to Build a Better Startup authored by Alistair Croll & Benjamin Yoskovitz.

Lean Analytics: Use Data to Build a Better Startup authored by Alistair Croll & Benjamin Yoskovitz
Lean Analytics: Use Data to Build a Better Startup authored by Alistair Croll & Benjamin Yoskovitz

The title of the book reflects its subject matter pretty accurately and helps the reader build better start-ups through the use of business analytics. The book not only is a guide to transforming your business idea on to a demanded product and additionally covers 30 case studies where data facilitates the smooth functioning of a startup.

8. Data Analytics: Practical Data Analysis and Statistical Guide to Transform and Evolve Any Business authored by Isaac D. Cody

Data Analytics: Practical Data Analysis and Statistical Guide to Transform and Evolve Any Business authored by Isaac D. Cody
Data Analytics: Practical Data Analysis and Statistical Guide to Transform and Evolve Any Business authored by Isaac D. Cody

The book is particularly meant for owners of businesses or anyone who wishes to learn data analytics in detail. This book is also suitable for people who are more interested in what Data Analytics can do for your business revenue and sales. The books let the reader know the data analytics types that suit businesses the most, besides describing ways to analyse the business and ways to analyse the statistical data.

9. Competing on Analytics authored by Thomas Davenport

Competing on Analytics authored by Thomas Davenport
Competing on Analytics authored by Thomas Davenport

His book closes a much-needed gap in analytics literature. Instead of dealing with algorithms and statistical equations, this book illustrates how world-leading companies are using data analytics to stay several steps ahead of the competition through successful business analytics implementation case studies.

10. Behind Every Good Decision: How Anyone Can Use Business Analytics to Turn Data into Profitable Insight authored by Piyanka Jain and Puneet Sharma

Behind Every Good Decision: How Anyone Can Use Business Analytics to Turn Data into Profitable Insight authored by Piyanka Ja
Behind Every Good Decision: How Anyone Can Use Business Analytics to Turn Data into Profitable Insight authored by Piyanka Jain and Puneet Sharma

This book is for professionals who want to make use of data for the end of taking better business decisions. This book is suitable for professionals of all levels and does away with the misconception that Big Data and related technologies and tools are the only data that matters.

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Technology Trends
Technology Trends

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