7 Business Intelligence Books You Need to Finish in 2024

Many people think business intelligence is hard to learn. But it’s pretty easy! Several books can help you get started with business intelligence. Whether you’re a senior executive or a new business analyst, you need to understand how key concepts of Business Intelligence (BI) can be used to improve your business. 

We have prepared a reading list for you about business intelligence with that in mind. Here we have listed seven books that will teach you how to maximize your business intelligence.

Best Business Intelligence Books For Beginners

1- Business Intelligence for Dummies by Swain Scheps

Business Intelligence for Dummies

Business Intelligence for Dummies is a straightforward, easy-to-read guide to getting started in Business Intelligence. The book’s target audience is people who have a background in business and are starting to manage a team of analysts or want to get into predictive analytics themselves.

The author Swain Scheps is an entrepreneur, consultant, and expert in business intelligence. He is a columnist for Business 2 Community and the founder of a consulting firm called the Data Cave. 

Why should you read this book?

You should read this book if you are interested in learning more about managing a team of analysts or if you want to begin an analytics program yourself. You can learn about identifying key performance indicators, using data cubes and marts, how to ingest data, and how to run meaningful reports.

A reader review:

“Even if you are not working directly on a Business Intelligence project, this book is a must-read for all business analysts. The book is readable and correctly emphasizes the importance of quality requirements and analysis. Business analysts should always think about better ways for their stakeholders to make decisions and run their organizations. Swain gives great insights and suggestions for requirements elicitation and analysis. He also explains the overall discipline at a level everyone should be aware of.”

Buy it on Amazon now!

2- A Practitioner’s Guide to Business Analytics by Randy Bartlett

A  Practitioner's Guide to Business Analytics

This book focuses on using data analysis and modeling to understand a company’s performance and predict future trends. The author discusses how applying basic business analytics concepts can help companies overcome obstacles to growth. 

Randy Bartlett has been a business analyst for over ten years, working for top companies, including Amazon, Nike, and Pixar. He also created two popular blogs about business analytics which are “The (B)Logical Analyst” and “Analyze This! The Business Analyst Blog.”

Why should you read this book?

It is a must-read for anyone interested in business analytics, and it is helpful for both beginners and experts. If you’re looking for advice on how to get started with business analytics in your company, this book can help you. It helps business owners to gain better insight into their company’s performance, predict trends based on data analysis, and make critical decisions that have increased profits. 

A reader review:

“Randy does an excellent job of describing the basics of business analysis. I am a research scientist, and my expertise is in pharmaceutical research. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the theory and principles taught in Randy’s book are quite suitable in application to scientific research, such as streamlining the research protocols, personnel organization and laboratory layout to improve productivity. The book also provides insight into how research and discovery could interplay with business analysis to improve the output of invention and increase profit. It is an excellent book for someone outside of the business field to gain knowledge and insight about business analysis.”

Buy it on Amazon now.

Best Analytics & Data Related Books for Business Intelligence

3- Business unIntelligence: Insight and Innovation Beyond Analytics and Big Data by Barry Devlin

Business Unintelligence

The book unIntelligence: Insight and Innovation Beyond Analytics and Big Data gives a different perspective about data. It’s a thought-provoking book that challenges the way most people think about this topic, and it will help you explore new methods for approaching your business needs.

The author of this book Barry Devlin is a consultant, speaker, and instructor. He has many years of experience in business intelligence. Also, he has a Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge University.

Why should you read this book?

To understand why analytics and big data should not be the only ways to manage your business, you should read this book. Also, it will help you to learn how to innovate and gain insight beyond data.

A reader review:

“Devlin examines the current state of Business Intelligence and supporting data sources and technologies with a critical eye. He points out weaknesses in many of the traditional approaches to BI and offers suggestions for the future.

Overall it is a really interesting read for a seasoned BI professional.”

Buy it on Amazon.

4- Too Big to Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data by Phil Simon

Too Big to Ignore

The book Too Big to Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data gives examples of how companies have used big data in their business models and how other industries could use it in the future. Besides, the book emphasizes how to have better customer service.

The author Phil Simon is a data analytics expert who usually speaks at conferences and hosts his podcast. He has written multiple books on big data and analytics and has been featured on various media outlets, including CBS News, NPR, and Yahoo! Finance.

Why should you read this book?

This book helps businesses to make smarter decisions about where they want their company to go next. Also, by reading this book business owners and business managers can learn how to see what’s working best for them, rather than guessing which direction would work out best over time.

A reader review:

“I was very impressed by The Age of the Platform, so I was excited to hear he was working on Too Big to Ignore and eager for it to come out. Phil presents in a very conversational way and backs his writing with tons of sources, making it an easy read you feel comfortable with the content of. This book was another win and would be one I recommend you nonchalantly drop on the desk of whoever is the decision-maker in your company. The one that holds the purse strings and you want to consider that next big data project. It won’t tell them how to configure a Hadoop stack or give hints on an optimal data streaming solution. What it will do is present a good overview of why big data is not a fad, why and what companies are looking to use it for and reasons every company needs to examine it as a potential use case.”

Buy it on Amazon now.

5- Successful Business Intelligence: Unlock the Value of BI & Big Data by Cindi Howson

Successful Business Intelligence

Successful Business Intelligence: Unlock the Value of BI & Big Data is a guide for businesses looking to use business intelligence to improve their company. This book covers real-life examples of business intelligence. A wide range of topics such as how to introduce BI into an organization, evaluate the tool, and use these tools are included.

Cindi Howson is a well-known speaker and author on business intelligence. She has written multiple books and articles, speaks at conferences regularly, and runs her own consulting firm.

Why should you read this book?

If you’re looking for a great introduction to business intelligence and don’t know where to start, this business intelligence book can be beneficial for you since it covers fundamental concepts. It suggests practical application while making business decisions as well.

A reader review:

“Cindi is a master in helping the reader and implementer understand where to find and recognize the value in deploying Business Intelligence. She is not theoretical but a pragmatist who cites example after example and has hands-on experience. So many authors talk about the subject and quote others, but Cindi’s knowledge is experiential and based on exposure to products and use cases. She steps you through the choices and helps you understand how to measure value. She speaks to both the business users and the technocrats with a language and examples that we all can understand. A refreshing read and not a re-hash of older tomes on a similar topic.”

Buy it on Amazon.

Best Dashboards & Data Visualization Books for Business Intelligence

6- Performance Dashboards – Measuring, Monitoring, And Managing Your Business by Wayne Eckerson

Performance Dashboards

The book Performance Dashboards highlights the importance of performance dashboards in business and how to utilize them. In addition, the book describes different types of dashboards, methods of creating them, and the benefits that they can provide for businesses.

Eckerson is the director of TDWI Research at The Data Warehouse Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted to educating people about business intelligence. In addition, he is an author who has written numerous articles and books regarding data warehousing, including Performance Dashboards: Measuring, Monitoring, and Managing Your Business. 

Why should you read this book?

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how they can use performance dashboards in their business or personal life. It’s an easy read with many examples of different dashboards and how they can be used effectively!

A reader review:

“I read this book over a very long period of time, putting it down and picking it up often. If you are new to dashboards and/or metrics in general, then you will find this book a solid beginner’s reference.

If you have prior experience, then you may find a few tidbits that you weren’t aware of before, but not much else.

The technology references are now a bit dated, but the principles expressed in the book remain the same and are of value for someone new to the topic.”

Buy it on Amazon.

7- Information Dashboard Design by Stephen Few

Information Dashboard Design

Information Dashboard Design is about creating meaningful visualizations with data to achieve business goals. Stephen Few breaks down his process into step-by-step techniques that can be easily learned by beginners as well as experienced business leaders and data visualization professionals.

The author Stephen Few founded his own company, Perceptual Edge, which specializes in data visualization. He also holds a degree in engineering from Stanford University and has worked as an engineer at Apple and Xerox.

Why should you read this book?

This book offers comprehensive guidance about data visualization. Few easily explain the important concepts, and the book has an easy-to-understand language. It can be beneficial to read this book if you are a beginner in this area. 

A reader review:

“Stephen Few is THE best information designer in the industry. Lots of great examples and explanations. If you’re just getting started, this will give you a base for future design decisions. If you’re an experienced designer, like myself, you’ll find a lot of information that will confirm your decisions, as well as new information to help you stay on top of your game.”

Buy it on Amazon now.


Frequently Asked Questions


Is business intelligence hard?

Absolutely not! Once you learn the core concepts of business intelligence and business analytics, you can apply them to your company to grow bigger. There are many excellent books that explain business intelligence systems and business intelligence strategy. 


What is taught in business intelligence?

Business intelligence’s main focus is data capture and the ways of managing the data. Apart from these, it is related to data analysis and reporting. Therefore, business owners and business and business analysts need to familiarize themselves with BI, predictive analytics and improve their business. 


Does business intelligence require math?

Not really! It does not require comprehensive knowledge and understanding of math or coding. However, knowing basic math is enough, and being familiar with practical examples and real-world examples can be beneficial. 

Ready to Boost Product Adoption, Without any Coding

Ready to Boost Product Adoption, Without any Coding

Meet With One of Our Onboarding Experts;

BOOK A CALL

Join 1000+ teams creating better experiences

14-Day Free Trial, with an extra 30-Day Money Back Guarantee!

Serhat Erdem

Serhat Erdem

Serhat is the Creative Content Writer of UserGuiding, a code-free product walkthrough software that helps teams scale user onboarding and boost user engagement.