7 Data Analytics Books You Should Read in 2019

There’s never been a better time to learn data analytics and enter the growing field. The job landscape is expanding, with a wide range of opportunities in a variety of industries. When preparing for a career in data analytics, the volume of information to master can be very overwhelming. It’s always best to do some additional reading as a supplement to your Data Analytics Boot Camp, and even after successfully transitioning into a new career.

We have put together a list of 7 must-read data analytics books covering Machine Learning, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Python, Business Intelligence, Deep Learning, Forecasting and much more. These data analytics books will help any reader understand the power of data and how to leverage it.

1. Data Analytics Made Accessible, A. Maheshwari

If you’ve just started to learn about data, or if you’re not quite sure how it works—this book offers a wealth of information. Data Analytics Made Accessible breaks down data analysis into an easy to follow, digestible format.

By offering real-world examples (instead of complex hypothetical situations), readers at any skill level will be able to pick up this data analytics book and follow along to learn the basics. This resource is so well-received that several universities have included it in the required reading for many analytics courses.

2. Too Big To Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data, P. Simon

Whether you’re skeptical about or intrigued by business uses for big data, this is the go-to big data book. The author does an incredible job of examining and laying out how businesses and even local governments are using big data to their advantage.

With several case studies and quotes from big data professionals all over the world, Too Big To Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data is a must-read for anyone entering the field. Readers will gain valuable insight on turning data into intelligence, and intelligence into something actionable.

3. Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think, V. Mayer-Schönberger and K. Cukier

This book is great for anyone seeking to understand why data analytics is important, and not just in a business sense. Data analytics can be applied across many industries, and this book offers information on how data can make an impact in your particular field, no matter what that might be. This data analytics book will prepare readers for the reality that the big data revolution isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and encourages them to embrace the industry changes to come.

4. Business unIntelligence: Insight and Innovation Beyond Analytics and Big Data, B. Devlin

This book provides a different angle on big data and data analytics. Readers will take a look at the successes and issues in the field and discover things that aren’t always talked about within the industry. The book also offers a look into the history of the field of business intelligence, big data and data analytics. The author looks at the past, present and future of the field in order to refute many of the misconceptions related to modern data analytics and data gathering. You will learn how many of the tried-and-true data practices have become outdated while gaining insight on how to stay up to date and competitive within the field.

5. Creating Value With Social Media Analytics: Managing, Aligning, and Mining Social Media Text, Networks, Actions, Location, Apps, Hyperlinks, Multimedia, & Search Engines Data, G. Khan

This book will teach you how to apply big data analytics to a social media strategy, helping drive value and engagement. As you move into a data career, this book will help explain the theories, concepts, strategies, techniques and resources required to retrieve business value from social media that can be used to improve customer loyalty, generate leads, increase traffic and ultimately make practical business decisions.

6. Developing Analytic Talent: Becoming a Data Scientist, V. Granville

By reading this book, you will learn how to develop detailed analytics that can help you meet business goals. The author explores the more intricate aspects of data science, the required skills and how to acquire them. You will be able to explore the skills that employers are looking for and understand how the growing demand for big data has furthered the demand for data professionals. This in-depth book includes job interview questions, sample resumes, salary surveys and examples of job postings. Readers can also explore case studies that explain how data science is utilized on Wall Street, in botnet detection, in digital advertising and more.

If you would like to learn more about the data skills employers are looking for, take a look at our previous blog post that outlines the 8 Must-Have Data Analyst Skills.

7. A Practitioner’s Guide to Business Analytics: Using Data Analysis Tools to Improve Your Organization’s Decision Making and Strategy, R. Bartlett

In this data analytics book, readers explore the steps involved in evaluating analytic prerequisites and abilities. The author then explores how to develop a strategic plan to achieve business goals. The book offers the tools, information and strategies to help obtain valuable business analytics needed to make data-driven business decisions. Readers will discover how to distinguish business analytics, measure and demonstrate its value to an organization, and teach other data professionals how to leverage its capacity and discover new insights.

Summary

The data analytics books featured in this post will help anyone looking to gain insight into the growing field. Developing a solid understanding of data analytics and learning how to extract insights are vital components for a successful, long-term career. It is important for potential data professionals to stay up-to-date with the most relevant material in the industry. By reading these data analytics books, you will better understand how important data analytics and visualization is to businesses today. 

If you’d like to apply what you’ve learned from these books, explore our Vanderbilt University Data Analytics Boot Camp designed to equip you with the skills to succeed in this growing industry.