What do you think?
Rate this book
Data Analysis in Microsoft Excel: Deliver Awesome Analytics in 3 Easy Steps Using VLOOKUPS, Pivot Tables, Charts And More
In the digital age, data is the new gold. Master the art of data analysis using the author’s three-step system and unlock unprecedented potential in your career and beyond."Data Analysis in Microsoft Excel" provides a unique system designed to elevate your analytical skills, whether you're navigating a career change, stepping out of education into the professional world, or aiming to gain confidence in a new role with an analytical component.Are you tired of taking endless courses only to find you don’t know how to apply your knowledge?Do you look at a dataset and don’t know where to begin?Do you even understand what an organisation needs to know from its data?The system is designed to help you ask incisive questions, develop potent problem statements, and tailor your analysis to suit various audience needs. The content is a fusion of business and analytical concepts coupled with practical exercises, facilitating a deeper understanding of the technical skills required for effective data analysis. The book is not just about understanding Excel—it's about nurturing a critical analytical mindset and honing the techniques that distinguish good analysts.Learn how to import, improve and enrich dataUnderstand the key Excel functions used in data analysisDiscover expert tips and avoid common mistakes in planning an analysisCraft insightful problem statements and hypotheses to explore, maximising value for an organisationAnalyse stakeholder needs and wants for immediate impactBuild a project for your portfolio to land your next roleYou may be thinking, "Can I really become proficient in data analysis through a book?" or "I'm not very technical; will I be able to grasp the concepts?" Rest assured, this guide is designed with every reader in mind. Its accessible language ensures that even if you're starting from scratch or have only limited exposure to data analysis, you can follow along and gain substantial skills and confidence.Don't let the world of data continue to be an enigma. Equip yourself with the skills to harness data, drive better decisions, and stand out in today's digital landscape. The power of data is at your fingertips—it's time you unlock it. Click the “Add to Cart” button now!
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2023
90 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Alex Holloway
7 books11 followersAn author with a passion for data: how best to curate, define and store it, and how to use it for organizational success
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 24, 2025
The book is organized in three sections: a broad introduction to Excel and the field of data analysis, a guide to learning Excel and using it with a dataset, and a bit of guidance on what the reader can do moving forward.
In the first part, the author presents the three-step data analysis system: Prepare, Analyze, and Consider - this is catchy, concise, and sure to resonate with readers! Also discussed is the issue of data quality, and the author wisely mentions that the data analyst should practice transparency in their analytical approach. There is also a great tip on knowing one's audience before delivering any analysis results - I can confirm this is smart advice.
The second part of the book begins with a really nice step-by-step exploration of the Excel user interface - this ensures readers totally new to Excel will be able to follow along. Next is a guide for extracting data from a given source; this is written in such a way to still be suitable to Excel beginners. The remainder of this middle section is dedicated to following that three-step system noted above, using the dataset that had just been harvested.
The Prepare section maintains that aforementioned focus on knowing one's audience and, on a related note, presents the importance of establishing the actual problem to be solved with the analysis. There are great exercises here on feature engineering and other data preparation/cleaning steps.
The Analyze section includes an important mention of maintained focus on the intended audience and problem at hand as well as the fact that the analytics process is not linear - it is iterative and the analyst will indeed need to return to previous steps throughout the process. There are good exercises in the ubiquitous SUM, COUNT, and conditional aggregation functions and a great introduction to PivotTables - PivotTables in particular can be daunting for people new to Excel, but the step-by-step instructions given here are helpful.
The Consider section contains some important mentions that are often overlooked by new data analysts. There are discussions of the context of the problem - looking at the "bigger picture" - and the distinction between information and insight garnered from data. There is also a mention of the thing that often happens when a data analyst thinks a project is finish: a manager asks a new question, so the analyst must go back and revisit the analysis.
The final section of the book contains a good collection of openly available resources that help can get the reader up and running on their own. There is also mention of further Excel functionality beyond the scope of the book, as well as a good overview of other data analytics tools/skills to explore.
As a seasoned Excel user and data analyst, I think this serves as an excellent resource for those newer to the field. One of my favorite quotes from the book is at the end of Chapter 4: "Research and learning are ongoing components of being an effective data analyst." That rings true, and this book will be a great part of the analyst's ongoing learning. Excellent work!
In the first part, the author presents the three-step data analysis system: Prepare, Analyze, and Consider - this is catchy, concise, and sure to resonate with readers! Also discussed is the issue of data quality, and the author wisely mentions that the data analyst should practice transparency in their analytical approach. There is also a great tip on knowing one's audience before delivering any analysis results - I can confirm this is smart advice.
The second part of the book begins with a really nice step-by-step exploration of the Excel user interface - this ensures readers totally new to Excel will be able to follow along. Next is a guide for extracting data from a given source; this is written in such a way to still be suitable to Excel beginners. The remainder of this middle section is dedicated to following that three-step system noted above, using the dataset that had just been harvested.
The Prepare section maintains that aforementioned focus on knowing one's audience and, on a related note, presents the importance of establishing the actual problem to be solved with the analysis. There are great exercises here on feature engineering and other data preparation/cleaning steps.
The Analyze section includes an important mention of maintained focus on the intended audience and problem at hand as well as the fact that the analytics process is not linear - it is iterative and the analyst will indeed need to return to previous steps throughout the process. There are good exercises in the ubiquitous SUM, COUNT, and conditional aggregation functions and a great introduction to PivotTables - PivotTables in particular can be daunting for people new to Excel, but the step-by-step instructions given here are helpful.
The Consider section contains some important mentions that are often overlooked by new data analysts. There are discussions of the context of the problem - looking at the "bigger picture" - and the distinction between information and insight garnered from data. There is also a mention of the thing that often happens when a data analyst thinks a project is finish: a manager asks a new question, so the analyst must go back and revisit the analysis.
The final section of the book contains a good collection of openly available resources that help can get the reader up and running on their own. There is also mention of further Excel functionality beyond the scope of the book, as well as a good overview of other data analytics tools/skills to explore.
As a seasoned Excel user and data analyst, I think this serves as an excellent resource for those newer to the field. One of my favorite quotes from the book is at the end of Chapter 4: "Research and learning are ongoing components of being an effective data analyst." That rings true, and this book will be a great part of the analyst's ongoing learning. Excellent work!
September 5, 2025
Hands-on Excel Training for Data Analysts (or those who want to raise their Excel skills)
I will start out by saying that I am not a data analyst per se, but in the field of marketing where I work, we all need to become better at analyzing data. As Excel is the default for doing this, I read this book to understand what I might be missing out on and what new Excel skills I should acquire to improve my own work.
As this book is written for data analysts, it does provide a 3-step framework for working with data, but even as a non-analyst I found this framework a great way to get more out of the data I want to analyze.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that the author handholds you through exercises using public data and provides hand-on training using Excel features you might have never used or even known about!
Needless to say if you are looking to improve your Excel game and need to analyze data as a big reason for using Excel, this is a very recommended read!
I will start out by saying that I am not a data analyst per se, but in the field of marketing where I work, we all need to become better at analyzing data. As Excel is the default for doing this, I read this book to understand what I might be missing out on and what new Excel skills I should acquire to improve my own work.
As this book is written for data analysts, it does provide a 3-step framework for working with data, but even as a non-analyst I found this framework a great way to get more out of the data I want to analyze.
What I really enjoyed about this book is that the author handholds you through exercises using public data and provides hand-on training using Excel features you might have never used or even known about!
Needless to say if you are looking to improve your Excel game and need to analyze data as a big reason for using Excel, this is a very recommended read!
October 2, 2023
Great book
The author walks you through the entire process of data analysis from start to finish
The author spends a majority of the book going through a sample data’s set that he has you download, organize, apply formulas, and then apply visualizations to better present the information
I listened to it on audio but I recommend having excel open and working through the data with the author
He then gives you a few sites to find days and requests the reader put together a data analysis project on his own
I recommend this book to anyone trying to work through a data analysis problem
The author walks you through the entire process of data analysis from start to finish
The author spends a majority of the book going through a sample data’s set that he has you download, organize, apply formulas, and then apply visualizations to better present the information
I listened to it on audio but I recommend having excel open and working through the data with the author
He then gives you a few sites to find days and requests the reader put together a data analysis project on his own
I recommend this book to anyone trying to work through a data analysis problem
July 8, 2025
I’m starting to love this author. Glad to be in his niche.
I’ve read Naked Statistics and Storytelling with Data, but they were harder to apply. This book is different—it’s clear, practical, and actually helps you do data analysis in Excel without getting overwhelmed. It teaches you to think like an analyst while building confidence to tackle real datasets. Super glad I grabbed it.
I’ve read Naked Statistics and Storytelling with Data, but they were harder to apply. This book is different—it’s clear, practical, and actually helps you do data analysis in Excel without getting overwhelmed. It teaches you to think like an analyst while building confidence to tackle real datasets. Super glad I grabbed it.
July 29, 2025
A Useful Guide for Getting Started in Data Analysis with Excel
Although a short book which focuses on a few key functions and tools such as pivot tables, this book is an excellent introduction to using Excel for data analysis. I would certainly recommend this book to help bring on young analysts who are learning how to use Excel to undertake data analysis projects.
Although a short book which focuses on a few key functions and tools such as pivot tables, this book is an excellent introduction to using Excel for data analysis. I would certainly recommend this book to help bring on young analysts who are learning how to use Excel to undertake data analysis projects.
January 16, 2024
Excellent Guide…
…for both learning how to use Excel spreadsheet for data analysis, and for learning how to perform data analysis. Clear and straightforward, this book is an excellent resource for self learning.
…for both learning how to use Excel spreadsheet for data analysis, and for learning how to perform data analysis. Clear and straightforward, this book is an excellent resource for self learning.
January 19, 2024
Excellent book guide!
The author is both knowlegble and a practicing DATA ANALYST. Thanks for sharing your expertise. I read plenty of books on data analysis topics, yours is very inspiring and engaging. Excellent work.
The author is both knowlegble and a practicing DATA ANALYST. Thanks for sharing your expertise. I read plenty of books on data analysis topics, yours is very inspiring and engaging. Excellent work.
April 1, 2024
I wish i had this book when I started Finance career?
If you want to learn anything data analysis through Excel then this your book. I am Financial analyst for the last 12 years and so I’ve dealt with excel for most of my career. I wish i had a book like this when I started to give a lay of the land on showing how to best analyze data and which important formulas to focus on for any analytical job. If your starting analytical career i recommend you start with this book as your guide!
If you want to learn anything data analysis through Excel then this your book. I am Financial analyst for the last 12 years and so I’ve dealt with excel for most of my career. I wish i had a book like this when I started to give a lay of the land on showing how to best analyze data and which important formulas to focus on for any analytical job. If your starting analytical career i recommend you start with this book as your guide!
February 5, 2024
Ok
It is just about ok for this very basic introduction to this subject don't but a hard copy it's not worthbit
It is just about ok for this very basic introduction to this subject don't but a hard copy it's not worthbit
December 30, 2024
When you start page 1 with what is excel, you’re in for a rocky foundational ride. Reading the way to competence might not be the best path for this tool.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews