December 20

100+ Best Excel Books – Learning Spreadsheets

36  comments

I had a lot of fun putting together my recent list of Top Excel Help Resources on the web.  It started out as a Top 10 list… but then I started getting a lot of comments about other great sites all over the web, and the list ballooned.  Its a great resource, you can find it out here – Excel Help Resources and Tutorials.  Also check out my Excel Training Course & Tutorials section, which has garnered a lot of traction recently.

Anyways, as I was putting it together – I couldn’t help but notice that most of the top websites were owned by the biggest Excel authors walking the planet.  John Walkenbach, Bill Jelen (Mr. Excel), Debra Dalgleish, etc.  There is a lot of great content out there for Excel users.  So here is my starter list of the best Excel Books (UPDATE:  The list has grown to over 100 and is still growing – the largest on the internet that I am aware of 🙂 ).  I am further segmenting the list to make it more digestible – everyday.  I encourage you to leave your comments below if you think I missed a book that you have found valuable.  Unless you are some troll trying to sell life insurance to my readers — I WILL approve your comments.  And if the book is good — it will be added.

Also, I am not a good judge of books that are not in English.  So if you have non-English Excel/VBA Books that have been useful to you, let me know in the comments section and I will add them and let our international readers decide if the book should stay on the list.

Lastly, as a point of full-disclosure.  Many of these links go to Amazon.  As I am writing this, they don’t go to any affiliate links.  But they may eventually be affiliate links that buy me a bagel or some coffee if you buy a book.   I don’t think that’s a big deal, but as a fellow Excel user I wanted you to know in advance — because I value honesty and transparency.  You know — because my name is all over this website :). Also, this is for users of Excel.  Excel… Not Word, or Powerpoint. Separated by function and version.  So dive in.

Topics – Recommended By Role/Job Function

Marketing

Scientists and Engineers

Finance and Accounting

Statistics and Prediction

Consulting

  • Excel Basics to Blackbelt – 2nd Edition – Dr Elliot Bendoly
    • NOTE:  I exchanged messages with Dr. Bendoly on LinkedIN and he mentions that this book is highly relevant and in use for most consulting firms.

Other Professionals

Excel Books: By Version

Power BI / Power Pivot / Power Query

Excel 2013

Excel 2010

Excel 2007

Excel 2003

Excel (General – No Version #)

Books – Excel For a Mac

In Many Languages

Spanish

  • Ya sé Excel, pero necesito más – Translated – I already know Excel, But I need more – Francisco Megia Morales
    • NOTE:  See the authors notes in the comments section.  It’s for those people who are sceptic because they think they know everything about Excel. And as they go reading they discover a new world.  For people who want to go from current basic/intermediate level to actual advanced level.

So…  Where are the GAPS???

Because, I know some of you that may be reading this right now are authors… and you’re thinking…

Where the HELL is my book? Because…

  • Its a masterpiece.
  • Has plot twists.
  • A devious villain.
  • Damsel in distress.
  • VBA Code 🙂

Well… Then leave a comment and let me know about it. I am honestly adding to this page daily.

If you are reading this then you made it all the way to the bottom of the page — whew — that was a workout.  Might as well leave a comment and hit one of those social sharing buttons so that your Mom on Facebook knows how cool you are (visiting an Excel website and all :))

Rick Grantham
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  • Mike Girvin’s new Ctrl+Shift+Enter Mastering Excel Array Formulas fills in a gap, thoroughly explaining Excel array formulas.

    Also – Pivot Table Data Crunching Excel 2013 that I co-wrote with Mike Alexander is the first book to cover regular pivot tables, Power Pivot, Power View and Power Map.

    • Thank you Bill. Its a real pleasure to have Mr. Excel filling up my comments section.

      When I first saw your comment, I tried to get the wife to give me a high-five…

      But she wasn’t that into it. Something about me being a nerd. I don’t know 🙂

      Anyways. Anything that Mike Girvin does is instantly only the list. I am a big fan of his Youtube Channel “ExcelIsFun”.

      I have also been adding to this list daily. I am shocked by how many have you as an author.

      If you would like to provide any additional detail on any of your books for my readers… feel free to fill up the comments section…

      I have promised the wife no more high-fives though.

      Rick

    • Thanks Andy-
      You have given me 3 weeks worth of work going through your list. But I am up for the challenge.

      Everyone else-
      If you aren’t already VERY familiar with Andy’s site. I highly recommend you visit him at http://www.andypope.info/ . He is an Excel MVP that runs one of the premier Excel sites on the web.

      Thanks for stopping by Andy.

      Rick

  • Here is my contribution (well i’m the author; and i thought hey, where the h…)
    It is a book in Spanish, named “Ya se Excel, pero necesito mas”
    (the translation could be: I already know Excel, but I need more)

    It’s for those people who are sceptic because they think they know everyting about Excel. And as they go reading they discover a new world
    For people who want to go from current basic/intermediate level to actual advanced level.

    Here’s the link
    http://www.necesitomas.com/excel

    I hope you consider it

  • Rick,

    A few more

    Excel Basics To Blackbelt – Dr. Elliot Bendoly
    Microsoft® Excel® 2010: Data Analysis and Business Modeling – Wayne L. Winston Ph.D.
    Microsoft® Office Excel® 2007: Data Analysis and Business Modeling – Wayne L. Winston Ph.D.
    A Complete Guide to PivotTables: A Visual Approach – Paul Cornell
    Dashboards for Excel – Jordan Goldmeier

    • Thanks Winston-

      Its always a pleasure to have you on the site. You bring a lot of depth and resources to the table. Dr. Elliot and Jordans book have been added. I didn’t even know Jordan had a book 🙂 I will review Dr Winston’s book soon.

      By the way – are you launching an Excel based BLOG ? If so, let me know when it launches so that I can add you to our Resources and Support Page.

      Rick

    • Thanks Brian. If I called it a library somewhere… then GREAT. That should mean I can close down the page at 5pm everyday to get some sleep. Heck — there may even be some government funding in it for me. 🙂

      Adding the Excel Is Magic book Now to the 2007 list. Thanks for pointing it out and adding to the conversation.

      Rick

  • Rick,

    I have to thanks you for putting together a great book list!! Just finished Advanced Excel Essentials, incredible book and definitely not like most Excel books on the market.

    Can you recommend another brook that talks about “why to do it” rather than “How to”?

    If you can’t think of one are there any blog posts that come to mind that speak on this topic?

    Thanks!

  • M Is for (Data) Monkey: A Guide to the M Language in Excel Power Query by Ken Puls (Author), Miguel Escobar (Author)
    DAX Patterns 2015 by Alberto Ferrari (Author), Marco Russo (Author)
    Microsoft Excel 2013 Building Data Models with PowerPivot (Business Skills) by Alberto Ferrari (Author), Marco Russo (Author)
    this are ones that are always near me 🙂

  • it is one of the best lists for choosing the best work Excel books. Inspired by this list, Highly energetic blog, I liked that a lot.

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