I read the 2021 version.
Summary
As the title suggests, this book is filled with recipes to navigate around Tableau to create your next visualisation (viz). A side story before getting into the things I like (reasons you may consider when you are thinking of you shall pick up the book) is that I have initially gone through a few pages and wanted to put the book aside. It is because the e-book version is not properly formatted on the browser. Luckily, I have managed to download the free OverDrive reader that has somehow managed to keep the pictures in the book aligned properly. Hence, if you are picking the e-book version, an e-book reader is something you need.
Things I like
1. The structure allows readers to get into the topic quickly. As a cookbook, the sections are breakdown into "Recipes". Each recipe starts with a "Problem", a problem statement, that describes the issue or the goal. It is followed by "Solution", the step-by-step guide to solving the problem given. After which, it includes "Discussion" whereby some extra tips and tricks are given to resolve the problem.
2. An in-depth guide to using Tableau. Although the book may hit an issue of becoming outdating as Tableau updates, the book offers readers insights into how almost every clickable button on the software works. There are some functions that even experienced users may not have used before.
3. The book takes you from the basics to the advanced mechanics of Tableau. Like how many sauces are derived from the 5 mother sauces in French cooking, at the start of each chapter, the first recipe is being used to build upon the next ones. Therefore, it can be said that each chapter starts with the foundation, and helps readers to develop the next item on the menu.
Final Verdict: Possibly a good introductory text for Tableau for beginners, and also a book for experienced users who may find isolated pockets of ideas for their next Tableau projects.