8 Best-Selling Microsoft Sharepoint Books Millions Love

Discover why experts like Scot Hillier, Stephen Cawood, and Vanessa L. Williams recommend these best-selling Microsoft Sharepoint books trusted by professionals worldwide.

Updated on June 24, 2025
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When millions of users and top experts converge on a select group of books, you know there's something valuable inside. Microsoft SharePoint remains a cornerstone platform for collaboration, content management, and business intelligence in countless organizations. Its evolving features demand resources that not only explain complex functionality but also deliver proven methods that readers can trust.

Experts such as Scot Hillier, a Microsoft SharePoint MVP and seasoned consultant, and Stephen Cawood, a former Microsoft Program Manager, have championed books that break down SharePoint’s complexities with clarity and practical focus. Vanessa L. Williams’ approachable guides have introduced administrators to the platform's powerful yet accessible tools, while Mariano Norm Warren and others have specialized in leveraging SharePoint’s business intelligence capabilities.

While these popular books provide proven frameworks and strategies, readers seeking content tailored to their specific Microsoft SharePoint needs might consider creating a personalized Microsoft SharePoint book that combines these validated approaches with your unique background and goals.

Best for business analysts and admins
Business Intelligence in Microsoft SharePoint® 2010 offers a detailed exploration of SharePoint’s BI tools, backed by Microsoft Press’s trusted publishing. The book provides step-by-step guidance on using various BI components like Excel Services, PowerPivot, and PerformancePoint Services to solve real-world business challenges. Its practical approach helps SharePoint administrators, developers, and analysts determine which BI technologies fit best for their specific needs, making it a valuable asset for anyone aiming to harness SharePoint’s full potential for business intelligence.
Business Intelligence in Microsoft SharePoint® 2010 book cover

by Norman P. Warren, Mariano Teixeira Neto, John Campbell, Stacia Misner·You?

2011·416 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, Dashboard Building, Performance Metrics

Unlike most Microsoft SharePoint books that focus solely on administration, this one zeroes in on the business intelligence capabilities embedded in SharePoint 2010. The authors, with deep experience in Microsoft technologies, guide you through using tools like PowerPivot, PerformancePoint Services, and Excel Services to create meaningful BI solutions. You’ll learn how to mash up data from multiple sources, build dashboards, and visualize key performance indicators effectively. This book suits SharePoint admins, SQL Server developers, and business analysts looking to leverage SharePoint for BI, offering practical insights into when and how to apply each tool within the Microsoft ecosystem.

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Best for citizen developers and site owners
Microsoft® SharePoint® Designer 2010 Step by Step offers a practical, hands-on approach to mastering SharePoint Designer for building and customizing SharePoint 2010 applications. This book has earned wide adoption by site owners and citizen developers who want to create business solutions without heavy coding. It guides you through essential features like workflow creation, site customization, and data integration, all supported by clear images and stepwise instructions. Whether you’re aiming to automate processes or tailor site designs, this book equips you to enhance your SharePoint environment with confidence and clarity.
2011·592 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, Workflow Automation, Business Applications, Web Parts, Site Customization

Penelope Coventry’s background in SharePoint and her commitment to empowering non-developers shine through in this detailed guide for Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010. You’ll learn how to create business applications and workflows without writing code, using intuitive tools like Web Parts and CSS customization. The book walks you through practical tasks—like customizing site pages and automating processes—while explaining why each step matters, making it a solid pick for site owners or citizen developers seeking more control over their SharePoint environment. While it’s technical, the book’s clear screenshots and ribbon command images ensure you can follow along even if you’re new to the software.

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Best for tailored BI mastery
This AI-created book on SharePoint intelligence is tailored to your specific goals and current skill level. By sharing your experience and areas of interest, the book focuses on the business intelligence tools within SharePoint that matter most to you. It offers a personalized pathway through the complexities of data integration, visualization, and performance tracking. This custom approach ensures you learn efficiently and effectively, avoiding generic content and instead concentrating on what will truly enhance your SharePoint expertise.
2025·50-300 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, Business Intelligence, Data Integration, Dashboard Design, Performance Metrics

This tailored book explores the integration of business intelligence within Microsoft SharePoint, focusing on how you can harness SharePoint's powerful tools to analyze and visualize data effectively. It covers core concepts such as data integration, dashboard creation, and performance measurement, all customized to match your background and goals. By concentrating on your interests, this personalized guide reveals practical ways to leverage SharePoint’s BI features to enhance decision-making and collaboration across your organization. It examines how to combine Excel Services, Power BI components, and SharePoint lists to deliver actionable insights tailored to your unique workflows. This focused approach ensures you gain confident mastery of SharePoint's business intelligence capabilities, aligned precisely with your learning needs.

Tailored Guide
BI Integration Expertise
3,000+ Books Generated
Best for new SharePoint administrators
Vanessa L. Williams’ SharePoint 2010 For Dummies stands out as a practical resource for those wanting to understand and utilize Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Office 365. This edition addresses the enhanced cloud functionalities and offers straightforward guidance on launching and managing SharePoint sites. It’s tailored primarily for administrators and small-business managers who need to consolidate information and applications into a cohesive portal. The book’s approachable style and focus on real-world usage make it a helpful tool for navigating SharePoint's complex environment and maximizing its collaborative potential.
SharePoint 2010 For Dummies book cover

by Vanessa L. Williams·You?

2012·504 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, SharePoint Development, Cloud Collaboration, Site Management, Office 365 Integration

What started as a need to demystify SharePoint 2010 for everyday users became a clear, accessible guide authored by Vanessa L. Williams. Drawing from her expertise in IT and technical writing, Williams walks you through setting up and managing SharePoint sites, including branding, content population, and ongoing administration. You’ll gain practical insights into leveraging SharePoint and Office 365’s cloud capabilities for collaboration within and beyond your organization. This book suits administrators and small-business website managers eager to make the most of SharePoint’s features without getting lost in technical jargon.

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Best for SharePoint developers focusing on apps
Scot Hillier is an independent consultant and Microsoft SharePoint Most Valuable Professional known for his extensive work creating solutions for Information Workers using SharePoint and related Microsoft technologies. With 15 books and DVDs to his name, his expertise shines through in this guide focused on the app model introduced in SharePoint 2013. Hillier’s background as a seasoned speaker at major SharePoint events and his practical consulting experience inform the clear and focused approach this book takes to help developers extend SharePoint’s capabilities.
Microsoft SharePoint 2013 App Development (Developer Reference) book cover

by Scot Hillier, Ted Pattison··You?

2013·208 pages·SharePoint Development, Microsoft Sharepoint, App Development, Security, JavaScript

Scot Hillier, a respected Microsoft SharePoint Most Valuable Professional, brings a deep technical background and hands-on experience with SharePoint and .NET technologies to this developer-focused guide. You’ll learn how to extend SharePoint 2013 by designing and building apps that integrate seamlessly with SharePoint sites, including creating SharePoint-hosted and developer-hosted apps, managing lists, event handlers, and client-side programming with JavaScript. The book includes practical examples like establishing user and application security, helping you gain a solid grasp of the SharePoint app model. This book suits developers seeking to enhance their SharePoint skills with targeted app development techniques rather than broad platform overviews.

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Best for building practical business solutions
Beginning SharePoint 2013: Building Business Solutions offers a thorough introduction to the latest SharePoint iteration, emphasizing practical application in business contexts. This book’s appeal lies in its clear explanations of how to tailor SharePoint’s extensive features—like lists, libraries, and workflows—to solve everyday information management problems. It addresses critical configuration and customization tasks, making it a solid choice for professionals aiming to harness SharePoint 2013’s capabilities effectively. The authors’ approach helps you move beyond theory, making the platform work for your specific organizational needs.
Beginning SharePoint 2013: Building Business Solutions book cover

by Amanda Perran, Shane Perran, Jennifer Mason, Laura Rogers·You?

2013·672 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, SharePoint Development, Content Management, Workflow Configuration, Permissions Management

After extensive updates for SharePoint 2013, Amanda Perran and her coauthors deliver a practical guide focused on building effective business solutions using this platform. You gain hands-on understanding of how to manage permissions, configure workflows, and utilize content types through detailed scenarios that mirror real organizational challenges. The book also explores social features, forms management, and business connectivity services, giving you a broad toolkit to customize SharePoint for diverse needs. If you're looking to confidently implement SharePoint 2013 in your business environment, this book offers grounded insights without unnecessary jargon.

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Best for rapid SharePoint mastery
This AI-created book on SharePoint customization is crafted based on your background and goals. You share your current experience and the specific SharePoint features you want to master, and the book focuses on delivering exactly what you need. Personalizing content for SharePoint helps you avoid unnecessary information and hones in on practical steps tailored to your setup. Whether you're advancing site design or improving workflows, this custom book helps you learn efficiently and achieve real results.
2025·50-300 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, SharePoint Basics, Site Customization, Workflow Automation, User Permissions

This tailored book explores efficient techniques to build and customize SharePoint, focusing on your interests and goals. It covers essential SharePoint features, practical customization steps, and ways to streamline collaboration and content management. By matching your background, the book provides a personalized roadmap to accelerate your mastery of SharePoint’s capabilities. It reveals actionable insights into site design, workflow automation, user permissions, and integration options, allowing you to gain hands-on experience with the platform. The approach emphasizes rapid, focused learning through tailored content that adapts to your specific needs. It examines common challenges and effective solutions, offering a clear path to achieving tangible SharePoint improvements in just 30 days.

Tailored Content
Workflow Automation
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for comprehensive platform management
Stephen Cawood brings unmatched expertise as a SharePoint MVP and former Microsoft Program Manager on the SharePoint product teams. He wrote this book to translate his deep knowledge into practical guidance for users navigating SharePoint 2013. His experience developing web-based content management tools and earning three patents lends unique authority, making this a solid resource for anyone looking to fully utilize Microsoft's collaboration platform.
2013·288 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, SharePoint Development, Document Management, Content Collaboration, Taxonomy

Stephen Cawood's extensive experience as a SharePoint MVP and former Microsoft Program Manager on the SharePoint product teams informs this guide, offering you a clear path through SharePoint 2013's diverse features. You'll learn to build and manage sites, harness document libraries with version control, create taxonomies, and tap into social collaboration tools like blogs and wikis. The book also introduces SharePoint administration and development basics, making it accessible whether you're setting up your first site or expanding an existing platform. If you're aiming to improve organizational content management and foster team collaboration, this book lays out the necessary skills without overcomplication.

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Business Intelligence In Microsoft Sharepoint 2010, W/cd offers a focused look at how SharePoint 2010 can be harnessed to deliver business intelligence solutions. The book addresses the growing need for organizations to turn data into actionable insights using SharePoint’s built-in BI tools. It appeals to IT professionals and business analysts seeking to implement dashboards, reporting services, and data connections within their SharePoint environments. By breaking down BI integration techniques specific to SharePoint 2010, this work contributes practical knowledge to anyone wanting to improve data accessibility and decision support through Microsoft’s platform.
2011·Microsoft Sharepoint, Business Intelligence, Data Analysis, Dashboard Design, Excel Services

While working as a SharePoint consultant, Mariano Norm Warren observed that many businesses struggled to leverage SharePoint 2010's business intelligence features effectively. This book dives into practical methods for integrating BI tools within SharePoint, helping you design dashboards, use Excel Services, and implement data connections seamlessly. You’ll find detailed explanations of SharePoint’s BI capabilities and deployment strategies that benefit IT professionals and business analysts aiming to enhance data-driven decision-making. Its focus on actionable BI solutions for SharePoint 2010 makes it a solid choice if you're looking to deepen your technical understanding and apply BI in a Microsoft environment.

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Best for mastering collaboration tools
SharePoint 2013 User's Guide offers a practical roadmap through Microsoft's business collaboration platform, designed around the real-world experience of Anthony Smith. The book’s methodical walkthrough of SharePoint’s tools and services equips you to transform how your organization shares information and works together. It’s especially useful for those looking to deepen their hands-on understanding of building and managing SharePoint environments tailored to business needs.
2013·557 pages·Microsoft Sharepoint, Collaboration, Information Management, Business Process, Workflow

Anthony Smith draws on years of hands-on experience with Microsoft's collaboration tools to craft this detailed guide to SharePoint 2013. You’ll learn how to navigate and utilize core components like lists, libraries, workflows, and social features that power effective teamwork and information sharing. The book balances practical instruction with strategic insights, showing how to tailor SharePoint environments to real business needs. If your role involves managing or using SharePoint within an organization, this book offers a grounded approach to mastering the platform’s capabilities without unnecessary jargon.

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Proven Microsoft SharePoint Methods Customized

Get expert-backed SharePoint strategies personalized exactly for your needs and goals.

Targeted learning paths
Faster skill building
Customized solutions

Validated by thousands of Microsoft SharePoint enthusiasts and industry experts

SharePoint Intelligence Blueprint
30-Day SharePoint Accelerator
Strategic SharePoint Foundations
SharePoint Success Secrets

Conclusion

These eight best-selling Microsoft SharePoint books collectively emphasize frameworks that have stood the test of time and widespread validation. They cover everything from foundational administration and site customization to advanced business intelligence and app development.

If you prefer proven methods with clear instructions, starting with Vanessa L. Williams’ "SharePoint 2010 For Dummies" or Amanda Perran's "Beginning SharePoint 2013" will ground you in the essentials. For validated approaches that push your skills further, combining Scot Hillier’s app development insights with Stephen Cawood’s platform management techniques is a smart move.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized Microsoft SharePoint book to blend proven methods with your unique needs and accelerate your mastery. These widely-adopted approaches have helped many readers succeed in navigating and leveraging Microsoft SharePoint’s potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with "SharePoint 2010 For Dummies" by Vanessa L. Williams. It offers a clear, approachable introduction that helps you get comfortable with SharePoint basics before moving to more specialized topics.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Microsoft SharePoint?

Not at all. Books like "SharePoint 2010 For Dummies" and "Beginning SharePoint 2013" are designed for newcomers, providing step-by-step guidance without assuming prior expertise.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with foundational books like Vanessa L. Williams’ and Amanda Perran’s. Then explore specialized topics such as business intelligence or app development with Mariano Norm Warren or Scot Hillier’s guides.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can pick based on your focus. For example, choose business intelligence books if that’s your goal, or app development if you're a developer. Each book offers deep value in its niche.

Are any of these books outdated given how fast Microsoft SharePoint changes?

While technology evolves, these books provide timeless principles and workflows that form the foundation of effective SharePoint use, making them valuable even as features update.

Can I get a Microsoft SharePoint book tailored to my specific needs?

Yes! While expert books lay the groundwork, you can create a personalized Microsoft SharePoint book tailored to your skill level, goals, and focus areas, complementing these proven methods perfectly.

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