7 SSAS Books That Shape Expert Mastery

Discover SSAS Books authored by leading authorities including Marco Russo, Louise Righton, and others, delivering trusted insights and strategies.

Updated on June 28, 2025
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What if you could unlock the full power of SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) to transform your data analytics approach? SSAS remains a cornerstone technology for business intelligence, yet mastering its nuances can feel daunting. With so many books on the market, how do you identify those that truly deepen your expertise and deliver practical value?

This collection highlights seven books penned by recognized authorities who have shaped the SSAS landscape. From Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari's deep dives into DAX and tabular modeling to Louise Righton's and Richard Parker's unique perspectives on SSAS pensions, these works deliver rigor, real-world insights, and actionable strategies. Their combined experience spans decades of consulting, development, and hands-on implementation.

While these expert-curated titles provide proven frameworks, readers seeking content tailored to their specific SSAS experience, industry focus, and learning goals might consider creating a personalized SSAS book that builds on these insights, enabling a more customized learning journey.

Best for mastering advanced DAX techniques
Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari, founders of sqlbi.com and recognized experts in Microsoft BI technologies, wrote this guide to fill the gap in deep, practical knowledge about DAX and Analysis Services. Their long experience working with Power BI and Power Pivot since 2009 drives the book’s focus on both fundamental concepts and advanced techniques, making it a critical resource for those looking to elevate their data modeling and analytical skills.

Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari, founders of sqlbi.com and seasoned Microsoft BI consultants, share their deep expertise in this detailed guide to mastering DAX for Power BI, Excel, and Analysis Services. You’ll uncover how DAX expressions work internally, enabling you to write faster, more efficient code, and learn to leverage advanced features like calculation groups and variables (VAR) to simplify complex models. The book covers everything from core concepts like calculated columns and measures to optimization techniques that improve query performance and data compression. If your work involves building sophisticated business intelligence models with Microsoft tools, this book offers the rigorous technical foundation you need.

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Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari are seasoned experts who have shaped Microsoft's BI ecosystem since 1999. Founders of sqlbi.com, they bring deep knowledge in Power BI, DAX, and SSAS, making this book a natural extension of their hands-on consulting and mentoring. Their extensive conference experience at Microsoft Ignite and PASS Summit informs a practical approach to tabular modeling, aimed at helping you master these tools with confidence.
2017·512 pages·SSAS, Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Server, Business Intelligence, Data Modeling

Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari bring decades of experience with Microsoft Analysis Services to this detailed guide on tabular modeling. They offer you a clear path through building robust BI solutions using SQL Server Analysis Services 2016's enhanced tabular features, covering everything from basic data model creation to complex optimization and deployment strategies. Whether you're transitioning from older multidimensional models or starting fresh, you gain practical insights into designing scalable data models that support real-world business intelligence needs. The book’s chapters on advanced performance tuning and scalability are particularly useful for developers aiming to refine their solutions.

Published by Microsoft Press
2nd Edition Release
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Best for personalized learning paths
This AI-created book on SSAS mastery is tailored to your experience level and objectives. By sharing your background and the SSAS topics you wish to focus on, this book is crafted to match your specific learning goals. It guides you through complex SSAS concepts in a way that fits your understanding, making your study both efficient and relevant. Unlike generic resources, this personalized book helps you gain targeted knowledge suited just for you.
2025·50-300 pages·SSAS, SSAS Fundamentals, Data Modeling, Tabular Models, Multidimensional Models

This tailored book offers a deep dive into SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), exploring core concepts alongside advanced topics that align with your experience and objectives. It reveals how SSAS structures and processes data, covering multidimensional and tabular models while addressing your specific interests like DAX, MDX, or cube deployment. With a personalized focus, it matches your background to deliver clear explanations and examples that resonate with your learning goals. This approach bridges expert knowledge with your unique context to enhance understanding and practical application, making complex SSAS topics accessible and engaging for your particular needs.

AI-Tailored
Advanced SSAS Techniques
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for practical SSAS implementation
Steven Hughes is the director of consulting and an enterprise architect at 3Cloud, specializing in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services and Power BI implementations. His deep expertise across industries like healthcare and finance, coupled with multiple Microsoft certifications, grounds this book in practical knowledge. Driven by a passion for making data both valuable and profitable, Hughes offers you a detailed roadmap to mastering the tools and techniques essential for modern SSAS development.
2020·476 pages·SSAS, SQL Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Tabular Modeling, Multi-Dimensional Modeling

Steven Hughes leverages his extensive experience as an enterprise architect and consultant to guide you through the intricacies of SQL Server 2019 Analysis Services. You'll gain hands-on knowledge about designing both tabular and multi-dimensional models, mastering MDX queries, and implementing the latest DAX features like calculation groups. The book also delves into practical aspects such as server deployment, data security, and integration with Power BI and Excel for visualization. If you're working in BI or data analytics and want to deepen your technical skills in SSAS, this book offers detailed instruction grounded in real-world applications across industries like healthcare and finance.

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Tomislav Piasevoli, a Business Intelligence specialist recognized with six consecutive Microsoft MVP awards, brings years of hands-on experience working with SSAS to this book. His deep knowledge, as demonstrated through successful BI solutions and active community help on MSDN forums, forms the backbone of this cookbook. The book reflects his commitment to sharing practical MDX expertise that helps you tackle the challenges of multidimensional data analysis in SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services.
2016·586 pages·SSAS, MDX Queries, Time Calculations, Business Intelligence, Cube Design

What started as Tomislav Piasevoli's deep involvement with Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) solutions evolved into this detailed cookbook designed for anyone wrestling with multidimensional data. The book walks you through over 70 distinct recipes, each focusing on practical MDX queries and calculations, such as time-aware analytics and metadata-driven calculations, with examples that build in complexity chapter by chapter. You learn not just how to write queries but also how to optimize performance and debug issues effectively, making it especially useful if you develop or manage SSAS cubes or generate business intelligence reports. If your role involves pulling insights from multidimensional databases or improving BI reporting, this book offers concrete techniques without fluff.

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Best for SSAS certification preparation
Stacia Varga, a Microsoft Data Platform MVP since 2011, brings decades of experience with SQL Server Analysis Services to this book. She has helped countless organizations succeed with BI solutions since SSAS’s inception and has authored multiple authoritative texts in the field. Through her company, Data Inspirations, and her leadership in SQL Server communities, Varga offers you a resource grounded in real expertise, tailored to elevate your skills in SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services.
2017·384 pages·SSAS, Business Intelligence, Data Modeling, MDX Queries, DAX Queries

Drawing from her extensive experience as a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and a longtime authority on SQL Server Analysis Services, Stacia Varga crafted this guide to sharpen your expertise in BI solutions development. You'll gain practical skills in designing both multidimensional and tabular semantic models, mastering MDX and DAX query languages, and configuring SSAS environments. The book’s structure aligns with Microsoft Exam 70-768 objectives, offering scenario-based challenges that strengthen your decision-making for real-world applications. If you’re an IT or database professional looking to deepen your command of SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services and prepare for certification, this book offers focused, rigorous training without fluff.

Published by Microsoft Press
Author is Microsoft Data Platform MVP
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Best for rapid skill growth
This AI-created book on SSAS proficiency is tailored to your current skills and learning objectives. You share your experience level, the specific SSAS topics you want to focus on, and your goals for rapid growth. The book is then crafted to guide you through a personalized 30-day journey, making complex SSAS concepts approachable and relevant. This focused approach helps you gain practical skills efficiently, without wading through unrelated material.
2025·50-300 pages·SSAS, SSAS Fundamentals, Tabular Modeling, MDX Queries, DAX Calculations

This tailored book explores a step-by-step approach to quickly mastering SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), focusing on your specific background and learning goals. It covers essential concepts and practical techniques that build your SSAS proficiency within thirty days. By concentrating on your particular interests and skill level, it offers a clear, focused path through core features such as tabular modeling, MDX queries, and performance tuning. The personalized format ensures the content matches your pace and objectives, making complex SSAS topics accessible and actionable. Whether you aim to enhance data modeling skills or accelerate your understanding of SSAS architecture, this book provides a custom learning experience designed to help you grow efficiently.

Tailored Guide
SSAS Skill Boosting
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for SSAS pension and investment insights
Louise Righton has spent three decades as a senior marketer in life sciences and is a seasoned property investor and SSAS Trustee. Her deep firsthand knowledge and role as a founder member of the SSAS Alliance drove her to co-author this book, aiming to demystify SSAS for entrepreneurs and property investors. Drawing on her experience and passion for financial independence, she offers readers a clear pathway to harness SSAS for business and personal benefit.
SSAS Superstars book cover

by Louise Righton, Mark Stokes··You?

2020·223 pages·SSAS, Pensions, Investing, Property Investment, Business Finance

Louise Righton draws on her extensive marketing career and personal experience as a SSAS Trustee to reveal how entrepreneurs and property investors can harness Small Self-Administered Schemes to fuel business growth and personal wealth. The book walks you through real-life case studies of ten entrepreneurs who use SSAS to lend to their own ventures, reduce fees, and create lasting legacies. You'll gain insights into the practical mechanics of managing your pension while collaborating with fellow trustees for sustained value. This book suits business owners and investors ready to take greater control over their financial futures through SSAS.

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Best for building wealth with SSAS pensions
Richard Parker, with a strong foundation in mechanical engineering and an MBA from Henley Management College, spent over two decades working in the automotive industry before venturing into management and property development. His firsthand experience managing corporate pensions sparked a deeper interest in SSAS pensions, leading him to write this book to fill the gap of practical knowledge available. His unique combination of technical and business expertise enables him to guide you through the complexities of SSAS pensions, helping you unlock control and strategic use of your retirement funds.
2020·172 pages·SSAS, Pension Management, Wealth Building, Legacy Planning, Impact Investing

Drawing from his extensive background in engineering and business management, Richard Parker unpacks the intricacies of SSAS pensions with a clarity that demystifies this complex financial tool. You’ll learn how to transfer corporate pension funds into a SSAS, gaining control over investments and the potential to preserve wealth across generations. The book walks you through managing your SSAS like a business, emphasizing impact investing and strategies to legally minimize inheritance tax exposure. This is especially useful if you want to break away from traditional pension assumptions and build a lasting financial legacy. However, it’s best suited for those ready to engage actively with their pension planning rather than passive investors.

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Conclusion

Across these seven books, clear themes emerge: the critical role of mastering DAX and MDX query languages, the importance of effective tabular and multidimensional modeling, and the strategic advantages of leveraging SSAS for pension and wealth management.

If you’re focusing on enhancing your technical skills, starting with Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari’s guides alongside Steven Hughes’s practical approach will ground you in core SSAS development. For those looking to navigate the financial side, Louise Righton’s and Richard Parker’s pension-focused books offer valuable perspectives.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized SSAS book to bridge the gap between general principles and your specific situation. These books can help you accelerate your learning journey and confidently harness SSAS to its full potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Start with "The Definitive Guide to DAX" if your goal is to master the core language behind SSAS models. It lays a strong foundation for both beginners and seasoned users moving into advanced data modeling.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to SSAS?

While some titles dive deep into technical details, books like "SSAS Superstars" and "SSAS Pension Legacy" provide accessible insights, especially if you're interested in pension applications of SSAS.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with foundational texts like "The Definitive Guide to DAX" and "Tabular Modeling in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services," then explore specialized areas such as MDX querying and pension strategies.

Should I start with the newest book or a classic?

Newer editions like "Hands-On SQL Server 2019 Analysis Services" reflect the latest SSAS features, but classics by Russo and Ferrari remain invaluable for their deep expertise and foundational knowledge.

Do these books assume I already have experience in SSAS?

Some books, such as "Exam Ref 70-768 Developing SQL Data Models," target professionals preparing for certification and expect a baseline understanding, while others offer practical introductions suitable for motivated learners.

Can personalized SSAS books complement these expert works?

Yes, personalized SSAS books can tailor expert knowledge to your unique background and goals, bridging theory and application. They complement authoritative texts by addressing your specific learning needs. Learn more here.

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