Preface

In the ever-expanding universe of data, the ability to explore and prepare information for meaningful insights is paramount. Welcome to Data Exploration and Preparation with BigQuery. This book is a guided journey into the world of leveraging Google BigQuery, a powerful and scalable data warehouse, for unraveling the potential within your data. Whether you’re an analyst embarking on a quest for patterns or a seasoned data engineer forging pathways to actionable intelligence, this book is developed to be your companion.

In these pages, we will cover the art and science of data exploration and preparation, the foundational steps that begin the practice of data analytics. From structuring complex datasets to optimizing queries and using best practices, each chapter will direct you through the landscape of data analysis and transformation.

The book extends beyond technical nuances and dives into the philosophy of data, recognizing that behind every query, there is a story waiting to be unveiled. This book provides details beyond official documentation, providing strategies and approaches from years of customer interactions to accelerate your journey with data in BigQuery.

Google BigQuery is a leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud Database Management Systems (2022), which recognizes its exceptional capabilities and industry impact. BigQuery has earned its place by demonstrating excellence as a data warehouse with its innovative architecture designed for scalable and high-performance analytics. BigQuery empowers organizations to unlock the full potential of their data through swift and sophisticated querying and seamless integrations with other Google Cloud services.

There is an increasing demand for data analysts and data engineers, and these roles will leverage the strategies and approaches outlined in this book.