Bill Jelen has a unique talent for translating complex database concepts into "Excel-speak." Unlike dry technical manuals, his books focus on practical scenarios—like how to replace VLOOKUPs with Relationships and how to write DAX measures that actually make sense.
Power Pivot is an add-in for Excel that allows you to create data models, perform data analysis, and create reports. It provides a robust data modeling engine that enables you to work with large datasets and perform complex calculations.
Power BI is a business analytics service by Microsoft that allows you to create interactive visualizations and business intelligence reports. It provides a platform to connect to various data sources, create data models, and share insights with others.
While there is titled “Power Pivot and Power BI by Bill Jelen,” the closest authoritative resource is Power Pivot Alchemy , available as a legal PDF from Holy Macro! Books / MrExcel. Jelen’s materials are uniquely valuable because they translate complex DAX and data modeling concepts into language an Excel veteran can immediately apply. For professionals seeking to master both Power Pivot (inside Excel) and Power BI (as a separate tool), combining Jelen’s Power Pivot Alchemy with Microsoft’s free Power BI documentation provides a complete, cost-effective learning path.
Are you trying to take your Excel data modeling to the next level? If you haven't read (MrExcel) work on Power Pivot and Power BI, you are missing out on one of the clearest roadmaps to mastering DAX and the Data Model.
Here are some benefits of using Power Pivot and Power BI: