HomeAuthor InterviewsSteve Hughes talks about his new book "Hands-On SQL Server 2019 Analysis...

Steve Hughes talks about his new book “Hands-On SQL Server 2019 Analysis Services”

Steve Hughes is the author of Hands-On SQL Server 2019 Analysis Services and SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Cube Development Cookbook. We got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.

Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey.

Steve: I was a co-author of a book on Analysis Services in 2012. I have worked on a few books through the years. Packt has reached out a few times. When they offered an opportunity to work on a project with a tool that helped build my career through the years, I was excited to take it on.

Q: How long did it take you to write the book?

Steve: Longer than planned due to Covid, about 9 months.

Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?

Steve: I have been working with versions of Analysis Services over 20 years. It is like I have been researching this book for most of my career.

Q: Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?

Steve: This book is a hands on guide to help business professionals with experience in tools such as Power BI and Excel to take their analysis to the next level.

Q: What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?

Steve: Multidimensional models are tried and true, but complex for some users. Tabular models are the wave of the future with roots in Excel PowerPivot and Power BI. Tabular is more approachable and Power BI users will find the design similar. Microsoft continues to invest in Power BI and Analysis Services. I think these tools will continue to come together to reinforce Microsoft’s business intelligence and analytics platform capabilities.

Q: Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?

Steve: COVID-19 occurred when we started writing. This changed my family situation as well as impacted how work was done. Thanks to the flexibility of the Packt team, we were able to work around the impacts and complete the work.

Q: What advice would you give to readers learning tech? Do you have any top tips?

Steve: Take your time and do your research. Technology today is changing on a regular basis. It takes use and practice to be good at your work.

Q. How do you keep up-to-date on your tech?

Steve: I present on topics and write about them. This forces me to use the technology and explain it to others.

Q. Do you have a blog that readers can follow?

Steve: www.dataonwheels.com

Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?

Steve: This experience was really great! Packt has come a long way since my first work with them. They truly helped me produce quality work.

You can find Steve’s books on Amazon by clicking on the cover image:

Hands-On SQL Server 2019 Analysis Services – Available on Amazon.com
SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Cube Development Cookbook – Available on Amazon.com