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41st out of 152 books
—
104 voters
Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean
Companies expect managers to use financial data to allocate resources and run their departments. But many managers can't read a balance sheet, wouldn't recognize a liquidity ratio, and don't know how to calculate return on investment. Worse, they don't have any idea where the numbers come from or how reliable they really are. In Financial Intelligence, Karen Berman and Joe...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
January 1st 2006
by Harvard Business Review Press
(first published December 7th 2005)
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This book is probably the best overall reading material in understanding Managerial Accounting and to be able to understand what people in your finance departments at work, be it your CFO or co-workers to even better understanding your CPA at tax time.
I am somewhat biased to most books from Harvard Business Publishing (due in part to a contributing author/member of the Harvard Business Review advisory council) mainly because their material is very in depth and not always that easy to jump into....more
I am somewhat biased to most books from Harvard Business Publishing (due in part to a contributing author/member of the Harvard Business Review advisory council) mainly because their material is very in depth and not always that easy to jump into....more
I bought this back when I was in college, I think, and never got around to reading it. I had a free evening and decided to pull it off my shelf. Since I bought it, I have gotten a CPA and various broker-dealer certifications, so the book was essentially useless at this point > I skimmed it over the course of an evening. I think this would serve as a pretty good primer to financial management for someone who doesn't have any background in it.
If you want to understand financial concepts then this book is perfect for you. It's a must read for every decision maker with no financial expertise. Nonfinancial managers will gain a new understanding of how to build their company's success, with solid financials. It was supported with real life examples which make it interesting and easy to understand.The book demonstrates several financial statements and scenarios that eveyone should understand.
Easily the best book I have read on the financial fundamentals of business. The authors do a magnificent job of keeping some fairly difficult concepts simple with good, illustrative examples. Recommended for everyone who doesn't understand that cash ≠ profit, as well as anyone who wishes to increase their understanding of the concepts involved.
Good foundational explanation of finance for anyone who wants to improve their basic knowledge of balance sheets, cash flow, etc. The chapters are short and the easy to understand. It's something that you could read over your lunch break and after 10-14 days you would have completed it.
A fairly simple and straight forward overview of basic financial terms, how to calculate them and what they mean. While a little basic, this was exactly what I was looking for as Mr Case took the time to also go over how financials can be shifted based on who is doing the reporting.
Small and concise, this is a good refresher for financial accounting in the work place. I wish there were more real examples, but the book makes a good effort to bring finances in a plain language.
Absolutely a must-read for anyone who's wondered how money works inside an organization. Easily digestible and very sensibly laid out.
I should re-read it every 2 years to stay fresh.
I should re-read it every 2 years to stay fresh.
This is a basic, helpful overview of financial "things". I read it prior to bschool so I'd be more comfortable with basic topics and jargon -- I survived at least!
Nov 15, 2012
Jeff Vankooten
added it
Fantastic and essential book for any small business owner. A bit technical at times but never anything I couldn't figure out. It was well written.
The authors of this book did a great job making the fundamentals of finance easy to read and understand. The book presents material that will help any non-financial manager gain a better understanding of they impact the bottom line and how, with the understanding, can be more influential and successful as a manager. The authors draw some parallels with their material and Marine Corps philosophy of leadership that I can certainly relate to as a former Marine. :)
Really enjoyed this book and was a good reminder of everything I learned in Finance class in college.
A should-read book on managing technology for managers, executives, and entrepreneurs.
Aug 04, 2011
Anna
added it
This is the assigned reading for my Fiscal Management class. Isn't that exciting?
A great explanation of numbers in business and what they mean. Without being too overbearing...
This book was included in my book: The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. www.100bestbiz.com
Highly recommended for financial basics.
May 30, 2012
Roland
is currently reading it
The book is an eye-opener to financial management
Loved it!
Even though I went to school for business there was always topics we didn't get to spend quite enough time on so when we purchased a business I wanted to read as much as I could to help in this endeavor.
This book was exceptional and would be recommended reading no matter what position you hold in the company.
Everyone who reads this book will gain a new perspective on the financial position of the company as well as being able to help the company grow to to their full potential.
This book was exceptional and would be recommended reading no matter what position you hold in the company.
Everyone who reads this book will gain a new perspective on the financial position of the company as well as being able to help the company grow to to their full potential.
A very good book for gaining a quick, clear idea about corporate finance. I highly recommend it.
This is, without a doubt, the best treatment of real-world managerial finance to be found in a single volume. Berman, Knight, and Case present topics such as the time value of money, financial statements, and ratio analysis in a manner that is both intuitive and highly approachable.
This should be required reading for not only incoming MBAs, but for anyone charged with effectively managing company resources.
Highly recommended.
This should be required reading for not only incoming MBAs, but for anyone charged with effectively managing company resources.
Highly recommended.
Easy to read and useful book for those eho want to understand company finances,how to improve them and take good decisions.
I do business case work and thought I knew enough. But this book really puts all the "numbers" in a context that anyone in the technology field can understand and it's even entertaining.
This book made my accounting class much easier. I wish all text books were this easy to read. It cover the basics that all managers should understand.
This is a fantastic book on the subject of accounting. If you have struggled with understanding financial documents, this book is perfect for you.
This is a great book to get a basic understanding of business finance. It give you an entirely new perspective on what "the bottom line" means.
Gives a good overview of finance and how companies look at the numbers. I'm glad I read it, but it is elementary.
Aug 17, 2007
Indrajit Chatterji
is currently reading it
basic read to brush up rusty fundamentals
Terrific book. Easy to understand.
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