Finance for Non-Financial Managers (Briefcase Books Series)

Rating:
Summary: Great Read, Excellent Reference
Review: Corporate finances are becoming increasingly important in a tight-economy world. The word is out: manage your finances well or you're in trouble. Even as our economy improves, this topic will continue to be critical. Every executive, manager, and aspiring manager must be familiar with the concepts of corporate finance.

If you are not a financial wizard, and most of us aren't, this book will give you the depth and breadth of understanding to "speak the language." Twelve well-organized chapters present the vital information about the role of financial management, the various reports that are generated-why and what they mean, profit and cash flow, and critical performance factors. The author, a Certified Management Consultant and Certified Professional Accountant with years of advisory and teaching experience under his belt, then delves into specialized areas. Readers will learn about cost accounting, business planning, budgeting, financing a business, and attracting outside investors. There is a tremendous amount of information packed into these pages.

As part of McGraw-Hill's Briefcase Book series, this book is filled with seven types of call-out boxes: Smart Managing, Cautions, Tricks of the Trade, Key Terms, Examples, Tools, and Mistake-Proofing. This is the kind of book you will read through to get a comprehensive picture, then return to as a reference book for yourself and others. The author's writing style is personal and conversational---like having a chat with an accountant who can explain what you don't understand...and what you don't even know that you don't understand. The depth is here.

There have been a number of books written on this topic over the years, many of them thick, heavy, and filled with small print and hard-to-comprehend charts and graphs. This book is designed to be enjoyed and absorbed: larger type, lightweight, and readable. Graphs and charts are clear; they make sense.

If you're going to read---and keep---a book on finance for people who don't go there frequently, this is the book. Clear some space on your bookshelf. This one's a keeper!

Rating:
Summary: Finally - a financial management guide I can understand!
Review: Gene has done a great job of capturing the finance essentials every manager needs to deal with - in a logical, easy to read manner. I found that simply reading - not studying - the book gave me far more financial understanding than any theoretical b-school course, and in much less time. The anecdotal illustrations are very helpful in delivering clear explanations without getting bogged down with jargon. Well worth the read.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to Understand, Finacial Analysis in a nutshell
Review: I teach graduate level finance for non-financial managers. I have searched many titles in an attempt to find an easy to understand finance book for students. Thank you, Gene!

The book translates the language of numbers into easy to understand English. Financial concepts are broken down into a step-by-step method so that the reader develops skills that can be used immediately.

The book is an easy read with a light touch of humor so that even the non-financial student can grasp and understand difficult topics. Two examples of the way this is approached: "He bit who?" translates to EBITDA and the checklist for managers at the end of chapter provides valuable tips for the reader.