Financial Intelligence, Revised Edition: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean

This book was absolutely amazing! I took about a year of accounting courses in college, but never quite learned the intricacies of financial statement analysis. I wanted to learn not only about corporate finance, but also how to analyze financial statements. Thus, my search was on. After researching book stores and reading forums online, I learned about this book, which I looked up on Amazon.com. I love books that get straight to the point, so when I saw that this book covered corporate financial management and financial statement analysis in under 300 pages, I was in! I purchased the book from Amazon and I read it in about two weeks. I literally could not put it down. The authors speak like human beings and actually make math and finance fun and interesting. In those two weeks alone, I not only gained a better understanding of accounting, but I learned how to evaluate investments and make management decisions based on company finances. The book covers income statement analysis, balance sheet analysis, cash flow statement analysis, performance ratios, a bit of inventory management (like a financial intro to lean), and advanced capital expenditure analysis through concepts like discounted cash flow analysis. This book took me from feeling like I'd never understand certain things, to being able to discuss finance like an executive manager. I'm not kidding either, the book dives straight in and explains everything in a no nonsense approach. Financial Intelligence acted like a learning springboard for me by providing a foundation for me to read deeper into finance. I 100% recommend this book to anyone looking for a place to begin their finance studies.

Very good information presented in a very readable and understandable format.

I am a young MBA student with a Finance undergrad and currently work in Financial Accounting. I thought this book to be very enjoyable to read. The author had good tone and diction, and he presented the need-to-know concepts in an easy to read format. I would suggest every non-financial manager pick this book up to sharpen their financial skills and to gain a greater understanding of how their decisions affect the business as a whole. This book details need to know information pertaining to: The 3 financial statements, ratios, and capital decisions. I only gave it 4 stars because none of this information was new to me. This would be a very useful book for a non-financial manager.

This was exactly what I was looking for! The best financial book I've ever read for non-financial managers. It really helped my understanding of corporate finance. I think very helpful for a small business owner as well to understand their business and starting thinking like a big business when making important financial decisions. It's important to note that this is not an accounting book (as the authors stated) and details of charts of accounts are left out. That said, it was clearly stated what the purpose was and it nailed it. I've purchased the book for my son who is in college studying business and was confused by his professors - I think it will help him clear things up. I plan on buying more for my colleagues. As crazy as it sounds, it was hard to put down - I just kept wanting to read more as it explained all the voodoo finance so well. Every business owner, sales rep, manager or anyone wishing to understand how finance is used for decision making should buy this book.

Financial Intelligence stands out because it never assumes the reader just wants to memorize financial terms. It constantly asks why you should care. Every chapter explains not just what a concept is, but why it matters in real business decisions. This approach made the learning process meaningful and engaging. It’s rare to find a finance book that respects your time and intelligence while also making the material so accessible. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to go beyond surface-level understanding.

An enlightening and pertinent book for leaders who are interested in improving their financial literacy skills. A must-read for managers in any industry

Very readable and informative. This book Distills important and complex topics into short, easy to understand chapters. I Highly recommend.

As someone who is currently learning on the skills of financial literacy, I can promise you that I think I found the best book ever. Thank god for that.