How Finance Works: The HBR Guide to Thinking Smart About the Numbers - Softcover

Advance Praise for How Finance Works: Helen Riley, Chief Financial Officer, Google X-- "Mihir's book provides the perfect combination of intuitive explanations, contemporary examples, and rigor so that both finance pros and novices can truly enhance their capabilities." Marne Levine, Chief Operating Officer, Instagram-- "Informative and engaging, this book . . . is a must-read for business students and aspiring business leaders--or anyone looking to deepen their understanding of finance." Sarah Kauss, founder and CEO, S'well-- "Professor Mihir Desai's advice--both practical and witty--was an inspiration when I was a student at Harvard Business School. . . I'm thrilled that he's written this book so that even more people can benefit from his wisdom!" Aswath Damodaran, Professor of Finance, NYU Stern School of Business; author, The Little Book of Valuation-- "Mihir Desai's book on how finance works is masterful at laying bare the simple truths and the commonsense principles that underlie much of finance. . . readers, no matter what their background or interests, will come out more informed and enlightened by the journey." David Wolfson, Executive Director, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy-- "For anyone who wants to be able to utilize financial information. . . How Finance Works provides clarity and guidance to what can be, for many, an intimidating arena." Michael Jaff, MD, President, Newton-Wellesley Hospital-- "Finally, someone has provided a mechanism for gaining intuition about finance for those of us who deliberately avoided any financial studies in school." Cyrus Taraporevala, President and CEO, State Street Global Advisors-- "Professor Desai has accomplished a rare feat: transforming the typically complex and often dry subject of finance into a lively and accessible tour de force, without trivializing its importance." Jennifer Morgan, President, Americas and Asia Pacific Japan, SAP-- "Mihir manages to make finance fun and accessible--and, by the end of it, you'll have the confidence, intuition, and understanding you need to succeed as a leader or executive in any organization."

Based on the popular HBS MOOC, "Leading with Finance," this is a hands-on and extensive guide to the ins and outs of finance for people who aren't versed in numbers but need to be--an HBR Guide on steroids. Uber-practical: the book doesn't just provide information; it's a very hand-on learning experience, which sets it apart from other books in this space--including our own. Full-color, workbook layout. In the context of the subject matter, the tone is conversational and the material isn't dry. It makes finance come alive (seriously). An MBA-level class in a book. Audience: Managers, especially those who needs a deeper understanding of the numbers to do their jobs. Students Aspiring Wall Streeters Professionals--journalists, editors, writers, business folks--who need a robust understanding of finance.