How-to Essentials from Harvard Business Review We all wish we could sharpen key management skills—like writing more effective emails or proposals, focusing to-do lists on what really matters, giving more persuasive presentations, or dealing with a boss who makes you want to scream. But who has the time? The HBR Guides can help. Packed with concise, practical tips from leadin How-to Essentials from Harvard Business Review We all wish we could sharpen key management skills—like writing more effective emails or proposals, focusing to-do lists on what really matters, giving more persuasive presentations, or dealing with a boss who makes you want to scream. But who has the time? The HBR Guides can help. Packed with concise, practical tips from leading experts—and examples that make them easy to apply—the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges. Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from the most trusted brand in business. Coming fall 2012. • HBR Guide to Better Business Writing, by writing expert Bryan A. Garner: Learn how to write clear, persuasive business documents—from e-mails to proposals to reports—that get results. • HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, by presentations expert Nancy Duarte: Learn how to engage your audience, sell your ideas, and motivate people to act on them. • HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers: Learn how to speak the language of finance so you can make smarter management decisions—and advance your career. • HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done: Learn how to prioritize your tasks, manage your time, and stay focused on what really matters. • HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across: Learn how to build stronger relationships—and partner more effectively—with your boss and your colleagues. • HBR Guide to Project Management: Learn how to set clear project goals, map out critical tasks, and keep the team humming so you can deliver the goods on time and on budget.
HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers
How-to Essentials from Harvard Business Review We all wish we could sharpen key management skills—like writing more effective emails or proposals, focusing to-do lists on what really matters, giving more persuasive presentations, or dealing with a boss who makes you want to scream. But who has the time? The HBR Guides can help. Packed with concise, practical tips from leadin How-to Essentials from Harvard Business Review We all wish we could sharpen key management skills—like writing more effective emails or proposals, focusing to-do lists on what really matters, giving more persuasive presentations, or dealing with a boss who makes you want to scream. But who has the time? The HBR Guides can help. Packed with concise, practical tips from leading experts—and examples that make them easy to apply—the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges. Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from the most trusted brand in business. Coming fall 2012. • HBR Guide to Better Business Writing, by writing expert Bryan A. Garner: Learn how to write clear, persuasive business documents—from e-mails to proposals to reports—that get results. • HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, by presentations expert Nancy Duarte: Learn how to engage your audience, sell your ideas, and motivate people to act on them. • HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers: Learn how to speak the language of finance so you can make smarter management decisions—and advance your career. • HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done: Learn how to prioritize your tasks, manage your time, and stay focused on what really matters. • HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across: Learn how to build stronger relationships—and partner more effectively—with your boss and your colleagues. • HBR Guide to Project Management: Learn how to set clear project goals, map out critical tasks, and keep the team humming so you can deliver the goods on time and on budget.
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Derek Emerson –
While providing some good basics, the reading is jumpy and repetitive as it is simply a compilation of different HBR publications. In fact, two chapters (one right after the other) give contradictory reads on ROI thinking, which is hardly helpful for someone trying to learn the basics. Good to keep as a basic resource.
Colin H –
Helpful orientation for financial accounting in the first section. The rest was interesting business cases that helped to reinforce concepts, but a lot of the learning just needs to be hammered in. Improved from a 20% to a 60% on the quiz, but obviously still bad. Will supplement with youtube videos.
Amelia –
Great intro for anyone in business who doesn't have a finance background. And if you do, there are still many gems here. Great intro for anyone in business who doesn't have a finance background. And if you do, there are still many gems here.
Giancarlo –
Finance is pretty simple! This book is the bible to use it in order to manage your business. Great book.
Mark Muckerman –
The "HBR Guide to" series is always reliable in content, applicability and (usually) ease of understanding for the non-expert. Finance Basics is also in that vein: Content is good; basic; clear, etc. However I'm going with 3 stars vs. 4 because as a non-finance guy (I get the numbers, I get the need, I get the value) the overall concepts and use-case applications could have been presented a little more explicitly to account for a more diversified learning-style reader audience. I see this one as The "HBR Guide to" series is always reliable in content, applicability and (usually) ease of understanding for the non-expert. Finance Basics is also in that vein: Content is good; basic; clear, etc. However I'm going with 3 stars vs. 4 because as a non-finance guy (I get the numbers, I get the need, I get the value) the overall concepts and use-case applications could have been presented a little more explicitly to account for a more diversified learning-style reader audience. I see this one as a book I'll need to read about every 6 months to constantly ingest and digest more through repetition.
Noah Skocilich –
Good for what it was - a quick ‘for dummies’ primer on the basics of business finance. I feel empowered and enriched by having spent the hour or so it took to read it. I feel like I understand much better how my managers are seeing the company I work for and how their goals and objectives are framed.
Cydney Reads –
Required Reading Although this book was required reading I really enjoyed it. The book not only explained the basic terms and tools of business, but as the reader I was able to read it and not get the textbook type of voice, but something that told more of a story interwoven with real life cases.
Azael Capetillo –
Good basic book on finance, will help you understand basic, and important, principles of financial management.
mukda teeralertpanich –
This book covers all financial basics and not too hard for the starters. Some parts are boring and full of specific financial words.
Nabeel Mk –
Somewhat does what it says: Decoding the jargons. Till preparing budgets it was crisp. After that, it is just a quick read with not much to learn.
Faye –
Very good review of foundational business finance. I especially enjoyed some of the examples cited along the way to illustrate key concepts.
Rafael Silva Manojlovic –
This book is pretty good if you are getting in touch with financial terms and business analysis for the first time. It is not a book by a single author, it is a compendium of analyzes by different experts and is very well sequenced, which makes it less burdensome to read. I like that at the beginning you have a test of 10 questions and it gives you an idea of how much you know about the subject, and then at the end you apply it again. In my case, for being the first time that I got into these co This book is pretty good if you are getting in touch with financial terms and business analysis for the first time. It is not a book by a single author, it is a compendium of analyzes by different experts and is very well sequenced, which makes it less burdensome to read. I like that at the beginning you have a test of 10 questions and it gives you an idea of how much you know about the subject, and then at the end you apply it again. In my case, for being the first time that I got into these concepts seriously, I got from a 1/10 to a 6/10 at the end of the book. The main focus is to explain what they are, how they should be read and what kind of decisions you can make from the readings of the financial statements: Balance Sheet, Income Statement and the Cash Flow Statement. For example, the main financial ratios that you should take into account when making decisions are analyzed: EBIT, ROA, Gross Profit Margin, etc. There are some chapters focused on the importance of analyzing the Income Statement, as the most important report for a manager to make operational decisions, since it contains direct information for the generation of income and budget control. On the other hand, analyzes are made to know how we know if a company is making money or not, through growth indicators, cash generation and return on assets. For companies that handle subscription models there is an excellent review of how Down Jones went from the traditional scheme to the digital one, maintaining the same working capital that allowed it to remain the same or even more profitable than similar print media that also switched to digital models. It contains chapters dedicated to the economic analysis of projects taking into account the internal rate of return, net present value, rate of return, etc. Finally, just as it indicates what the financial statements tell you and how reliable they are, they also dedicate several sections to explain what those statements DO NOT say and the five traps that financiers fall into to manipulate these reports and make see a different reality of the company .
Daniel Rodriguez –
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The initial chapters are perhaps too verbose in introducing what are really very simple calculations. Perhaps a summary chapter with the calculations, and dedicated sections describing the concepts and context in a more direct manner would improve this book as a basic reference. The final chapters provided more valuable insight on what the financial statements miss, and the qualitative aspects of a business’ health. Some sections are in need of update to accounts for today’s market constraints. F The initial chapters are perhaps too verbose in introducing what are really very simple calculations. Perhaps a summary chapter with the calculations, and dedicated sections describing the concepts and context in a more direct manner would improve this book as a basic reference. The final chapters provided more valuable insight on what the financial statements miss, and the qualitative aspects of a business’ health. Some sections are in need of update to accounts for today’s market constraints. For example, Just-in-time logistics are still treated as gospel while we see businesses today (2022) revising this approach to consider a Just-in-case approach to hedge for ongoing and future disruptions of the supply chain. Taking the quiz at the beginning and end of the book is a great assessment of the knowledge gained from the content. It is worth going through the quizzes honestly and only checking the answers after having completed both quizzes.
Jack Trump –
Definitely some useful insights/perspectives, but past the introduction that was written for this collection of articles, I found the value diminishing. It's essentially a collection of HBR's greatest-hits about financial analysis that are geared toward non-financial people, and based on the title I was hoping for something a little more comprehensive. Definitely some useful insights/perspectives, but past the introduction that was written for this collection of articles, I found the value diminishing. It's essentially a collection of HBR's greatest-hits about financial analysis that are geared toward non-financial people, and based on the title I was hoping for something a little more comprehensive.
James –
Good but I hate finance. Basics covered so I now know what my bosses are talking about without looking like an idiot most of the time. Took me a bloody long time to finish such a small book. Don't recommend reading in bed. Good but I hate finance. Basics covered so I now know what my bosses are talking about without looking like an idiot most of the time. Took me a bloody long time to finish such a small book. Don't recommend reading in bed.
Anwar Robinson –
Comprehensive Pocket Guide for Managers If you’re inexperienced in finance, this is a great crash course and reference guide, especially the glossary. It is best to refer to and retake the quizzes, as well.
Andrew Sitter –
Good high level overview of corporate finance. If you're not looking to go deep on the subject this would be a good resource, but there are other books out there that contain much more information without taking too much more of your time. Good high level overview of corporate finance. If you're not looking to go deep on the subject this would be a good resource, but there are other books out there that contain much more information without taking too much more of your time.
Hassan Alamri –
Good book for providing the basics for non- financials. It focuses on understanding the 3-financial statements in addition to the profitability ratios. Highly recommend for understanding the basics.
Jay –
Not that useful of a read. It cautions on assumptions with different cash flow/profit scenarios that appear positive/negative but are really the opposite.
Ryan Reslan –
A great intro into finance for new managers!
Davin –
Goodreads either for rookies or professional.
Suresh S –
Excellent read for engineers on finance concepts..
Saurabh –
Highly recommended for managers who do not have a formal background in Finance.
Diego Romero –
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Very objective and succinct when approaching various themes inside finance. It finishes with a great statement about how all departments should engage.
CA Ram Melam –
Three important financial statements -> Income, Balance sheet and Cash flow. This book also provide various techniques to analyse a financial statement.
Darya –
#bookstoread Harvard Business Review got a fantastic #book "Finance Basics for Managers" that uncovers the hidden secrets behind the world on numbers! Here is what you will learn: 👇 1.Understand and read the language of finance and accounting 2.Compare your company's results with competitors. Make decisions 3.Shift focus from #revenue to #profits 4.See, assess and #calculate #risks in industry downturns 5.Prepare and work on efficient #budgets 6.Invest smartly in your company and in acquisitions 7.Sell #bookstoread Harvard Business Review got a fantastic #book "Finance Basics for Managers" that uncovers the hidden secrets behind the world on numbers! Here is what you will learn: 👇 1.Understand and read the language of finance and accounting 2.Compare your company's results with competitors. Make decisions 3.Shift focus from #revenue to #profits 4.See, assess and #calculate #risks in industry downturns 5.Prepare and work on efficient #budgets 6.Invest smartly in your company and in acquisitions 7.Sell your ideas in #ROI #finance #accounting #businessbook #management #learning #professionaldevelopment #education #entrepreneurship https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dariya...
Ashwin –
This book introduces us to some of the basic terminologies and explains the application of some of the concepts in Finance. Anyone with basic knowledge in Finance will enjoy reading this. Someone who has been in this field for many years might not find the content interesting.
Jamil Almatrafi –
Very beneficial for managers who are seeking to improve their financial knowledge.
mike powers –
Just enough finance info to be dangerous!
Rahul Suresh Ghali –
Very good read for beginners.. Very good read for beginners trying to acquire fundamentals of Finance.. Examples are very simple and one can relate to it with ease.