Includes bibliographical references and index.

I: The art of finance (and why it matters) -- You can't always trust the numbers -- Spotting assumptions, estimates, and biases -- Why increase your financial intelligence? -- II: The (many) peculiarities of the income statement -- Profit is an estimate -- Cracking the code of the income statement -- Revenue: the issue is recognition -- Costs and expenses: no hard and fast rules -- The many forms of profit -- III: The balance sheet reveals the most -- Understanding balance-sheet basics -- Assets: more estimates and assumptions (except for cash) -- On the other side: liabilities and equity -- Why the balance sheet balances -- The income statement affects the balance sheet -- IV: Cash is king -- Cash is a reality check -- Profit?: cash (and you need both) -- The language of cash flow -- How cash connects with everything else -- Why cash matters -- V: Ratios: learning what the numbers are really telling you -- The power of ratios -- Profitability ratios: the higher the better -- Leverage ratios: the balancing act -- Liquidity ratios: can we pay our bills? -- Efficiency ratios: making the most of your assets -- VI: How to calculate (and really understand) return on investment -- The building blocks of ROI -- Figuring ROI: the nitty gritty -- VII: Applied financial intelligence: working capital management -- The magic of managing the balance sheet -- Your balance sheet levers -- Homing in on cash conversion -- VIII: Creating a financially intelligent department (and organization) -- Financial literacy and corporate performance -- Financial literacy strategies -- Financial transparency: our ultimate goal.

Karen Berman and Joe Knight teach the basics of finance--but with a twist. Accountants rely on estimates, assumptions, and judgment calls. Savvy managers need to know how those sources of possible bias can affect the financials and that sometimes the numbers can be challenged. While providing the foundation for a deep understanding of the financial side of business, the book also arms managers with practical strategies for improving their companies' performance. --from publisher description