Includes index.

Part 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? --
The rules accountants follow: and why you don't always have to --
Part I toolbox : Getting what you want; The players and what they do; Reporting obligations of public companies --
Part 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 --
Part II toolbox : Understanding variance; Profit at nonprofits; A quick review: "percent of" and "percent change" --
Part 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 --
Part III toolbox : Expense? Or capital expenditure?; The impact of mark-to-market accounting --
Part VI. Cash is king : Cash is a reality check --
Profit [does not equal] cash (and you need both) --
The language of cash flow --
How cash connects with everything else --
Why cash matters --
Part IV toolbox : Free cash flow; Even the big guys can run out of cash --
Part V. Ratios: learning what the numbers are really telling you : The power of ratios --
Profitability ratios: the higher the better (mostly) --
Leverage ratios: the balancing act --
Liquidity ratios: can we pay our bills? --
Efficiency ratios: making the most of your assets --
The investor's perspective: the "big five" numbers and shareholder value --
Part V toolbox : Which ratios are most important to your business?; The power of percent of sales; ratio relationships; Different companies, different calculations --
Part VI: How to calculate (and really understand) return on investment : The building blocks of ROI --
Figuring the ROI: the nitty-gritty --
Part VI toolbox : A step-by-step guide to analyzing capital expenditures; Calculating the cost of capital; Economic value added and economic profit-putting it all together --
Part VII. Applied financial intelligence: working capital management : The magic of managing the balance sheet --
Your balance sheet levers --
Homing in on cash conversion --
Part VII toolbox : Accounts receivable aging --
Part VIII. Creating a financially intelligent company : Financial literacy and corporate performance --
Financial literacy strategies --
Financial transparency: our ultimate goal --
Part VIII toolbox : Understanding Sarbanes-Oxley --
Appendix: Sample financials.

"Inc." magazine calls it one of "the best, clearest guides to the numbers" on the market. Readers agree, saying it's exactly "what I need to know" and calling it a "must-read" for decision makers without expertise in finance. Since its release in 2006, "Financial Intelligence" has become a favorite among managers who need a guided tour through the numbers--helping them to understand not only what the numbers really mean, but also why they matter.