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
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
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.