“Entertaining and informative. Desai takes us on a journey through the fundamentals of finance, from asset pricing to risk and risk management, via options, mergers, debt, and bankruptcy."- John Lanchester, The New Yorker "A fascinating new perspective on modern finance," --Oliver Hart, 2016 Nobel Laureate in Economics "Lucid, witty and delightfully erudite...From the French revolution to film noir, from the history of probability to Jane Austen and The Simpsons, this is an astonishing intellectual feast." --Sebastian Mallaby, author of The Man Who Knew: The Life and Times of Alan Greenspan Longlisted for 2017 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year A 2017 AMAZON PICK IN BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP A WealthManagement.com BEST BUSINESS BOOK OF 2017 In 1688, essayist Josef de la Vega described finance as both “the fairest and most deceitful business . . . the noblest and the most infamous in the world, the finest and most vulgar on earth.” The characterization of finance as deceitful, infamous, and vulgar still rings true today – particularly in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. But, what happened to the fairest, noblest, and finest profession that de la Vega saw? De la Vega hit on an essential truth that has been forgotten: finance can be just as principled, life-affirming, and worthy as it can be fraught with questionable practices. Today, finance is shrouded in mystery for outsiders, while many insiders are uneasy with the disrepute of their profession. How can finance become more accessible and also recover its nobility? Harvard Business School professor Mihir Desai, in his “last lecture” to the graduating Harvard MBA class of 2015, took up the cause of restoring humanity to finance. With incisive wit and irony, his lecture drew upon a rich knowledge of literature, film, history, and philosophy to explain the inner workings of finance in a manner that has never been seen before. This book captures Desai’s lucid exploration of the ideas of finance as seen through the unusual prism of the humanities. Through this novel, creative approach, Desai shows that outsiders can access the underlying ideas easily and insiders can reacquaint themselves with the core humanity of their profession. The mix of finance and the humanities creates unusual pairings: Jane Austen and Anthony Trollope are guides to risk management; Jeff Koons becomes an advocate of leverage; and Mel Brooks’s The Producers teaches us about fiduciary responsibility. In Desai’s vision, the principles of finance also provide answers to critical questions in our lives. Among many surprising parallels, bankruptcy teaches us how to react to failure, the lessons of mergers apply to marriages, and the Capital Asset Pricing Model demonstrates the true value of relationships. THE WISDOM OF FINANCE is a wholly unique book, offering a refreshing new perspective on one of the world’s most complex and misunderstood professions.

Based on a popular class taught by a Harvard Business School professor. If you're not a numbers person, then finance can be intimidating and easy to ignore. But if you want to advance in your career, you'll need to make smart financial decisions and develop the confidence to clearly communicate those decisions to others. In How Finance Works, Mihir Desai--a professor at Harvard Business School and author of The Wisdom of Finance--guides you into the complex but endlessly fascinating world of finance, demystifying it in the process. Through entertaining case studies, interactive exercises, full-color visuals, and a conversational style that belies the topic, Professor Desai tackles a broad range of topics that will give you the knowledge and skills you need to finally understand how finance works. These include: How different financial levers can affect a company's performance The different ways in which companies fund their operations and investments Why finance is more concerned with cash flow than profits How value is created, measured, and maximized The importance of capital markets in helping companies grow Whether you're a student or a manager, an aspiring CFO or an entrepreneur, How Finance Works is the colorful and interactive guide you need to help you start thinking more deeply about the numbers.

In this fascinating book, New Yorker business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant—better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future. With boundless erudition and in delightfully clear prose, Surowiecki ranges across fields as diverse as popular culture, psychology, ant biology, behavioral economics, artificial intelligence, military history, and politics to show how this simple idea offers important lessons for how we live our lives, select our leaders, run our companies, and think about our world.

Carlen educates the reader on Benjamin Graham's most essential wealth-creation concepts (as selected by Warren Buffett himself), while telling the colorful story of Graham's amazing business career and his multifaceted personal life.

The Money Book That's Making a Buzz … The Today Show, Naomi Judd's New Morning, Dr. Laura, NPR, The Wall St. Journal The Money Book That's Making a Buzz … The Today Show, Naomi Judd's New Morning, Dr. Laura, NPR, The Wall St. Journal "The process changed the way I look at everything—my own life, my relationships with others, and my understanding of the world." That is how Wynonna Judd described her work with coauthors Ted and Brad Klontz, using the principles outlined in The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge. As the United States braces for an economic crash, the time-tested Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge will help anyone stand on solid financial footing, securing prosperity for themselves and a healthy financial legacy for their family. Almost universally—regardless of income bracket or upbringing—people suffer from the same money affliction, and the real problem isn't money at all. The real problem—and the one that is overlooked in financial planning seminars and glossed over in other wealth-building books—is the relationship people have with their money. For the first time in paperback comes the breakthrough method from noted psychologists Ted and Brad Klontz and financial planner Rick Kahler, which The Wall Street Journal hailed as "innovative," combining "experiential therapy with nuts-and-bolts financial planning." Their proven method, which was publicized in the American Psychological Association magazine, helps people recognize their dysfunctional mind-sets about money. Mind-sets like "It's not nice to talk about money," "I'll never have enough money to be secure," "I deserve to spend money," and "If you are good, the universe will give you what you need." By culling timeless truths from the classic Dickens's tale and combining them with sound financial and psychological principles, the authors give anyone the tools they need to transform their relationship with money and break through their barriers to wealth and financial freedom.

Argues that the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent Depression occurred as a result of poor decisions on the part of four central bankers who jointly attempted to reconstruct international finance by reinstating the gold standard.

A chess grandmaster and a certified financial planner show readers how to approach investing like a chess player, and how to gain financial freedom. Discover how you can apply the strategies of chess to manage your money better. World Chess Champion Grandmaster Susan Polgar and international investment advisor Douglas Goldstein, CFP, share practical examples and never-before-heard stories from the chess, and show you: · What is holding you back from financial freedom · How to apply the strategies that Susan Polgar used to win 10 Olympic medals to managing your money · The 64 strategies that can make you as “Rich as a King!” Praise for Rich As a King “An entertaining, informative, and very interesting treatment of investment strategy, tactics, and wisdom.”—Michael Spence, Nobel Prize Laureate, Economics, 2001 “Goldstein and Polgar integrate chess and investment strategies in a remarkably entertaining and educational fashion. Chess players who know little about investing and investors who know little about chess will gain fresh insights into both.”—Ken Rogoff, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund; professor, Economics Department, Harvard University; chess grandmaster “A treasure trove of financial tips, brilliantly weaving together the strategic thinking of a chess master with the practical advice of an experienced financial analyst.”—Doug Shadel, PhD; AARP financial fraud expert and author of Outsmarting the Scam Artists “This fast-moving, enjoyable book shows you how to think better, make better decisions, and achieve your long-term goals of “financial victory” with great certainty.”—Brian Tracy, bestselling author of Million Dollar Habits