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.