How to Read a Financial Report : Wringing Vital Signs Out of the Numbers (How to Read a Financial Report) (book)

This book gets 3 stars only for its organized content, as well as the fact that there are very few good books for beginners that take you from A to Z in reading financial statements. However, this book is not one of them in my opinion. The problem is that the author does not break the material down to a level that a novice can understand unless he reads the book many times. There is too much detail in many of the sections and the main points can easily be lost. I learned to read financial statements long ago, but this book did not help me, other than alerting me to the complexity involved. If you do have a background in financial statements, then this book might be good. Perhaps I will go back now and read the book now that I already know how to read fin statements and see if it makes sense.

This little gem is extremely lucid and -- dare I say -- fun to read.

Consider this book the best $20 investment you'll make this year.

Whether you're a 1st year MBA, stockbroker, or lawyer -- or just someone who wants to learn how to read the 10Ks/Qs you get in the mail -- this book has something for you.

I found this book on my own before going to get my MBA and was always a bit embarrased to admit that I had learned more from this book than any other (it's design makes it look a bit elementary). I was pleasantly surprised to see that my Finance professor at the MBA program (Babson - the #1 entrepreneurship program 11 years running) brought it out on the first day and said it was a "must" for any businessperson's library!

It is a fantastic resource - don't let the look fool you!

I took an accounting course my freshman year in college and thought it was the most dull class I had ever taken so I barely went to class and struggled my way through. Three years later I had an internship with a hedge fund working as an analyst so I needed to freshen up on my financial report reading skills. Someone in my office suggested this book and I am extremely thankful that they did because it was a tremendous help! It gives you a very strong (though probably basic) understanding of how to read AND understand a balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows. Not only does the book go through each of these elements of a financial report seperately, it also shows how they are all interrelated and connect to one another, giving one a better understanding of the big picture. I would definitely recommend this to someone who does not have a very solid background in accounting or understanding of financial reports.

i have a limited knowledge of accounts, & this book was absolutely brilliant in bringing me up to speed with the basic mechanics, rather than the whys of it all. The lucid manner in which the subject matter is explained hinges on the graphical layout employed allowing you to become involved in the process.
It does not set out to be exhaustive & other books should be used for in depth studies (eg identifying suspicious activities). It is however excellent in accomplishing precisely what it sets out to achieve and brings life to the numbers. All it needs now is a color edition, enabling more complex modelling.