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How Finance Works by Mihir Desai — paperback

How Finance Works: The HBR Guide to Thinking Smart about the Numbers

$35.00
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Across editions · Checked September 15, 2026

What You’ll Learn

  • Understand the Drivers of Company Value
  • Compare Cash Flow and Accounting Profit
  • Evaluate Funding and Investment Decisions

Mihir Desai explains business finance through cases, exercises, and visual examples. Learn how companies fund operations, why cash flow matters, and how financial decisions affect value. The guide helps readers connect the mechanics of finance to the choices managers and business owners face.

  • Author: Mihir Desai
  • Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Publication date: April 23, 2019
  • ISBN-13: 9781633696709
  • ISBN-10: 1633696707
  • Pages: 288
  • Book weight: 1.7 lb
  • Dimensions: 0.7 H × 7.4 L × 9.8 W inches

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Discover This Book in 30 Seconds

Read the video transcript

Sales are climbing. So why does the business still feel short of cash? Profit First by Mike Michalowicz turns a familiar formula around. Instead of hoping profit appears after every bill is paid, set aside a portion first. Separate money for different purposes, see what is truly available to spend, and build a repeatable allocation routine. It is a practical shift in how you notice and use your cash. Stop letting expenses take the whole story. Discover Profit First, and make room for profit in your business.