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Preface

hy should you buy this book? There are certainly others
Wto choose from, each with a viewpoint that reflects the
author’s background and opinions. Why this one? Why this par-
ticular author’s background and opinions? The answer is com-
munication: this book is in a sense a communication manual
for non-financial managers.
I believe there is a great need for better communication
between financial and non-financial professionals, for a better
tool to help the non-financial manager understand the language
of finance, and for the financial professional to learn the termi-
nology that has meaning for the non-financial manager. I
believe this book will play a part in enabling that better commu-
nication. That is, in fact, its purpose.
Why me? I spent eight years of my early working life as a
practicing CPA. I felt the frustration that came from not speak-
ing the same language as my clients and the difficulty in getting
the information I needed from people who didn’t really under-
stand why I could possibly need it or what I could do with it.
Then there were the 14 years as a financial officer inside several
companies, responsible for trying to find a common language
so I could provide business managers what they needed to run
their departments, divisions, and corporations. Most recently, I
have spent over 15 years as an advisor to business managers
and entrepreneurs on financial matters.
Over each of those phases of my career, I’ve become known
for my ability to translate complex or esoteric financial concepts
into plain language. I understand better than most both the
accountant’s and the business manager’s viewpoints. Not sur-

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