Techniques for Financial Analysis (IRWIN SERIES IN FINANCE, INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE)

Good

My boss suggested I read this book as a primer on financial analysis. I was a bit skeptical at first because it was written a long time ago and I kind of got the impression that it was simply the first book he came across, rather than the best source on the subject. I was blown away by how comprehensive and relevant this book is. I work at a community bank analyzing distressed businesses, this book helped me develop the proper framework of analysis. I found this book useful the first time around, but I also keep referring back to it as I learn more. Between this and Beninga's Financial Modeling, there's very little I haven't been able to tackle. Highly recommended.

This may be a great book if you already know everything about finance. I've taken MBA level Finance courses, and quite honestly, I found this book difficult to understand. The author casually mentions financial concepts without defining them and expect you to understand complex financial theories he hasn't covered. I tried to do the questions at the end of each chapter, and while there is an answer guide, it does nothing to explain how the answer was derived. How you get the answer is the important part, but this text won't give you any assistance. Plus, some of the answers were just plain wrong (I checked with several experts). There are better texts out there - your time is better spent elsewhere.

Great book, provides all that is needed for review of financial concepts and techniques.