Essentials of Corporate Finance focuses on what undergraduate students with widely varying backgrounds need to carry away from a core course in business or corporate finance. The goal is to convey the most important concepts at a level that is approachable for the widest possible audience. Essentials is written in a relaxed, conversational style that invites the students to join in the learning process rather than being a passive information absorber.

Essentials has three basic themes as a central focus: An Emphasis on Intuition: We always try to separate and explain the principles at work on a commonsense, intuitive level before launching into any specifics. A Unified Valuation Approach: We treat net present value (NPV) as the basic concept underlying corporate finance. A Managerial Focus: Students shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that financial management concerns management. We emphasize the role of the financial manager as decision-maker, and we stress the need for managerial input and judgment.