Table of Contents
Painting with Numbers: Presenting Financials and Other Numbers So People Will Understand You by Randall Bolten
Part I - The Rules1. Numerals Matter - The Arabic numeral system is an insanely great invention!
2. Looks Matter - Visual appearance plays a major role in how effectively you present.
3. Words Matter - You know those things around the edges of your page made out of letters? They’re called “words,” and they’re important, too!
4. Your Audience Matters - See all those people out there? They’re your “audience,” and the only reason you’re producing this information is because they need it. Have you considered what they look for, how they process numbers, or that they think of you?
Part II - The Tools5. You Can Pay Me Now…- Use spreadsheet software to full advantage, not by becoming a more powerful user of the software, but a faster one. These tips will make your work go faster every time you deliver a spreadsheet.
6. … Or Pay Me Later - And don’t forget the habits and practices that will make your life easier when you revisit spreadsheets long after you first delivered the,.
7. Graphs: the “Cartoons” of Numbers - The right and wrong ways to present effective graphs
8. The Pitfalls of Presentations and PowerPoint - What should you be thinking about when you’re presenting quantization in an oral presentation?
Part III - Real Mastery9. It’s Clear, but Is It Meaningful? - Really effective quantization is about more than just following the rules, it’s about being a professional in your business/
10. 53… Uh, Is That a Lot? - Key indicators can be essential for helping your audience get the most out of your numbers.
11. The One Report Every Organization Needs - We take a detailed look at the “Natural P&L,” the single most important report for managing any enterprise.
12. The Gaps in GAAP - What this book is trying to teach you, and the reporting requirements of generally accepted accounting principles - they’re not the same.
13. Quantation: It’s Not Just for Business Anymore - To illustrate this point, we apply the rules in this book to help understand a complex and important public policy issue.
14. Quantation in Ordinary Life - Effective quantization plays an important role in many situations. We look at some examples from ordinary life.
Part IV - Wrap-Up15. Speaking Truth to Power - Telling the truth is the right thing to do, it’s the wise thing to do, and it happens to be hard to a voice. Oh, and we end up with an inspirational message!
16. Now What’s the First Thing You Do? - We wrap it all up.
Appendix: Jazz Meets Theology - We revisit the Deadly Sins, and discuss when it might be OK to commit them.