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The Wisdom of Finance

How the Humanities Can Illuminate and Improve Finance
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( 2,272 ratings, 259 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Wisdom of Finance, Mihir Desai explores the unexpected connections between the world of finance and broader human experiences. Through engaging storytelling, he draws parallels between financial concepts and elements from literature, film, and philosophy, revealing the profound insights that can be gleaned from the financial industry. This approach demystifies finance, making it accessible and relevant to a diverse audience beyond just professionals in the field.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This engaging exploration of financial concepts intertwines the worlds of history, literature, and philosophy. You might enjoy it if you're curious about how finance plays a vital role in everyday life and are interested in seeing its human side through compelling stories and intuitive insights.

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Putting the humanity back into finance by looking at the profession's core principles through the prism of art, literature and film.

Putting the humanity back into finance by looking at the profession's core principles through the prism of art, literature and film.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Longlisted for the FT & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2017

Finance is shrouded in mystery for outsiders, while many insiders are uneasy with the disrepute of their profession. How can finance become more accessible and also recover its nobility?

Harvard Business School professor Mihir Desai takes up the cause of restoring humanity to finance. With deft wit, he draws upon a rich knowledge of literature, film, history, and philosophy to explain finance's inner workings. Through this creative approach, he shows that outsiders can easily access the underlying ideas and insiders can reacquaint themselves with the core values of their profession.

This combination of finance and the humanities creates unusual and illuminating pairings: Jane Austen and Anthony Trollope are guides to risk management; Jeff Koons becomes an advocate of leverage; and Mel Brooks' The Producers teaches us about fiduciary responsibility. In Desai's vision, the principles of finance also provide answers to critical questions in our lives: bankruptcy teaches us how to react to failure, the lessons of mergers apply to marriages, and the Capital Asset Pricing Model demonstrates the true value of relationships.

The Wisdom of Finance is a wholly unique book, offering an enlivening new perspective on one of the world's most complex and misunderstood professions.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Wisdom of Finance by Mihir Desai is praised for its engaging and insightful perspective on finance, blending it with the humanities to offer an accessible entry point for both finance professionals and laypeople. Critics admire the book for its clarity, originality, and its ability to connect financial concepts with literature, history, and philosophy, making it a valuable and enriching read. By doing so, Desai provides a thoughtful critique and celebration of the finance industry, prompting readers to view its role in society with a renewed, interdisciplinary understanding.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788160056

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 April 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Profile Books Ltd

Edition: Main

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 240

About the Author

Mihir Desai was born in India and raised in Hong Kong and New Jersey. As a professor and award-winning teacher at Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School, Desai teaches finance, tax law, entrepreneurship and has recently developed an online finance course for the HBX platform. His scholarship on corporate finance, international finance and tax policy has prompted several invitations to testify before the U.S. Congress and serves as the basis of his advisory role to leading global companies and organizations.
Find him on Twitter @desaimihir | www.mihirdesai.org

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