The Financial Times Essential Guide to Budgeting and Forecasting: How to Deliver Accurate Numbers (The FT Guides) 1st Edition

Excellent

It wasn't enough information to really learn the techniques. I thought it should have been more detailed with better illustrations.

You learn nothing from this book except that you wish you bought a book that included any tangible information. I also learned that I am glad that I do not have to deal with or understand UK currency. If you would like a book that deals with budgeting and forcasting, then get a real textbook that includes explanations and formulas, not this one.

If you are a manager looking for guidance and practical information this book is probably not for you.Half of the book is filled with topics more or less connected to budgeting. If I wanted to read about this I would have bought a book on accounting and risk management. Those topics are covered in depth and much better in other resources, some of them in Pearson's Financial Times collection.The chapters which actually address budgeting stay superficial and high a level. I would have much preferred less information about accounting and more concrete detailed examples of budgets and forecasts. The author explains that spreadsheets can be a powerful tool to manage budget. However, there is a single relatively detailed examples of their usage withing the book.The lack of spreadsheet templates or references to relevant resources is also disappointing.The same few references are quoted over and over. This doesn't speak in favor of the author's experience and credibility in this domain.The part 3 of the book is called "Reviewing your budgeting and forecasting performance". It simply enumerates the preceding headings and repeats the same pattern 12 times:"My key learning for this chapter1.you're supposed to fill in the blanks2.you're supposed to fill in the blanks3.you're supposed to fill in the blanksMy actions1.you're supposed to fill in the blanks2.you're supposed to fill in the blanks3.you're supposed to fill in the blanksList budgeting and forecasting successes and failures related to this heading. Keep updating the list to show progress in your budgeting and forecasting skills."To finish on a more positive note, the book is a quick read and conveys some basic notions about budgeting.It would really appreciated if somebody could recommend a better book targeting middle managers and proposing concrete examples and exercises.