Woolley Simon. Sources of Value: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Valuation

Cambridge University Press, 2009. — 644 p.Sources of Value is a comprehensive guide to financial decision-making suitable for beginners as well as experienced practitioners. It treats financial decision-making as both an art and a science and proposes a comprehensive approach through which companies can maximise their value. Beginners will benefit from its initial financial foundation section which builds strong basic skills. Practitioners will enjoy the new insights which the eponymous Sources of Value technique offers – where value comes from and why some companies can expect to create it while others cannot. The book also introduces several other techniques which, together, spell out how to combine strategy with valuation and an understanding of accounts to make a fundamental improvement in the quality of corporate financial decision-taking. Sources of Value is written in a readable conversational style and will appeal to those already working in companies as well as those studying on a business course.
Simon Woolley is a Fellow of Judge Business School, University of Cambridge and Managing Director of Sources of Value Ltd. He has had a long career with the oil major BP, working in a number of roles related to investment valuation and financial training, culminating in the position of Distinguished Advisor – Financial Skills.