Book excerpt: Corporate Finance: Core was developed for the graduate (MBA) level as a concise, up-to-date, and to-the-point product, the majority of which can be realistically covered in a single term or course. To achieve the objective of reaching out to the many different types of students and the varying course settings, corporate finance is distilled down to its core, while maintaining a decidedly modern approach. Purely theoretical issues are downplayed, and the use of extensive and elaborate calculations is minimized to illustrate points that are either intuitively obvious or of limited practical use. The goal was to focus on what students really need to carry away from a principles course. A balance is struck by introducing and covering the essentials, while leaving more specialized topics to follow-up courses. Net present value is treated as the underlying and unifying concept in corporate finance. Every subject covered is firmly rooted in valuation, and care is taken throughout to explain how particular decisions have valuation effects. Also, the role of the financial manager as decision maker is emphasized, and the need for managerial input and judgment is stressed.