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The Wisdom of Finance: Discovering Humanity in the World of Risk and Return by MIHIR A. DESAI

Description

Essayist Josef de la Vega’s famous words pertaining to the world of Finance go as “the fairest and most deceitful business . . . the noblest and the most infamous in the world, the finest and most vulgar on earth.” Such a line indicates that Finance, more than a venture, is a double-edged sword as it can either break or make an individual. While Finance being deceitful, infamous, and vulgar are of truest sense even up to this day, people must be reminded that it is not completely corrupted. In the same manner that it has been subjected to questions, De la Vega’s definition of Finance as the fairest, noblest, and finest profession can still be gleaned. 

De la Vega put emphasis on the long-forgotten principle of Finance- that it is still value-grounded, life-centered, and morally-oriented. In the contemporary world, the concept of Finance is vague for non-practitioners, while participants are either wary or unsure of their profession’s credibility. This leads to the question of accessibility, all while securing its nobility. 

Harvard Business School Professor Mihir De Sai, author of The Wisdom of Finance, delivered a talk back in 2015 in which the said lecture reignited the dwindling relation of humanity to finance. His lecture was infused with enough mix of intelligence and entertainment about literature, film, history, and philosophy, to enforce financing theories that many have failed to discuss in the past. 

The Wisdom of Finance is a settlement of ideas, insights, and teachings that encompass finance. The subject matter was approached through unique lens of humanity. More than a guide, this is a novel infused with creativity as the author intends to bring life lessons and finances together in a comprehensive manner while giving insiders a chance to attach themselves fully to core values of finance. 

About the Author

Mihir A. Desai is currently teaching at Harvard Business School as Mizuho Financial Group Professor of Finance. He, too, is a Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Desai’s fields of specialization are tax policy, corporate, and international Finance. His previous works highlight the correct structure of tax in a worldwide context, identifies relations between corporate governance and taxation, and knowledge on international capital markets of multinational companies.