This course presumes no knowledge of business or financial statements and through various scenarios describes the basic elements of business and how they are reflected in the financial statements. The first scenario assumes the perspective of an investor and by explaining the investment decision describes why and how financial statements are useful. The second scenario assumes the perspective of an entrepreneur who uses the financial statements to attract capital and then run a successful business. The key areas of evaluating and running successful businesses are then identified and linked to the financial statements, followed by a basic financial analysis of the 2021 financial statements of Amazon. The course concludes with a discussion of the capital market, the environment in which financial statements are prepared, used and analyzed and the economic forces that influence the financial reporting process.