Books about the financial industry tend to be overly technical, and worst of all, dry for neophytes. But once in a while, books that are just right for people just starting out in the industry (or are thinking of doing so) do come along, and this book by Christopher Stoakes is certainly one of them.

All you need to know about the City describes the people and institutions working in one of the world’s most renowned financial districts – London – as well as what and why they do what they do. It is a book suitable for both newcomers to the industry, and industry veterans who simply want to review areas they rarely touch. It’s particularly useful for those going for interviews, meetings or networking events and need to sound informed!

In only 224-pages, the book weaves a connected and coherent explanation of why the industry exists, to its key activities, its players and later, to the slightly more complex area of the financial markets and the various instruments involved. Need to know what an M&A bid timetable looks like? Or maybe you really just need to know what the hell an investment bank actually is and does?

All this is done in the 3C, i.e. concise, clear and conversational writing, with jargon always explained, and supported with relevant and recent case studies (from the financial meltdown of the 1980s to manager incentives).

If you think you could benefit from understanding the intricate web of activity that is the City, then give it a look at your local bookstore or at Amazon.