Independent Singapore business book by James C Foo Leong recognised alongside titles from Harvard Business Review Press, Penguin Random House and Wiley.

SINGAPORE, June 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Once Upon a Balance Sheet: How to Make Better Decisions, Drive Growth and Increase Profits, a business and financial-literacy book by Singapore author and finance educator James C Foo Leong, has been named one of six finalists in the Business: General category of the 17th Annual International Book Awards.

Published in November 2025 by Singapore-based Visions.One Consulting, Once Upon a Balance Sheet helps non-finance professionals understand financial statements through storytelling, visual frameworks and practical business examples.

The finalist list places the independently published Singapore title Once Upon a Balance Sheet alongside books from some of the world’s most established publishing houses, including Harvard Business Review Press, Penguin Random House and Wiley.

“I wrote Once Upon a Balance Sheet for people who may feel intimidated by accounting and finance. My aim was to help them see that financial statements are not merely rows of numbers, but stories that reveal what is really happening inside a business.”

Since publication, Once Upon a Balance Sheet has achieved several encouraging milestones.

The book became an Amazon bestseller and a No. 1 Hot New Release shortly after publication. More than six months later, it continues to rank strongly on Amazon Singapore and recently returned to the Top 10 in its category.

In May 2026, the book was also named Winner, International Impact Book Awards — Business: Management Accounting.

Together, these milestones reflect continuing support from readers, recognition within the book’s specialist field and a growing presence in the broader world of business books.

Once Upon a Balance Sheet opens the door to James C Foo Leong’s Financial Storyverse^®, where characters, stories and visual frameworks bring financial statements to life and turn numbers into practical insights about business strength, performance and financial health.

The book is built around a central idea:

Financial statements are stories about a business, told in numbers.

“The problem is often not that people are incapable of understanding finance,” said Leong. “The problem is that finance has traditionally been explained in ways that feel technical, intimidating and disconnected from how people naturally learn. Once the numbers are connected to a business story, they become easier to understand, remember and use.”

The publication journey of Once Upon a Balance Sheet did not proceed as originally planned.

Leong spent close to four years writing, rewriting and testing the ideas in the book. During that process, his original publisher went bankrupt, leaving the future of the project uncertain.

Rather than allow the book to disappear, Leong took responsibility for bringing it across the finishing line himself.

Through his company Visions.One Consulting, he assumed control of the publishing process and worked through the remaining production, distribution and marketing challenges.

“There was no major publishing or marketing machinery behind Once Upon a Balance Sheet,” Leong said. “There was only a belief that the book still deserved the chance to reach the non-finance professionals for whom it had been written.”

The result was a home-grown Singapore business book that became an Amazon bestseller, won an international award in its specialist field and earned a finalist place in a broader international business-book competition.

“Sometimes, credibility does not come from the size of the organisation behind the work,” Leong said. “Sometimes, it comes from the work itself.”

He added that the book’s progress would not have been possible without the support of readers, colleagues, clients, friends and professional communities.

“Every word of encouragement, every recommendation and every person who chose to read Once Upon a Balance Sheet helped the book travel a little further,” he said. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who believed in the book and became part of its story.”


About Once Upon a Balance Sheet


Once Upon a Balance Sheet: How to Make Better Decisions, Drive Growth and Increase Profits is a business and financial-literacy book by Singapore author and finance educator James C Foo Leong.

Published by Visions.One Consulting, the book introduces readers to the Financial Storyverse^®, where characters, stories and visual frameworks make financial statements more accessible, engaging and practical.

Recognition for the book includes:

– Amazon bestseller;
– No. 1 Amazon Hot New Release;
– Winner, International Impact Book Awards — Business: Management Accounting; and
– Finalist, 17th Annual International Book Awards — Business: General.


About James C Foo Leong


James C Foo Leong is a Singapore-based finance educator, keynote speaker, trainer and author.

He is the founder of Financial Storytelling and Visions.One Consulting, as well as the creator of Accounting in a Box^® – a visual and gamified approach to helping non-finance professionals understand accounting and financial statements.

Leong has served as an adjunct professor with the National University of Singapore for more than 20 years and teaches across university, executive-education and corporate settings.

He is a Chartered Accountant in Singapore and Australia, a Certified Speaking Professional and a Distinguished Toastmaster.

His professional mission is to make finance accessible, engaging and practical for people without an accounting background.

James C Foo Leong
Visions.One Consulting Pte Ltd
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