Convert Object to a Float

How do you convert an object (such as a Hashtable element) to a float?

Is there a method better than parseFloat(obj.ToString()), where obj is the object you want converted to float?

In C# you can cast with the value-cast operator:

float myFloat = (float) obj;

But this only works if you initially put a float into the Hashtable (or any weak-typed collection). If it was a string, then no there is no other way (actually you could write implicit operator extensions but I discourage to do it).