2 comments about Financial And Managerial Accounting.

1. With the 14th edition of this book, the use of the website for studying was taken away, to be replaced with a pay for use service of about $20. My professor would have stayed with the 13th edition had he known that they were going to take away this service to the students. No CD or access to a website for answers to the questions. Book is well written, easy to follow, but needs a more comprehensive glossary, since words and phrases within accounting mean different things and can be interpreted differently depending on the user and with accounting following the GAAP rule this becomes even more important. Practice items are well designed. The Layout of the book demands approximately 100 pages a week for a semester course, for a course in oversight of accounting this is rather hefty. Without a CD or other access privileges, I don't see a need to order this as a new item, go for used!



2. as good as I imagined, and i wish i could have more chances to purchase textbooks like this~

5 comments about Accounting for Non-Accountants: The Fast and Easy Way to Learn the Basics.

1. This book was my first read as a new business owner to start to learn about accounting. It was helpful for me, but I'm glad I also purchased the "Accounting for Dummies" book as well. After reading "Accounting for non-Accountants" I felt prepared for something a little meatier, and the "for Dummies" title was a good next step. So the two together was a good move for my needs. I recommend the book as a great place to start... but don't expect to be really ready coming out at the end unless you tackle something a little more in-depth as well. This book did what it said it would... it got me started.



2. From someone with 4 accounting classes from 10 years ago under their belt, this was a great buy. Not exactly a complete course in the depths of accounting, this book explains most things that are extremely important to accountants. It also help bring back some of the things that I had forgotten. Definitely a good refresher book.



3. This book isn't for beginners, or even people who know the basics. If you're an absolute beginner, not much of this book will make sense. Some of it was helpful (about 30% of it), but overall i found it frustrating. And since i want to master accounting i will have to find another book on amazon (for a beginner, this time). Then maybe after that book i can come back and read this one and i will understand it. But you cant walk before you can crawl. And at the moment, a book teaching me how to walk is no good to me, i need one that will teach me how to crawl first.
   
   True, the book title is not "Absolute beginners guide to accounting". So it may be harsh to rate it at 1 star. But if the author isn't targeting beginners, then this review should make no difference to book sales because i am only speaking to beginners (from a beginners point of view). However, the book title and sub heading does lead you to think it's going to teach you the basics... and that it is the easy way to learn them. (I.e. for beginners?)
   
   I bought this book because of how many positive reviews are here. I did notice there was one negative review for the book before i bought it which said "not for beginners" but i figured the reviewer might have just been a big dummy, since so many others rated the book 5 stars. But, now, looking back over all the positive, five star reviews, i can see that most of them had some prior experience with accounting, and a few even say "it isn't for an absolute beginner". I should have listened. So this review applies to beginners only.
   
   This would be good book if you just need a refresher course if you've learned a fair bit about accounting before and just need a reminder. But it is definitely not a good book to learn the basics of accounting if you don't know anything whatsoever about accounting. In fact, i even understood the basics of accounting before reading it, e.g. i know how to read a p + l statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, what accrual vs cash method is, etc, and i still didn't understand most of what was written in this book.
   
   Bottom line: get another book if you're a beginner.



4. This book is utterly useless. I wouldnt recommend it.The table of contents seems interesting but it lacks clear depth. I would recommend Financial statements by Thomas Ittelson. Its quite a fulfilling book and covers the contents of this book.



5. There are plenty of books to help you understand financial statements and you may like this one just fine. If you want to look at some alternatives to do comparison shopping, you might investigate another Amazon book called "Business Basics Bestseller 1." The link with the review should take you there.
   
   Business Basics Bestseller 1: The Easy, Interesting, Open-book Look at the Game of Business Numbers! 2nd Edition

5 comments about Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports, Second Edition.

1. The great thing about this book: not only will you learn about accounting prestidigitation from the world's expert in this subject (Schilit's forensic accounting firm, the CFRA, is used by hedge funds worldwide to find problem companies), you can actually learn pretty much all there is to know about corporate accounting and financial statements. I found his explanations tremendously lucid; easily understood by an intelligent person who can add, subtract, multiply and divide. What is more; he made accounting not only accessible, but also somewhat exciting; not an adjective that generally describes accounting. He makes finding the cheating companies a jolly detective game of "spot the weasel!"
   
   Who should read this? If you are a serious investor; someone who treats investments like something other than gambling, this is an absolute must. I'm not talking about speculators; you can speculate well without this stuff (though you can speculate better with it), but for investors you can't afford to be without it. This will teach you how to read a company statement, and a 10-k. Even those who have a more casual interest in investing or business will likely find this an amusing and rewarding read.



2. This is the best summary of major earnings manipulation techniques that I have seen to date (The appendix: "Comprehensive Checklist of Warning Signs" alone is worth the investment). As a practitioner, it wasn't as in-depth as I hoped it would be, but as others have noted, it is very well written, and has many brief, but interesting examples. The lack of depth is understandable because it allows the author to reach a much broader audience effectively.
   
   This book should be part of your investment library, and reviewed often, as it is so easy to overlook early signs of faltering performance from companies. Highly recommended.



3. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who invests in individual stocks or who runs a business. This details many different ways to commit accounting fraud. Perhaps the best part of the book is that there are many detailed examples of each kind of fraud. Also, the book is highly readable and not dry at all. I could hardly put it down once I started.



4. This book is very through. It assumes that you have some background in accounting or finance. I do not, I am an average person who has never taken an accounting class or business class in my life but I'm able to follow the author. Schlit writes in an effective manner that keeps you involved and interested in what he's talking about. He also gives you hints and clues to follow when you are reading a financial statement. He tells you what to look for and what that may imply. This is a must have for any investor. If you have ever had any misgivings or questions about a corporation's management and accounting, this book will provide you with the tools to sniff out the shenanigans on your own. Well written, interesting and very insightful.



5. As a college-level lecturer in Forensic Accounting, I seriously considered using this book, but decided not to. While it is clearly the most readable book in the area of forensic accounting, it is lean on examples and does not include citations to the cases and other materials it describes.
   
   A far better, though more difficult, book on the narrow subject of financial fraud is The Financial Numbers Game: Detecting Creative Accounting Practices and a better book on Forensic Accounting generally is Forensic and Investigative Accounting (Third Edition).
   
   In any event, you'll be better off avoiding Fraud Examination (with ACL CD-ROM), which spends most of its time (i.e., your time) moralizing and psychoanalyzing those who commit fraud.

5 comments about How to Have More than Enough: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Abundance.

1. I very much appreciate Dave Ramsey's putting financial matters in the context of virtuous behavior. This is not just a "get out of debt" book or a "make real money" book. It is a book that reminds its readers how many of us stray from fiscal health, suckered in by the 'race to get ahead and then fall behind' values common to the vast majority of Americans - materialism, status, name brands, immediate gratification, antagonism, impermanence, gluttony, lack of responsibility, even lack of contentment. Ramsey knows all too well that when it comes to fiscal restraint and good money habits, this is not a virtuous society. He recommends solid values to counteract the mainstream of American life - patience, delayed gratification, humility, cooperation, peace, communication, contentment and, of course, paying CASH. I wholly applaud this philosophy.
   
   But, merely as a qualifier, I do want to let the prospective reader know that Mr. Ramsey's work is not secular. Bible passages, a Christian perspective and religious messages (such as suggesting prayer and counsel with clergy) set the tone much of the way, and the book is geared (not entirely but mostly) toward traditional and fairly conventional nuclear families.
   
   As a more daring and thorough departure from those seemingly ubiquitous American go-getter values that lure so many into dire straits (such as 'the more you buy the more you save'), I can heartily recommend the popular classic "Your Money or Your Life."



2. ********wonderful*******



3. 
   
   
   Consumer debt has long been a problem of most americans. The writer is very explicit about those things which cause us to go into consumer debt.
   One of the things he addresses is greed, not having the patience to wait
   for the money in our hand to purchase items. I am a baby boomer and our generation has been known to want things microwave quick. This book addresses the dangers and pitfallsof that thinking. It will set you free from stinking thinking!
   
   
   



4. Just as he does on the radio, Dave Ramsey guides the reader to a better financial life.



5. The book is well written and explains step by step what is needed to create abundance in your life. Be open and willing to do the work and you too can have more than you dreamed possible. Remember, it takes work on your end and the results are well worth the effort!

5 comments about Rich Dad's Retire Young, Retire Rich.

1. Saw this guy hawking his hype on TV and decided to do a little background checking. While his general priciples are expoused by any financial "guru" the fact remains he's been bankrupt at least once following his own information. Real estate is risky business and not the bed of roses he makes it out to be. Just wait until your first stinker of a renter and when the state comes a calling because the person you rented a 1 bedroom apartment to has two kids and the law doesn't allow this (after the person told you they had no kids).
   
   Wouldn't surprise me that most of his money comes from selling these books more than real estate.



2. I read this book and Rich Dad, Poor Dad and really felt this book was an all around better book. It went into not only more detail explaining things, but I like the depths of stories better as well in this book. I recommend that you buy this book.



3. Wish I read it when I was 15! A very good and clear book on creating value in terms of assets and cashflow. Though much is said about properties, it can be applicable to many businesses or ventures of a passive income nature to work towards financial freedom.



4. I recommend this book if you like Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I think it is a great book, definitly worth reading. I like the way Kiyosaki stresses the power to achieve your dreams is in your mind. Get a positive outlook, and look for things previously unseen to you.



5. The companion product that goes with this book is Choose to Be Rich, an audio program. When I got that program I filled out the income and expense statement that came with it. I used where I was to guide where I wanted to go.
   
   This book is useful because it provided the Kiyosaki's exit strategy for exiting the "Rat Race". They exited at $120,000 dollars and they lived on 50% of those earnings so that they could continue to invest.
   
   Wealth creation isn't over when you hit a specific number or quit your job it is a life-long process. Kiyosaki's teaching is that it is okay to have a job as long as you are minding your own business and as long as you are becoming financially literate.
   
   This book is a must read.

3 comments about Fundamental Accounting Principles.

1. This book does an ok job of giving exmaples. However, I found that I did have to refer to websites for additional examples and explanations. The additional websites found on my own were a huge help.



2. Good textbook. Great coverage and exhibits to assist in learning. Easy to read and follow the step by step process.



3. wow - thanks to this book I now know that I do not want to be an accountant.
   
   what a relief now I can cross that off my list of things to do in life.

No comments about Payroll Accounting 2009 (with Klooster/Allen's Computerized Payroll Accounting Software).

5 comments about How to Trade In Stocks.

1. I have read many books on trading and have to agree with many other reviewers here - Livermore's original text is like gold. On some pages I found myself underlining almost every line. I found that the second two thirds of the book were filled with repeat quotes, repeated charts and some spelling errors. For the first third though I have given it 4 stars - the original text is hard to find (although I have just picked it up now on Wikipedia thanks to another reader's review). Trade in the strongest stocks in the strongest sector!



2. I had previously read the 'Remininscenses of a Stock Operator', which I found to be an interesting story and hence I decided to read this book hoping for some concrete trading ideas.
   
   Unfortunately, it was a total waste o $13+pp and a few days' time.
   The author uses some fancy terms (thought of by himself), makes some analogies to a friend of his from the army, but eventually I do not feel more educated even by the smallest of margins.
   
   Any "advice" "offered" is very vague and the entire book is very thin.
   
   Actually it leaves the impression of those $100 books sold on the internet containing the secrets that reveal the stock market's holy grail and will only be sold in a few houndred copies, so that only a few selected ones will be let into the "circle of stock market future tycoons".



3. A good book for the new trader.
   Follow the hints provided by Mr. Livermore, but, be careful; don't let greed to guide your trading decisions.



4. Livermore lived during the Great Depression and was known as "The Boy Plunger" for taking on large positions. He had been trading stocks since he was 15 and was regarded as one of the best speculators of his time. He made and lost millions, and this was back when a million was a lot of money. If Livermore was alive today he would be one of the most sophisticated traders around.
   
   I've read this book eight times and every time I read it, I pick up something new. It's so easy to read it feels as if the author is talking to you one on one. In the book he reveals his personal rules of trading, his money management procedures, his entry and exit strategies, and his rules for emotional discipline.
   
   A lot of what he says is common sense. At least it seems that way when he explains it but it goes against what the Wall Street machine tells us. For example, Livermore stresses that you should "never average down. Why add to a trade you are already losing money on?" He also describes the foibles of buy and hold. Many people of his time bought the blue chips of the day - the railroads, steamship companies, buggy whip companies, and others who are no longer around. "Life is change" he reasons, "your clothes change, your kids change, you change lovers. So why cannot the reason you buy a stock change?"
   
   Some of his rules include:
   
   Always trade with the trend, along the line of least resistance.
   Make sure all the factors are in your favor before you make a trade. (The factors are detailed in the book)
   Stay with the leading stocks of the day
   Group action is a key to timing - Stocks do not move alone.
   Don't buy your entire position at once.
   Always have a stop before you get in a trade. (Livermore used 10%)
   Never takes tips from anyone
   Never argue with the tape.
   You should not be in the market all the time.
   
   One of the things that helped me was that after a large successful trade, the author recommends taking half the profit out of the market. Put it away somewhere safe.
   
   Even though the author says he never used charts, it seems that he was a technical, trend follower by today's definitions. He got in on what he called Pivotal and Continuation Points which he describes in Chapter 5.
   
   Even though most of the book is put together by Smitten, it is still an enjoyable read for someone looking to put together a trading strategy and system. Someone who is new to the stock market will find a plethora of beneficial information. And the infomercial other reviewers have mentioned is only a short 6 pages at the back of the book. I've also read Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (Wiley Investment Classics) which is the story of a trader based on Livermore's life and Smitten's Jesse Livermore: World's Greatest Stock Trader and learned a lot from each of those as well. Both highly recommended.
   
   I hope this review helps you in your decision to buy this book or not. I find that it is a mandatory read for all investors and traders. It has definitely helped me to improve my stock trading. If you want to read more of my reviews of stock trading and investment books, you can get them at TheTradingTipster.com



5. Well written book with much useable information from the master of stock trading. I have purchased many books on the market and this ranks near the top of the list.

5 comments about Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes And How To Correct Them: Lessons From The New Science Of Behavioral Economics.

1. This book is well worth reading. Even though I am sixty-nine years old with an extensive background in finance, I still found the contents of this book very interesting. Much of what is written I already know and have practiced for many years, which has lead me to accumulate a fair amount of wealth to live a comfortable life in retirement.
   
   What I have learned from Messrs. Belsky and Gilovich is an ability to teach my grandchildren (and children, if they will listen) some financial fundamentals which will also allow them to accumulate wealth. My oldest granddaughter who is 23 is well on her way, not only saving in a Roth IRA and 401(k) plan, but also understanding some basic principals, such as saving small amounts and the power of compounding.
   
   I recommend this book to everyone who wants to begin to make smart money decisions and get financially ahead. As Ben Stein says, wealth accumulation is freedom. Freedom from worry and freedom to buy the things you need to enjoy living a comfortable life. If you accept the economic principals presented in this book you will achieve financial freedom.



2. This book will show you how and why people lose or waste money. From ego, to overconfidence, to anchoring, to mental accounting. All of these areas of psychology affect our way of thinking about money. This easy reading book will open your eyes as to how to save more money. You may even laugh at yourself knowing you have fallen for some of these mental traps. Highly recommended.



3. * When you know the common mistakes people make, you will learn from them and will not do the same.
   * Not only you will learn the common mistakes, but this book describe clearly on how to correct the situation in details.
   * Indeed a fresh knowledge for me. I love this book.



4. This is a very informative book that investigates why we think the way we do about money and what mental games we play that can get us into so much trouble. The book is not a fun or easy book to read, but it does have very good information.



5. What a great little book this is. It is short, concise and to the point. I liked the examples the authors used which you could easily relate to. It has certainly made me reconsider my own behavior.
   
   The fact that it is so short and well written makes it likely you will actually read it. I think it could be helpful to anybody with the slightest interest on why make certain economic choices rather than others. And why we keep doing them.
   
   Don't be put off by the fact that it is a book about economics. The authors made a great job at making this book relevant to the average Joe (or Jane) and by the time you've finished reading it, you won't feel you read an economics books.
   
   This book is about you, read it.

5 comments about Fundamental Managerial Accounting Concepts.

1. Reading through this book is a BORE! :( Examples are almost non-existant, there's like nothing (like definitions) on the sides of the pages, and no glossary. How poorly written! Please find an alternative to learn this rather interesting subject. Thank you!
   -Upset reader of this school book



2. I found the book to be attractively put together and full of examples. They address both manufacturing and non-manufacturing environments - including service industries. Managerial Accounting is a vital tool for businesses as it provides techniques for making better business decisions based on data instead of "hunches". Nonetheless, the material can be difficult to get through. The authors understand this and use real-life examples to help give insight as to the way businesses use these analysis techniques. Because the material can be challenging, I can understand some people finding the material boring. However, given the type of material, I feel the authors have done a commendable job in communicating the material in an appealing way.



3. Building upon introductory level material, the book starts with a fluffy review, moves into a description of basic components of the management structure and where costs originate from, then proceeds to costing methods.
   
   The book ends with cash flow, but I think it should probably start with cash flow as this will fundamentally help in understanding if this is reviewed (or taught) first.



4. I didn't really get a chance to read this book too much yet, but I plan to use it to help me study the concepts in the book better.



5. 0 STARS
   I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED THIS BOOK. It's been 30 days since I ordered this book and it hasn't arrived. The seller said they sent it 24 October and it isn't here. It NEVER takes 30 days for a package to arrive, even at the holiday season. As soon as it arrives, it will be sent back and a refund will be demanded from Amazon. I will never buy from this seller again. I suggest you find another. I could have bought from another seller after class started and it would've arrived by now. This was a text book I needed for a MBA class and almost had to drop it because of the unreliability of this seller.