No comments about The Complete Book of Corporate Forms, Second Edition (Includes 2 CD-ROMs).

4 comments about The Real Estate Investor's Pocket Calculator: Simple Ways to Compute Cashflow, Value, Return, and Other Key Financial Measurements.

1. Correct me if I am wrong but looking at the definitions for assessment ratios they are defined as appraised price (P) * assessment ratio (R) = assessed value (A) so restating this as P * R = A then R = A / P which is not consistent with the book. The book states that R = P / A which is invalid. If you take the example of asked price which for this example lets say it is the appraised price of $107,500 and assessed value of A = 90000. If you use the formula of R = A / P then the ratio is 83.7% if you run the numbers defined in the book formula you get 1.194444444444. Other than that, the book has been very good at figuring the value of a given property. This also applies to the Assessment ratio adjusted.
   Here is the reference I found for defining the assessment ratio http://co.laplata.co.us/asrinfo.htm



2. Michael c. Thomsett's REAL ESTATE INVESTOR'S POCKET CALCULATOR: SIMPLE WAYS TO COMPUTER CASHFLOW, VALUE, RETURN, AND OTHER KEY FINANCIAL MEASUREMENTS finally places in the investor's hands the same tools real estate agents use to calculate yield, values, taxable income and operating expenses. All different types of value are revealed in chapters which cover everything from acceleration techniques and methods for reducing interest to ways of maximizing investment returns. Worksheets, tables and charts provide clarity and all the formulas needed to succeed. Very highly recommended as an essential, basic pick any real estate investor should keep at hand.



3. I ordered this book for my business library and and happy with it, athough it does have some errors in it. However, the material is informative enough to undersatnd, which allows me to perform the calculations in it.



4. I bought the book back in September of 2006 and have just started reviewing it. I did find an error as mentioned on page 18 in another review by another reader. The Assessed value formula is backwards and you have to reverse the numerator and denominator variables P & A to get the formula to work. Also the revised assessment example on page 20 has some errors also. The formula (1+i)^y should calculate the revised assessment column on page 20 using the 1.5% average increase in assessed value. When you plug in values with y = 1 as the power the values come out. When you use 2-3 years for y, you get a higher value that does not agree with the examples for Laurel St; Haynes St; Green and Hayward Lane respectively. So far this is the major errors I have found but will write back when I see some more. I do agree the classifications of the related formulas are great to the subject matter being expounded on. However I would also like to see more worked out examples for the formulas as this would also serve as a self check for errors. Some of the simpler formulas have no worked out examples and for some this is needed to lock in the theory.
   
   Carpe Diem
   God Bless
   Dr. Werner

5 comments about Radical Accounting: A Way Out of the Dark and Into the Profit.

1. I used QuickBooks at my previous job but it was all setup for me. That owner retired so I got a new, better paying job, but I thought I might be in over my head. The owner was disorganized with papers everywhere. He didn't seem ready to want to get rid of all that paper.
   
   I thought I'd give this book a try. I went directly to the section titled, "From Disaster to Organization in One Day Straight," in the chapter on "Filing Systems".
   
   What a big help this was to me! The whole book is great! Spending $20 to keep my job-the author would call that profitable! I call it wonderful.



2. I found this book very useful. It is easy to understand. There is not a lot written for small business people that has so much good information that is so easy to make sense of. I used the book to change our accounting structure and it all makes much more sense to me now than it did.



3. I recently started a pedicab company down in Austin Texas. I started mainly focusing on getting the business up and running, without much thought to accounting, while looking around the local bookstore I noticed this book and started reading. Its a book to read start to finish. Once your done you will know exactly what you need to do in a straight and easy to understand way. The only downfall of the book is that I wish there were more Quickbook tips. If you are wondering how to get your business into a situation where you can easily understand and communicate what is happening with all aspects of your company finances then GET THIS BOOK.
   I also recommend this book to anyone in school taking accounting classes. I gave it to an employee who is taking classes here at the University of Texas in Austin and it helped him out a bunch, he is getting much better scores, because the knowledge gained from this book is tremendous and in just a nice short package, its convenient for even the busiest of people.
   
   Go get it and read it, it WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER!!!!



4. Genre: Business
   
   Title: Radical Accounting- A Way out of the Dark and Into the Profit
   
   Author: Madeline Bailey
   
   A beginner's guide to business accounting and computer accounting software, Radical Accounting is an excellent reference tool. It is a step- by- step guide to take the business owner from being frustrated and confused by business reports to understanding financial statements and profit margins. The book explains the process extensively, but in layman's terms.
   Whether you intend to do your own bookkeeping or simply want to understand the reports that your bookkeeper and/or accountant produce, this book will assist you. Chapter nine "Your Filing System" will greatly assist the organizationally challenged.
   Chapter by chapter, the author explains the language of accounting and how it applies to your day-to-day business transactions. You will begin to understand and request more and more information about your business in order to increase your profit margin. You will no longer be confused and frustrated by reports that are foreign to you, now you will be an educated businessperson who has the facts that you will need to succeed.
   Several Quickbooks software tips are included throughout, however the book is not limited to this software program. This book is not associated with nor does it recommend one software program over another. The Quickbooks program is simply used as reference for some of the chapters. The book uses United States tax references but is still useful in Canada and other countries as an accounting guide.
   Author Madeline Bailey is a software developer, a consultant and a business analyst.
   
   Recommended by Reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Reviews.



5. Madeline Bailey's approach to accounting in this excellent book is practical, understandable and easy to read. What more do you need?

3 comments about Schaum's Easy Outline Bookkeeping and Accounting.

1. This book is definitely not for novice bookkeepers. You really need to know a lot about the subject in order to understand the material in this book. I personally felt as though it was a waste of money, and it has not helped me enter the bookkeeping field as I had hoped it would have. I had bookkeeping in college 30 years ago and thought this book would refresh my memory, but it did not.



2. If you were studying accounting or bookkeeping on your own or in a college setting, and you made a small booklet of everything you highlighted or underlined in your textbook that you expected to see on the final exam you would re-create this book. I wish I had it when I was preparing for my accounting exams. This book won't make you an accountant, only experience and a lot of hard work will do that, but I'll bet you keep a copy of "Schaum's Easy Outline Bookkeeping and Accounting by Joel J. Lerner" in your desk for the first year on the job.



3. It's a Best Book for the beginner of Bookkeeping & English.
   I am Japanese who can't English very well, but this book has been very useful for me!

4 comments about Start & Run a Bookkeeping Business.

1. I was alittle disappointed. The author assumes that you're going "gung ho" & opening a bookkeeping business with a location & several employees. I was looking for more information on opening a small in-home business with just me. Of course, there are some good tips that will be helpful someday.



2. Somewhat disappointed in the book. I was looking for more guidance in starting up a home based bookkeeping service or a smaller service--one with no employees. One of the bullets or selling points on front of book said "Run your own profitable business from home" but the book only dedicated 7-8 pages on this topic. But there was some good advice and items that made you stop and think so it wasn't a total waste.



3. There were some kernels of info but not many. It just hits the high points not the details. It's too concerned with profitability issues like being able to pay rent even if you work out of your house (so that if you want to sell the business the buyer would be able to pay rent). I WANT to run it from my house and a bookkeeping business is not a get-rich-quick-and-sell-the-business scheme. It's not concerned enough (much at all?) with how to market the business. The cart is waaay in front of the horse. If I could go back, I would not have bought it.



4. I saw nothing special on the information provided by this book. It's a canned "How to start your business" kind of book. All you need to do is to change "Bookkeeping" to "Consulting" and you will have another book. I looked over it once and put it on the side. It's now sitting there collecting dust. In my opinion, the reason why someone wants to purchase a book with a specialized subject is to gain some insight on to how to do something. But this book is so generalized, it's not useful at all.
   
   Because of this book, I will shy away from any series published by this company. I should have asked for my money back because you can get better information from the SBA for free.

5 comments about Bookkeeping the Easy Way.

1. At best: A simple, clear, student workbook.
   At worst: Lame, out of date, historical documentary.

   All excercises are hand written and methods do not include any mention of computers, email, spreadsheets, or other standard parts of any modern business. A great way to bore any student to tears, but unreadable for a small business that needs to get the job done quickly.




2. I am completely new to accounting and bookkeeping. I wanted a book I could teach myself the basics before using software. I went to my local Borders and found this book was the only one that actually made you DO exercises to make sure you understood what you were learning. So far this book has been great. Accounting terms and concepts can be confusing for normal people like me (chemist) but this book does a great job making you understand by doing and not just reading. There are a few mistakes in the answer section but the book teaches me well enough for me to realize that they are mistakes. Enough said.



3. I wanted "Bookeeping made simple" or "booking made easy" but both titles were out at every store I tried.
   
   So I got tis one instead on Tuesday, knowing Monday I start a new job as an assistant bookkeeper with no accounting experience.
   
   This is not for beginners! I have had no experience with accounting terms so ever other page makes me consult my finacee's accounting 101 textbook.
   
   The chapters barely explain anything, then you have complicated problems at the end. And they're very hard, I end up cheating off the answer key to save my own ego.
   
   This might help if you use it for its original purpose: if at the midterm exam of a bookkeeping class you realize you're failing, pick this up and use it to help.
   
   But if you're a beginner, look for the two titles I mentioned above. I found them at the library and they are saving my butt!



4. This is the best bookkeeping book I've stumbled upon. It is organized well, meaning the order of chapters follows a layperson's logic and prepares them well for the task ahead.



5. Speaking from the point of view of someone that knows and understands bookkeeping, I bought this book to use as a teaching tool for a relative.
   
   Yes, about 85% of it applies but I feel it is outdated and needs a significant overhaul. There are numerous mistakes and errors throughout and considering this was written in 1999 but still has not been updated is embarrassing.
   
   I did like the fact that it is step by step, it does teach you the double entry method without relying on computer software and there are exercises for the reader to perform to test and perfect his/her skills.
   
   Overall, this is a fair selection to buy and considering that it is only about $11, not a bad deal either. Still, I would definitely recommend you supplement with something written in the last 2 years and then consider a book that teaches you the software program of your choice...such as Quickbooks, Peachtree, etc. The old world style of pencil and paper is invaluable alongside the computer accounting world of today.

5 comments about How to Open your own in-home bookkeeping service 2nd edition.

1. I was disappointed with this book. After reading all of the reviews it sounded as if it would be insightful and useful. I found it to be neither for the price that you pay for the book. Bookkeeping for Dummies was much more insightful then this book.



2. I have owned this book for almost a year now. I was looking for a new, preferably stay at home, work for myself career and I had worked in bookkeeping before. I began to brush up on my bookkeeping skills and I found this book online. I have the e-book from Julie's website. I read it all in about 2 days and got inspired. Now things are really beginning to happen for me. I completed the 2007 QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program certification about 1 week ago. I would not have had a clue about this program if it hadn't been for Julie's book. You get over $1000 worth of software and benefits for under %500 and once you complete their program you get listed on their website and get your own free website, plus many other benefits.
   That being said, I am now also beginning to get referrals from clients and working with a local CPA (as recommended in the book). I have checked out many of the links and resources Julie recommended and found them invaluable. I currently choose to work out of the home only 3 days/week, and I don't have to ask anybody's permission to do this - it's my choice.
   I have also purchased Julie's other 2 books on QB and budgeting and when I get a chance to read them and review them I will. But my current success has sort of limited my time at the moment. I have written Julie a few times by email and she has always responded, not with an auto reply, but a real genuine and helpful answers. Can't say enough good things about that.
   Oh, and for you stay at home moms who are wondering if this is for you - I got involved because I was burned out on my current job and I wanted more time at home with my twin tots and family!



3. I purchased this book based on the reviews and I have to say I was disappointed. There is some decent material in the book but it was not worth the $79 I spent on it.



4. I intended to start my own business but had absolutely no idea how to go about doing it, until I started surfing the internet for ideas and stumbled upon this book. It was definitely a blessing! I read the entire book within a few days, because it was so captivating and concise on what to do and not do. I will continue to recommend this book to others who are serious about starting their own home-based business.



5. I bought this book as part of my research into setting up my own financial services consultancy. I found the book informative and practical. Even though it is unlikely that I will include the provision of basic accounting / bookkeeping in my final business model, I would still recommend this book for those planning to offer these services.

5 comments about Streetwise Finance and Accounting: How to Keep Your Books and Manage Your Finances Without an MBA, a CPA, or a Ph.D..

1. don't buy this book, no substance only good for sales



2. If you are looking for a resource to help you understand the nuts and bolts of small business accounting, this is an excellent start. The book covers the important issues that business owners need to be aware of without adding a lot of fluff.

   **** Recommended for all small business owners looking to understand their finances ****




3. I have been in business for the past ten years and have never truly understood or cared about keeping good records. The book breaks down accounting into real life experiences, finally something that I can understand.
   It's a must read for all small business people and would recommend it to anyone considering going into business for themselves



4. Business Basics Bestseller 1: The Easy, Interesting, Open-book Look at the Game of Business Numbers! 2nd Edition
   
   
   Sometimes you want the details of how to do accounting, sometimes you want just a general intro to business. If you never had this accounting stuff explained to you before, you will like "Business Basics Bestseller 1" as a starting point. It provides a general business perspective that puts accounting in its place. This is not a suggestion that you substitute it for this book, just that you check it out as well. The BBB #1 book was written by a guy who is not an accountant -- an asset to the reader who isn't either.
   
   BBB #1 will introduce you to the basics of business including the terms behind the numbers and where all the statements and formulas come from before you plow into a true "finance and accounting" text. Search for "Business Basics Bestseller 1" and add it to your consideration. It can be one of your best investments. At less than 150 pages, you can zip through it enjoyably -- then the specifics of keeping books will take on a whole new and important dimension for your business.



5. In todays tough economy,you need great financial advice,and this is the book for that!Finding a great accountant,I did,through this book,a must read!

5 comments about Bill Paying Reminder and Filing System.

1. (...)

   I have been using the bill-paying reminder system for a few months now, and I must report that I do find it useful. It is handy to have all the balances showing, month after month, so I can see the balances going down, or, God help me, going up! This makes me more aware of what I am spending, and the fact that I want all those balances to go down! I am no longer able to let myself ignore what I am doing financially. I have also noticed that one account was not crediting my payments properly.

   So, I am Definitely finding this item worthwhile.

   However, I stand behing my remarks that a more professional appearance and a rewrite of the instructions would help(...)

   It IS a good product, and it COULD be better.

   That's it!

   Good luck Mr. Jackson.




2. But boy was I wrong! It has since become the # 1 seller of its kind on Amazon.com. This is because satisfied customers like its unique practicality. This book has saved me money time and time again as it has and will for other owners, by helping them to avoid paying late credit fees. It also systematically hold credit related documents in plastic see-through pockets without having to remove them to examine, that are guaranteed not to tear through. Without appearing to be a braggart, but rather, someone who is proud of its very welcome and warm reception from people like you! I now truly believe that this book is the best of its kind barring none.The Motley Fool Personal Finance Workbook : A Foolproof Guide to Organizing Your Cash and Building Wealth



3. This notebook is awesome, it shows you exactly where you stand when it comes you your bills. You can follow your spending patterns and know when your payments are due monthly, avoid any chance of being late on your payments due to non-receipt of statemnts..this book has a column to write the due date, min payment due, amount paid, date paid, check # used, previous and new balance and total amount paid..since I pay my bills online and don't use a check # I use that column to total the amount of finance charges each month..this is a really good notebook and I strongly recommend it.



4. I received my book way before the time that was stated and that is ALWAYS good! Thank you for the excellent service and I will continue to shop here!!!!!!



5. This is a very easy product to use. The only thing I don't like about it was the low quality. It looks like something I could easily put together. Then again I didn't think of it. If you have a lot of bills that you can't keep track of then this is the book for you.

3 comments about Bookkeeping Basics: What Every Nonprofit Bookkeeper Needs to Know.

1. The book is very good for an understanding of bookkeeping for non-profits with many reminders, charts and instructions. It continually emphasized what was discussed in earlier chapters. And, it gave a review of the bookkeeping basics. There is a lot of information for medium to large non-profits. The book discusses accrual and cash basis. This book would be a good tool for a medium or large organization. The book gave me confidence to do the job as treasurer of a small non-profit as I was reminded of the things I learned in accounting classes that I had many years ago.



2. Clear, practical and well-organized resource for new bookkeepers and accounting students without bookkeeping experience who want to better understand the accounting cycle. Very user-friendly.



3. I needed a crash course in setting up a chart of accounts for a small not-for-profit organization. I have studied basic bookkeeping and accounting in school, but it did not go into nonprofit and fund accounting. This book was a great help.