No comments about International Financial Statement Analysis (CFA Institute Investment Series).

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 Bookkeeping for Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Nonprofit Accounting.

1. This book will help bookkeepers new to non-profit accounting. The book goes into detail, showing actual entries, and the reasoning behind them. It also points out dos and don'ts, basic accrual accounting, and what reporting an accountant will need for the 990 form. The book is a primer for the non-profit bookkeeper and/or organization treasurer.



2. Good book, great illustrations. Very clear. However, if you've been doing corporate accounting for a number of years, this is pretty basic. Better for someone with limited experience. I was hoping for something a little more advanced.



3. Useful, relatively easy tor read reference on not-for-profit (NFP) accounting, generally aimed at non-finance/accounting person. Not so useful for an organization using cash accounting methods (versus accrual), common in smaller NFPs. Some good ideas for low-end (i.e., <$50K income/year) NFP BOD members.



4. Excellent presentation on the essentials of accounting for nonprofit organizations. Many simple examples of typical and unusual transactions.



5. This is a wonderful guide for those taking up the task of doing the books for a nonprofit organization. It is chock full of information, yet it is in an easy to read format that the beginner or lay person will understand.
   
   Bookkeeping for Nonprofits is extremely user-friendly, giving you all the information you need to set up an accounting system for a nonprofit in a very simple manner.
   
   This is an excellent resource.

2 comments about Financial Accounting 6e with Annual Report.

1. THE BOOK IS COOL. THE ONLY REASON I BOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE I AM TAKING A CLASS ON ACCOUNTING. IT DOES HELP A LOT AND THE READING IS SIMPLE. SO BUY IT IF U LIKE ACCOUNTING!



2. I needed to get this book for class. I am taking an Accounting class in pursuit of my MBA.

5 comments about The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course In Finance for Non-Financial Managers.

1. I'm not a finance person nor do I plan to be one in the future. Will working in sales for the past 10 years I have become more aware of what I don't know and finance is surely one of those areas. This book covers the basic's of the financial world without putting you into a comma. The homework at the end of each chapter gets to be a bit of a pain since I was looking for the "concept" not trying to become an accountant. The best part of the book is it starts basic and builds off of that throughout the book which helped me understand some of the more complex financial terms. Good book for someone trying to get up to speed quick.



2. Very helpful for the student thinking of pursuing a degree in finance. If you have no finance or business experience, this is a good place to start.



3. The book is great, and a big thank you to the writers. When it came to the on-line exam and certification, I am still strugeling with the Mc-graw hill support. After sending them two emails I finaly got to the exam on the internet: [...].
   BUT, after I finished the exam, they basicly just said thank you and good bye. What I wanted when I passed the test with 90% was a form where I could enter my adress so they could send me the certificate, but no no. Two emails later, I havent heard a word from them yet. Mc-graw hill - this sux and if feels like you are close to commiting fraud when it is so difficult to first find the exam and impossible and close to impossible to get the certificate. This was not what I expected when I saw "Earn certificate of achievement through the free on-line examination" on the book cover. Without this trubble, the book would easily get five stars.



4. Business Basics Bestseller 1: The Easy, Interesting, Open-book Look at the Game of Business Numbers! 2nd Edition
   
   If the prospect of spending 36 hours going over finance and accounting stuff in the privacy of your own home doesn't excite you, but you still want to get into F&A, consider this option -- "Business Basics Bestseller 1."
   
   This gem of a book, at less than 150 pages (with sketches!), can give you a basic start on understanding business and its numerical underpinnings -- F&A. You'll find that BBB#1 is clear, concise, and easy to understand and you can finish each chapter in 30 - 60 minutes (there are six chapters). The author doesn't assume you know anything more about business than what you would if you opened checking and savings accounts and owned a car. The book is not simplistic, just straightforward. Don't consider the BBB #1 book a replacement for 36 good hours with McGraw Hill, just take a look at it first -- you can always buy both.



5. The best of this book is how accounting and management are described. Very practical and useful.
   
   The author send you the certificate as promised.

4 comments about Schaum's Outline of Principles of Accounting I (Schaum's).

1. I admit it. I used to be intimidated with accounting. Its concepts were somewhat of a mystery. Debits and credits, journals and ledgers, balance sheets and income statements, adjusting entries, etc. You get the picture.
   
   A year and a half ago, I bought this book. I now enjoy accounting because the authors were so successful and effective in teaching its precepts. Lerner and Cashin have turned muddy water into a clear pool. Why weren't my college professors so effective?
   
   I read this book from cover to cover. I'm hoping that others will benefit as much as I have from this book. Chapters cover: accounting concepts, financial statements, transactional classification, adjusting and closing procedures, business and merchandising worksheets, methods of valuing inventory, receivables, cash and its control, payroll, and also property plant and equipment
   
   The magic of this book revolves around lucid explanations and practical examples. The authors teach the principles, provide numerous examples and then afford the reader the opportunity to apply the lessons material. The book takes you step by step and builds upon the fundamentals.
   
   If you take the time to do the chapter end problems, you should benefit greatly from this introduction to accounting.
   
   Truly, I think the book is a wonderful resource and guide.



2. 
   Presented in manner to make it easy to understand and practice. I became an "accountant" within the period I took to go through the entire book-one month! Now I do my own accounts using the principles I leant and a Peachtree accounting software.
   I will be purchasing Schaum's other books.



3. Wow! It's realy simple and awesome book for who is looking for accounting knowledge.



4. It was very clear and thorough. It is pretty good for the CLEP, but you will need Principles of Accounting 1 too.

5 comments about Wiley CPA Exam Review 2008: Financial Accounting and Reporting (Wiley Cpa Examination Review Financial Accounting and Reporting).

1. The book conditions were excellent and I received it fast. I liked the service. Keep that way and you will keep your clients.



2. I don't have the 2008 version, I used the 2006 version and took FAR's exam on Nov. 2007 and the only thing that has really changed since then is Pensions.
   
   As far as the Wiley material is concerned, I think that it will more than prepare you for the FAR's section. I used Wiley exclusively for the FAR's section and I used some Becker material for the REG section. I passed both on the first try, however, I got a 95 on the FARs section and an 83 on the REG section. But to be fair, I was in the middle of busy season when I took the REG section (and I'm also in Audit), but I also used the Wiley Focus Notes for that section as well. So if you are looking for a comprehensive book for any section, Wiley will do the job, as will Becker, but at a much higher price.
   
   In addition to the Wiley book, I also had the Wiley 11.0 Software for multiple choice questions and simulations. The software had its limitations, and I would say that Becker certainly has the leg up on the software side of things. However, the new Wiley 13.0 software may address some of the problems (lack of research component, not as interactive while doing simulations), but I have yet to use it.
   
   As far as readability is concerned, the Wiley books can be a little daunting at times. The gray paper that Wiley uses can make the words appear a little dull. You'll also notice that Becker material uses a lot of white space (blank) on each page, were Wiley crams a lot of information on one page. So I would give Becker the edge on presentation, but Wiley the edge on amount of material covered.
   
   If you were to compare the books by the multiple choice questions provided, Wiley would win hands down. Every section has a bunch of multiple choice questions at the end, sometimes over 100+. Becker at most will have about 25. The majority of Becker's practice questions are in its software.
   
   My only caution for the Wiley material is that you have to be very structured in your studying. If you do the Becker courses, they have everything laid out. If you are someone who needs a class environment (whether in a class or online), or are not good at just using books to study, then I would say go with Becker or some comparable CPA review course. If you can structure yourself, Wiley will work just fine.
   
   In addition to the books, I would recommend you get the Focus Notes (if you decide to go with Wiley). I've seen both Becker's (flashcards) and Wiley's and I think the Wiley Focus Notes are much better and much cheaper.



3. Material is about the right depth and difficulty for the exam. The content is straightforward, and the price is just great. I would use in conjunction with the prep software for additional practice questions. I've noticed various minor editing errors, but nothing that significantly detracts from the overall value of the product.



4. SO far using Wiley books alone and not using any other material I got a 82 AUD, 85 AUD, and 87 BEC. This is also considering the fact I took my last accounting courses over 8 years ago. These books are all you will need.
   
   The only drawbacks are that it is a very complicated book that sums up everything with few words. Every CPA exam so far I took after using this books seemed like a babies test, this book is way more complicated than the exam. This can be good or bad, because going into the CPA exam you will be prepared for much harder questions. Bad is that you will sometimes be overwhelmed when using this book.



5. Wiley CPA Exam Review 2008: Financial Accounting and Reporting (Wiley Cpa Examination Review Financial Accounting and Reporting)
   A comprehensive resource, for people who want to do extensive exercises and benefit from a comprehensive summary and guide in financial accounting principles.

5 comments about Quicken 2008: The Missing Manual.

1. I read the fine print that this was for the Premier and Deluxe Edition, but I didn't realize how different they are from the Starter Edition, i.e., panel layouts, etc. Now I either go to one of the other editions, which I don't need or spend a lot of time trying to figure how to make the best of the Help function which is not that helpful.



2. Overall the manual seems to be a cutesy rewrite of the users manual and is written for Windows users with no help for Mac users. Although better organized than the users manual in Quicken, it provides no great insights into using Quicken more effectively. For Mac users look elsewhere, this is a windows book.



3. This is a great book with good explanations to those of us who do not understand all the ins and outs of the financial world and the software that we use. We use it together with Quicken 2008 for Dummies. Both of these books are very helpful references and are used a lot.
   
   Thanks.



4. I have used Quicken for several years and found 2008 to be confusing. By the time the book arrived I had become more comfortable with the new format. I still don't like it but I still prefer Managing Your Money. (No longer made and DOS based.)



5. I wish I had reviewed this manual before I installed Quicken. Especially helpful during the "set up" phase, and very clear on how to work with loan and credit card accounts.The book does not require that you thnk like an accountant. If you have decided Quicken is for you, then this book is essential.

No comments about QuickBooks 2009: The Missing Manual.

1 comments about Wiley GAAP: Interpretation and Application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles 2009.

1. This book should be read cover to cover by every Intermediate Accounting student and used by every practitioner (CPA); invaluable.