1 comments about Budgeting for Managers.

1. I'm amazed at the amount of useful information in this book. Using this text I was able to develop a working budget for my department and the budget for two small projects. This is a very good text for managers of small departments. It provides usable information and it concise.

5 comments about Accounting Best Practices.

1. Best practices helped me improve accounting operations and cut costs. Appendix B alone is worth the price.



2. Looking for best practices in all areas of accounting? This is the place! Liked the presentation format.



3. I found Accounting Best Practices a valuable resource for objectively evaluating my accounting department's business practices and procedures. Mr. Bragg has identified the specific tasks of each of the accounting departments's functions and has made suggestions for efficiencies. The author states the key factors in the successful implementation of the best practices in accounting.

   Each chapter presents an exhibit of "Implementation Issues Best Practices" describing the implementation costs, ease and duration of each suggested practice change. This information allowed me to implement the easiest and least costly changes to my accounting department's procedures, thus gaining credibility with upper managment to support the changes involving addional resources.

   As a Controller, Best Practices assisted me to focus on the value-added tasks of my department and identifying where my staff's efforts are best utilized to support the corporate objectives. My department has become more efficient, allowing for individual growth opportunities. I highly recommend this book for anyone managing an accounting department. A very concise book that is easy to read and use.

   Divisional Controller, CMA




4. This book has the right idea of putting the main points in the tables for quick reference and the narrative for each point. In addition, I like the Ease, Duration and Cost of implementation of each best practice which gives me an idea for prioritization. Ordered more copies for the departments. Wish they had more books like these that give practical suggestions instead of theory.



5. This book has so many great accounting best practices it should serve as a goal for every company. It is an invaluable reference guide to anyone who is just starting a business, or needing to improve the efficiency of their accounting functions.
   I most liked the fact that the book is so easy to read. You won't have to be a CPA to understand this book.
   My only suggestion is that the book should have a companion CD or web site with all of the best practices already in an electronic format.

4 comments about Business Ratios and Formulas: A Comprehensive Guide.

1. Business Ratios and Formulas, A Comprehensive Guide, is the most thorough reference book of its type. Steven Bragg provides a complete explanation of each business ratio and formula and follows each with a scenario example of their applications. Also provided is a discussion of how the resultant calculation can be misleading or should be used in conjunction with other ratios. I have not seen this feature in any other book of its kind.

   Another excellent feature of the book is the chapter on "Measurement Analysis with an Electronic Spreadsheet", which describes the use of Microsoft Excel to assist the business professional in automating the analysis. Five types of analyses are included in this chapter: financial statements, project analysis, investment analysis, risk analysis and trend analysis.

   In the introduction to the text Mr. Bragg states, "Even if a company has developed a reasonable set of measurements, this does not mean that they should never be changed." As a controller I am in the process of re-examining my company's measurement process. This book is an invaluable resource. Excellent for both the professional and student. A book I wish I had during my MBA studies.




2. This is not an easy-read book. It is much like a cookbook - there are all kinds of recipes (formulas) identified and explained. A must-read for anyone who wants to start, run, and grow a business.
   
   After reading this book you should be impressed with the fact that every business can be viewed as a database of numbers (statistics). The quality of the databases will vary, often significantly, but all businesses can build quality databases if they so desire. If they do, then they can take advantage of the priceless information included in this book.
   
   I used to work for a small company that refused to keep accurate accounting records. All they worried about it seemed was the cash flow schedule so they could pay their bills. I tried to impress upon them the importance of well-kept books so the health status of the business could always be identified quickly, and strategic planning could be performed to increase profitability or to pursue growth pursuant to a plan. If they had kept books as I suggested, then they wold have been able to take advantage of the book I'm reviewing here.
   
   By reading this book and taking note of the financial data necessary to plug and chug the formulas, you will be knowledgeable about how to set up your accounting records on Quickbooks Pro or whatever other accounting software your company uses. And the better those accounts are set up, the better you will be able to use the information provided in this book.



3. This book makes a great reference for those that use business formulas on a normal basis. It presents all the normally used formulas in a single book and some special use formulas also. A must for any business library.



4. If one can gramattically apply the modifer "very" to "Comprehensive" this is the palce to apply it. This book has become an essential tool in my reference library. If you are serious about communicating an important message, this will help. I particularly like the comments on the appropriate use and potential misuse of each ratio.

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.

5 comments about Managerial Accounting.

1. As a new student to accounting I must say I have not decided to give up. This book is excellent and I will recommend this book to anyone whi is going into the accounting field. Good luck



2. I have to disagree with the majority of other people here. I am an MBA candidate, the MBA being my second Master's degree.
   
   I found this textbook too simplistic in the readings to make a smooth transition to problem-solving (end of chapter problems more complicated than text examples). The text helps you understand concepts, but does not prepare you well to apply skills.
   
   I am surprised at the typographical errors I discovered, considering this is a second edition and credits approximately 100 people with reviewing the book.
   
   I believe the text suffers from haphazard layout in certain passages, seemingly jumping around in an illogical sequence. Many of the pictures are unnecessary fluff. I suggest eliminate side articles. Keep the readings concise; eliminate extraneous material to conserve reading time and reduce costs. The book is overpriced.



3. This textbook is required for Management majors at Clemson University. The textbook I purchased here was in excellent shape. The cover looked brand new and I could not even tell the book was previously owned. For college students on a limited budget, used books are the best way to save money that would just be wasted because most college students dont care if the book is used they just want to get it as cheaply as possible.



4. Book I need for this course. Came in right on time even though we havent used it other than for example problems for the exam.



5. I got this book in a few days and it was new. I accidentally meant to order the book and not the study guide but I'm keeping it anyway.

1 comments about Private Equity: History, Governance, and Operations (Wiley Finance).

1. The first 150 pages of this book are most likely the best. Great history of PE investment with many graphs of fund returns and investment patters. Some of the later chapters are a bit disjointed, and two offer up a lot of legalese, but overall, a very good book for the PE novice.

5 comments about Sarbanes-Oxley For Dummies.

1. I am a CFO of a public company as well as a partner in a CPA firm. The book was very informative but for me it was 75% stuff I already knew. The software chapter was heplful but seemed biased. The book has several minor technical errors but nothing that would really mislead a novice. I bought 5 more copies to give to my controller, board chairman and a division president, as well as to two clients. My six year old son gets a real kick out of the title and exclaims "Sarbanes Oxley for Dummies!" every time he sees it on my night table (could he be a budding SOX consultant??).



2. Great book. Simple and complete. Sox is explained in easy to understand language. I recommend.



3. The provisions for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance are only mandatory for
   public companies that file a Form 10-K with the SEC - however, more and
   more companies are being encouraged {pressured?} to voluntarily
   comply with SOX - a good example of which is the United States Postal
   Service. Why is this? Because in a free market capitalistic society,
   there exists a need to bolster investor confidence in the reliability of
   publicly reported financial information. No one wants another Enron.
   
   This book does a great job of laying out - soup to nuts - the SOX
   landscape and its key provisions. Everything from the AICPA checklist to
   WorldCom misconduct, and everything in between (Arthur Andersen
   [remember them?], COBIT, COSO, Enron, Kenneth Lay [departed], and Sox
   Sections a plenty - presenting an excellent and at times compelling
   picture of Sox, how we got here, and where we're going.
   
   SOX was enacted July 30, 2002 - so if you feel the need to rapidly
   graduate off the "SOX dummies list" [their title, not mine], then by
   all means get this book!, and be a Soxcess!



4. The book is fantastic. Very easy to read and understand. perfect for someone to gain general knowledge about SOX.



5. This book provides an excellent introducation to Sarbanes-Oxley. I would recommend this book because it provides explanations in laymen's terms.

5 comments about Financial & Managerial Accounting.

1. Thank you much. I started taking an accounting class & the book came just in time.



2. Received item just as promised. Thanks for the fast delivery. It came just in time for my class!



3. I am very pleased with the book I ordered. It was as described and on time.



4. It's an accounting textbook...far from interesting, but it gets the job done and has lots and lots of practice problems and examples to work from.



5. The textbook has been extremely useful thus far in my class. Unfortunately, the only issue I have found with it is the fact that the authors didn't apply any "real world" situations to it. My professor, who has 35 years experience as an accountant, has gone through and made changes to the book during the lessons; informing us of how things will actually appear when doing the ledgers, etc. Other than this small issue, the book is an excellent resource.

5 comments about Earned Value Project Management, 3rd Edition.

1. So far I have found two books dedicated to the topic of earned value: this book by Fleming and Koppelman and another book entitled `Using Earned Value' by Alan Webb. Note that I am not listing the earned value `Cliff notes' entitled `Project Management: The Commonsense Approach" by the Lamberts, which will not add to your understanding of earned value management or analysis, and serves, at best, as a memory jogger on the basic concepts.
   
   "Earned Value Project Management, Second Edition" by Fleming and Koppelman provides a good treatment of the history of earned value and of the calculation methods of its core measurements. However the book falls short in terms of methods of analysis and interpretation of these measurements, which is really where project managers need guidance and expertise. Indeed calculations are automated by the scheduling packages (e.g. Microsoft Project, Primavera, etc.), in other words getting the numbers is never the problem (although some packages have had their share of problems doing this), or let's just say it's the easy part. Obviously one needs to understand how the numbers are calculated and what they mean but this part of earned value does not require a whole book about it. The true challenge in earned value management is the analysis part. Once you have the numbers, you need to understand what they mean to your project, how they trend, how they relate/influence one another and most importantly how you should use them in gauging the health of your project. This information then needs to be translated in either corrective actions (which are hopefully proportional to the problem at hand) or inaction (provided that you have made the conscious decision, based on the data, to keep things as they are). I believe that this is where this book falls short. It gives the reader an understanding of the concepts but lacks in the guidance that is required for a true, practical, and day-to-day application of earned value on projects. In another words, it's a good start but not quite enough.



2. Fleming and Koppelman have done a decent job of bringing the complex subject of Earned Value Management into perspective. Starting with an interesting history of the subject from its beginnings in 1965, they have broken the subject down into its components and given a clear explanation of the fundamentals. If you're planning on working in the EVMS field any time soon, I would recommend this as a good starting point to familiarize yourself with the subject.



3. I wish I had had this book much earlier in my project management career! The authors of this book are able to bring the esoteric aspects of Earned Value to the masses. Reading this text is easy - not like a reading text book - and the authors provide (somewhat) "real life" case studies to back up their examples.
   
   One author claims to be an expert in Earned Value, and I believe it after reading his explanations - he is able to cut to the essence of the idea without leaving the important details behind. This book is worth the money, especially if you've read other text about Earned Value - you'll appreciate the simplicity of this one.



4. This is a book that talks a lot about Earned Value in terms of history and usefulness; how it advanced since 1967 C/SCSC to today's EVM standard.
   To my amazement, unfortunately, this book does NOT show you how to calculate EARNED VALUE. It keeps talking about how to use it to assess progress and predict future progress but it does not show how to get it.
   This is a MAJOR flaw in my opinion.
   
   I finished reading the book and I am disappointed. It needs more examples. There are better books in the market on this.



5. Unfortunately I never received my book so I can not give any opinion.
   
   Regards

5 comments about Payroll Accounting 2008 (with ADP's PC Payroll for Windows CD-ROM and Klooster/Allen's Computerized Payroll Accounting Software) (Payroll Accounting).

1. Book very informative almost don't need the teacher. Received book in good order and on time no problems. This book is not a book that will be resold becauce the work is done in the book and the rule and laws are always changing. The instructor will not let you use the last book(2006).



2. Probably one of the worst text books I've ever used. If you don't have a GREAT teacher avoid any class using this book. It is very poorly written. Very confusing. Incorrect answers throughout. Answer key (which should be there to help you learn) is horrible. If you are new to payroll, try and find a different way to learn this material. There has to be something better out there.



3. This is the book that I needed for my class. I purchased it at Amazon $25 less than the school bookstore, no sales tax, free shipping and received it in 4 days!



4. I purchased this book 'used' in 'good' condition and am very satisfied with my product. This book came with a CD, that is in GREAT shape and working order. The book was clean of marks, had no highlights and had all pages in-tact. I recieved my order with in a weeks time, which is faster than i expected. I pleased with my experience with Amazon, and found it easy and informitive to check on my order and in what transition point it was in.



5. I liked the product I purchased. Used books saves me a lot of money. Thank you!