Book Description

Garrison/Noreen has been- and still is- the market-leading text in managerial accounting, having educated close to 2 million students since its inception. In short, Garrison is the Guide in Managerial Accounting.The lighthouse on the cover symbolizes that for this difficult course, Garrison's comprehensive but manageable coverage, author-written supplements, and peerless end-of-chapter material makes it a safe and dependable choice for instructors and students alike. The loyalty and following it has achieved is due to the authors unwavering commitment to three simple principles: relevance, balance, and clarity.

• Relevance- Every effort has been made to help students relate the concepts in this book to decisions made by working managers. The Managerial Accounting in Action segments within the chapters help students apply concepts to real world problems.
• Balance- Garrison mixes its coverage to include a variety of both service and manufacturing organizations- this includes new coverage of e-commerce and e-tailers. Service examples have been expanded in this new edition and these are marked with a S icon in the margins.
• Clarity- The entire supplements package has been written by the author team to insure that students and professors will work with clear, well-written supplements that employ consistent terminology.

Reviews (10)

Managerial Accounting, 9th edition
This is an outstanding book, which covers complex topics on a very friendly manner. Maybe for some readers this book may seem hard to understand, so I strongly recommend everybody to think over the necessity of studying managerial accounting. For me as a person who works with internal finance and who makes prompt decisions upon raw timely data, the book was a relief. It covers such immensely important topics as break-even, leverage, cost behavior and structure, and so forth. One suggestion, do not learn everything by heart, it's useless. You never learn everything in managerial accounting. Use the book as a reference for your everyday needs. Good luck.

good accounting book
not a big fan of accounting, but i must admit, this is a really good textbook. anytime i got lost in my classes or lecture, this book explains things in a very clear and organized way to help you better understand. the problems are long but extremely helpful in getting a handle on the methods. the real world examples they use in the text also adds to whatever concept you're learning. i couldn't imagine a better managerial accounting book at the moment. so 5 stars. yup. i'm so glad i'm done with this course...

Not for the novice
What I do not understand about these accounting textbooks is that they give all this wonderful case studies and examples, but when it comes to mba exam times we are faced with far more difficult questions that require prompt and correct answers. This book is so long winded and goes on about topics that are irrelevant. Hope this is not part of your MBA course, We need examples with solutions applicable to examination guidelines...

Managerial Accounting, 10th Edition
Garrison/Noreen has been and is still the leading text in managerial accounting, having educated close to 2 million students since its begining. In short, Garrison is the Guide in Managerial Accounting. The lighthouse on the cover symbolizes that for this difficult course, Garrisons comprehensive but manageable coverage, author-written supplements, and peerless end-of-chapter material makes it a safe and dependable choice for instructors and students alike. The loyalty and following it has achieved is due to the authors unwavering commitment to three simple principles: relevance, balance, and clarity. Relevance- Every effort has been made to help students relate the concepts in this book to decisions made by working managers. The Managerial Accounting in Action segments within the chapters help students apply concepts to real world problems. Balance- Garrison mixes its coverage to include a variety of both service and manufacturing organizations- this includes new coverage of e-commerce and e-tailers. Service examples have been expanded in this new edition and these are marked with a S icon in the margins. Clarity- The entire supplements package has been written by the author team to insure that students and professors will work with clear, well-written supplements that employ consistent terminology.

Great guide for Cost / Managerial Accountants
This book is great for Cost / Managerial Accountants as well as new comers to the field of cost accounting. I read this book as part of MBA curriculum and loved every bit, even though I do not have an accounting background. ... Read more

Book Description

West Federal Taxation: Individual Income Taxes, 2005 Edition continues to set the standard in introductory tax. Its Authors and editors stay on top of trends in both tax law and tax education, as a result, the 2005 Edition is thoroughly up-to-date, current in its thinking, and pedagogically advanced! No other text is as effective at helping users master the ever-changing Individual Tax Code. It provides accessible, comprehensive, and authoritative coverage of the relevant tax Code and regulations as they pertain to the individual taxpayer, as well as coverage of all major developments in federal taxation.It also adheres to the recommendations of the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Visit the Product Website @ http://wft.swlearning.com ... Read more

Book Description

This acclaimed, number one market-leading book embraces the basic theme of “different costs for different purposes.”It reaches beyond cost accounting procedures to consider concepts, analyses, and management. Chapter topics cover: the accountant's role in the organization; an introduction to cost terms and purposes; cost-volume-profit analysis; job costing; activity-based costing and activity-based management; master budget and responsibility accounting; flexible budgets, variances, and management control; inventory costing and capacity analysis; determining how costs behave; decision making and relevant information; pricing decisions and cost management; strategy, balanced scorecard, and strategic profitability analysis; cost allocation, customer-profitability analysis, and sales-variance analysis; allocation of support department costs, common costs and revenues; cost allocation: joint products and byproducts; process costing; spoilage, rework, and scrap; quality, time, and the theory of constraints; inventory management, just-in-time, and backflush costing; capital budgeting and cost analysis; management control systems, transfer pricing, and multinational considerations; andperformance measurement, compensation, and multinational considerations. For future accountant who want to enhance their understanding of—and ability to—solve cost accounting problems.

Reviews (5)

Cost Accounting by Horngren
A strength of this book is that there are many color diagrams
throughout which illustrate/highlight the material. The treatment
of process cost accounting is thorough and highly simplified
with many detailed examples to illustrate the computation of
equivalent units. In process cost accounting, it is critical
to understand the physical flow of costs, as well as,
interdepartmental transfers and modified cost assumptions.
In addition, there is a thorough treatment of managerial
cost accounting in the areas of discounted cash flow, internal
rate of return, compounding, depreciation and cash flow,
net present value, uncertainty, inflation, capital budgeting,
payback and the accounting rate of return. Lastly, there is
a good treatment of decentralization and transfer pricing.
The book is worth the price of admission. Classic problems
from this text have been replicated on some form or another
on professional and collegiate standardized tests.
This work helps to support what is taught in a collegiate
finance course, as well as the cost accounting element.

The thrust of a cost accounting course is for the B or better
student. There is a fair amount of work in this course.
As such, it is geared for accounting, finance or economics
majors. Quantitatively oriented students will enjoy the presentation as well as a wide constituency of teachers
in academe. Even college administrators would find this
text useful for preparing budget schedules and interdepartmental
cost analyses. Engineering companies would
benefit by having a detailed analyses of process costing and
managerial accounting on individual construction jobs.

thank you
the book was in excellent condition. I received it a couple of days after I ordered it. Thank you for saving me money and time!!!

Good Job!
I received the book very quickly and I got it new at a great price. I saved about 50 dollars. Wow!!! I will buy from this seller again if they have what I need.

Most Prompt Delivery
This was the fastest service I have received regarding a textbook. It was worth the effort to get the ISBN number ahead of time from the instuctor's to buy my books and save money. Thank you for the expedited service. I will patron again. I only wish this were a hardcover to withstand the abuse of a backpack.

i wouldn't recommend it to anyone at all
i've never seen such a poor book before. it is poor organized. and i got after 25 days from my order date. ... Read more

Book Description

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING, 7th Edition integrates coverage of both functional-based management topics (such as job-order and process costing) and activity-based management topics (such as strategic cost analysis, activity-based tactical decision making, productivity measurement and control, quality cost management, theory of constraints, process value analysis and international topics). This approach emphasizes that changing conditions often require a change in cost management systems. ... Read more

Book Description

Completely revised for the new computerized CPA Exam

Published annually, this comprehensive four-volume study guide for the Certified Public Accountant's (CPA) Exam arms readers with detailed outlines and study guidelines, plus skill-building problems and solutions, that help them to identify, focus, and master the specific topics that need the most work. Many of the practice questions are taken from previous exams, and care is taken to ensure that they cover all the information candidates need to pass the CPA Exam. Reflecting the most recent changes to the new computerized CPA Exam, this comprehensive examination review is broken down into four volumes: Regulation, Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Business Environment and Concepts. The number one CPA exam review provider worldwide, these study guides:
* Include over 2,700 practice questions and complete information on the new simulation questions
* Contain a unique modular structure that divides the content into 44 self-contained study modules so that candidates can zero in on areas that need the most work
* Include AICPA content requirements and offers three times as many examples as other CPA exam review study guides

O. Ray Whittington, PhD, CPA, CMA, CIA (Chicago, IL), is the Ledger and Quill Director of the School of Accountancy at DePaul University and author of bestselling books in the Wiley CPA Examination Review System. Patrick R. Delaney, PhD, CPA, was the Arthur Andersen LLP Alumni Professor of Accountancy at Northern Illinois University and the author of bestselling books, audios, and software in the Wiley CPA Examination Review System. ... Read more

Book Description

This book introduces readers to all of the key financial and management accounting concepts. It motivates learners by familiarizing them with the accounting issues facing companies such as Target, Nantucket Nectars, Teva, Oracle, and a variety of companies doing e-Business.Users can assess their understanding of chapter topics with “CyberCoach” and “Starter Exercise” features, “Working It Out” problems, and unique “Concept Links.”For individuals preparing for a career in accounting. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Student
This is an easy book to follow. Lots of exercises for practice and the answers are in the text so you can check and see if you got it or if you need to study more.

Good book to learn the fundamental principles of accounting.
This book helped me get a good start in my Accounting college courses. It lays out the fundamental principles of Accounting simply and clearly. Its emphasis on the process leading to, creation of, and analysis of financial statements, would be very helpful to anyone who may need to understand just what a company's financial statements really mean ... Read more

Book Description

Brealey/Myers’ Principles of Corporate Finance is the worldwide leading textthat describes the theory and practice of corporate finance.Throughout the book the authors show how managers use financial theory to solve practical problems and as a way of learning how to respond to change by showing not just how but why companies and management act as they do.The text is comprehensive, authoritative, and modern and yet the material is presented at a common sense level.The discussions and illustrations are unique due to the depth of detail blended with a distinct sense of humor for which the book is well known and highly regarded.This text is a valued reference for thousands of practicing financial managers. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Course Material
This book was assigned to me to support Myers's finance class. It is a difficult book to read on one's own. The book is a great reference if you are already taking a course on finance or already have some academic background. However, if you are determined to gain a solid knowledge of finance then this is the right reference. The book gives excellent examples of financial decisions from real life and draws particular attention to mistakes managers regularly make. A must read if you are trying to catch up with MBA material on your own.

Impossible to read
True, I am not a business school student, I am just brushing up on Finance for an actuarial exam. But I am no dummy I tell you, I can read almost anything, and this book I cannot read. If you are looking to get a quick grasp on Corporate Finance, this book is not for you. It is incredibly long and verbose. You skip from one topic to the next without seeing how they interconnect. This is one book where one can read fifteen chapters and still not know a single thing.

Principles of Corporate Finance(R) + Student CD + Corporate
Brealey/Myers Principles of Corporate Finance is the worldwide leading text that describes the theory and practice of corporate finance. Throughout the book the authors show how managers use financial theory to solve practical problems and as a way of learning how to respond to change by showing not just how but why companies and management act as they do. The text is comprehensive, authoritative, and modern and yet the material is presented at a common sense level. The discussions and illustrations are unique due to the depth of detail blended with a distinct sense of humor for which the book is well known and highly regarded. This text is a valued reference for thousands of practicing financial managers.
Part I. Value 1. Finance and the Financial Manager 2. Present Value and the Opportunity Cost of Capital 3. How to Calculate Present Values 4. The Value of Common Stocks 5. Why Net Present Value Leads to Better Investment Decisions Than Other Criteria 6. Making Investment Decisions with the Net Present Value Rule Part II. Risk 7. Introduction to Risk, Return, and the Opportunity Cost of Capital 8. Risk and Return 9. Capital Budgeting and Risk Part III. Practical Problems in Capital Budgeting 10. A Project is Not a Black Box 11. Where Positive Net Present Values Come From 12. Making Sure Managers Maximize NPV Part IV. Financing Decisions and Market Efficiency 13. Corporate Financing and the Six Lessons of Market Efficiency 14. An Overview of Corporate Financing 15. How Corporations Issue Securities Part V. Dividend Policy and Capital Structure 16. The Dividend Controversy 17. Does Debt Policy Matter? 18. How Much Should a Firm Borrow? 19. Financing and Valuation Part VI. Options 20. Understanding Options 21. Valuing Options 22. Real Options 23. Warrants and Convertibles Part VII. Debt Financing 24. Valuing Debt 25. The Many Different Kinds of Debt 26. Leasing Part VIII. Risk Management 27. Managing Risk 28. Managing International Risks Part IX. Financial Planning and Short-Term Financial Management 29. Financial Analysis and Planning 30. Short-Term Financial Planning 31. Cash Management 32. Credit Management Part X. Mergers, Corporate Control, and Governance 33. Mergers 34. Control, Governance, and Financial Architecture Part XI. Conclusions 35. Conclusion: What We Do and Do Not Know About Finance

Not for those with Dyslexia
This book's information is rather useful, but if you suffer from dyslexia, it is going to be a bear to get through. I am in the EMBA course at Baylor and was assigned this book. The blue ink used for the text wrecks havoc with my reading ability. It takes me nearly 40 minutes to read one page...at which rate I should finish it sometime in 2014.

I strongly urge the editor, writer, and publishing house to use black ink in future editions.

Dry but useful
This is a well-written book and useful, especially in understanding legal requirments of fiduciaries. However, for a tour de force of writing and exposition on ethical theory and practices in business, see Berumen's Do No Evil. ... Read more

Book Description

The most successful higher education text of all time keeps getting better. The authors adapt their proven approach to accounting's evolving role in business and use the preparation of financial statements as the framework for understanding what accounting is all about. Accounting provides a solid foundation of accounting concepts with unique features to show how users can use accounting to understand business. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

its a good book
i liked the book very much, it has alot of informations
accounting students can get alot of knowledge from this book.
it helped me in my studies.

SLOW DELIVERY
Amazon says will ship in 24hrs. What a joke!! I ordered it 3 weeks ago, and I still don't have it!

Basic and to the point
This textbook makes accounting look easy compared to other accounting textbooks I have examined. It covers the basics of accounting and goes right to the point. It has many problems at the end of each chapter that's great for practice and review. It also provides a website you could go to for a quick review and practice quiz.

EXCITED FIRST TIME BUYER
RECEIVED SHIPMENT IN TIME FOR CLASS. EXPIDIENT DELIVERY. DEFINITELY WILL BUY AGAIN. BOOK IN GREAT CONDITION. HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO OTHERS. FAST AND EFFICIENT SERVICE

Good, but need answers to questions
Pretty good text. Includes interesting real-world applications and easy-to-understand chapter layouts. The one gripe I have is that answers hould be provided to the questions at the end of each chapter (or should be available for purchase in a separate textbook). I have taken two accounting classes in which this book was used and in both classes the teacher had to xerox the answers out of his answer book for the entire class. I learned so much more this way. Rather than trying to figure them out on my own, I could see what the answer was and then figure out WHY. ... Read more

Book Description

The undisputed #1 market leading book continues to be an innovative look at the most current changes and happenings in the auditing profession! Up-to-date discussions include Sarbanes Oxley, fraud, and recent corporate scandals. Specific coverage features the bankruptcy of Andersen, LLP; the shifting of auditing standards-setting to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB); consulting spin-offs; and greaterfocus on internal controls. For individuals interested in the auditing, accounting, and consulting fields. ... Read more

Book Description

The most practical, authoritative guide to GAAP

Amidst a national parade of corporate scandals, accounting professionals require a timely, rock-solid resource in order to instill clients and investors with the confidence they have come to expect.Wiley GAAP 2005 delivers the most recent developments and analysis of all generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), restating the original, highly technical pronouncements in easy-to-understand terms and providing battle-tested implementation guidance. Unlike other guides, Wiley GAAP offers complete coverage of Levels A, B, and C GAAP in a single volume, including EITF issues that have not yet been reduced to consensus, as well as EITF Appendix D discussion matters. Wiley GAAP 2005 contains a host of completely updated features, such as:

• A streamlined format that helps readers find what they need to know quickly
• Expanded and complete, real-world implementation guidance and coverage on the latest FASB standards and interpretations, including variable interest entities (FIN 46 (R)) and instruments with characteristics of both equity and debt (SFAS 150)
• Updated comparison of U.S. GAAP and International Accounting Standards (IFRS)
• Detailed coverage of important, proposed standards on exchanges of productive assets, purchase method accounting for aquisitions, and accounting for combinations of not-for-profit and mutual enterprises
• Revised disclosures of pension cost-related matters
• Expanded discussion ofFASB Concepts Statement No. 7
• Detailed coverage of the AcSEC Statement of Position (SOP) 03-3 on accounting for loans and debt securities acquired in transfers
• Coverage of all EITFs discussed through mid-2004
• An authoritative financial statement disclosure checklist

Featuring numerous real-world examples, illustrations, and helpful practice hints that are extremely user-friendly, Wiley GAAP 2005 is designed with the needs of the reader in mind. Covering the entire GAAP hierarchy, Wiley GAAP addresses all effective pronouncements, including:

• FASB Interpretations
• FASB Technical Bulletins
• FASB Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts
• FASB Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (SFASs)
• Consensus Opinions of the Emerging IssuesTask Force of the FASB
• AICPA Statements of Position
• Accounting Research Bulletins
• Accounting Principles Board Opinions
• AICPA Audit and Accounting Guides

As clients demand accounting procedures they can trust, so accountants require up-to-date reference materials they know they can depend on. More than any other resource, Wiley GAAP 2005 provides the indispensable tools for the accounting professional. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Amazon - help your users!
My rating has nothing to do with this book, but about trying to figure out why this edition (Nov 2003) was so much more expensive than the earlier edition (Oct 2003). I had to use the ISBN and research other websites and believe I figured it out - the Nov edition (ISBN 0471472409) includes a CD ROM, but the October edition (ISBN 0471453927) is only the book. Without the table of contents or more descriptive editorial review, it took me way too long to figure this out! I hope this review helps others. ... Read more

Book Description

This widely respected financial accounting text captures the predominant market share among graduate, MBA, and better undergraduate programs. It focuses on presenting, with great clarity, both the basic concepts underlying financial statements and the terminology and methods that allow students to interpret, analyze, and evaluate actual corporate financial statements. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Don't waste your money
If I could burn this book, I would. It is that bad. For an "Introduction" book used in an intro MBA class where most accounting types have already tested out of the class it is overly complex and confusing to the layman. Wordy beyond belief. The only redeeming feature is its ability to put you to sleep. Keep it on the bed stand.

Overly complex
This was the first accounting book I've ever read when I took my very first accoutning class at my graduate business school. For those who are new to accounting, this is not at all a good introduction. The authors simply inundate the reader with a plethora of information which is way too wordy and unnecessary at the beginning level. The authors seem more concerned about leaving nothing out in their writing as opposed to teaching the readers about the basics of the balance sheet, income statement, cash flows, inventory valuations, etc. It almost gets to the point in which I suspect the authors are simply showing off what they know as opposed to genuinely understanding that a reader like me has no previous accounting background. The chapter contents are not too logically organized and the explanation of concepts are excessive and unnecessarily complex. The authors seems to forget that when it comes to teaching accounting to someone who has never took accounting before, they should keep the concepts as basic as possible before going onto more in-detail discussions. The authors does the exact opposite and explains the accounting concepts from the intermediate point of view first, leaving the reader to come up with his own interpretation of what the basics should be. This is a complete waste of time for the reader, for all students would prefer that the authors get right to the point, directly and clearly, about how to construct a balance sheet, income statement, etc. The good thing about this book are the highlighted study problems presented in each chapter. The questions are useful and stimulate good application thinking, and the answers provided are an adequate explanation of how the questions should be answered. Unfortunately, the authors don't include enough of these study problems. If they had expanded upon these study problems and made them more comprehensive to the relevant chapter material, this book would have been a much more stronger teaching tool. Instead, we have an unnecessarily complex and not too organized textbook which is not really adequate for the beginning accounting student. Most of my fellow classmates did not enjoy reading this book and felt that it is an unsatisfactory way to be introduced to the world of accounting.

The worst accounting book
This book is the worst accounting text book I have ever seen. It is poorly organized and full of distracting explanations which turn easy and clear points into long and complex stories.
Definately supplier-oriented product by MBA professors.

Best Buy!!
The book clearly explains the concepts and methods of financial accounting required for the MBA course.
The langauage used is clear and unambigous.
In short a must buy for any MBA student!! ... Read more

Book Description

Now in its Third Edition, Financial Accounting by Kimmel, Weygandt, and Kieso has been tested and approved in the classroom. This best-selling text has helped students hit the road with a practical set of tools, and the confidence they need to use those tools effectively in making business decisions.

Financial Accounting provides students with an understanding of those concepts that are fundamental to the use of accounting. Starting with a "macro" view of accounting information, the authors present real financial statements and establish how a financial statement communicates the financing, investing, and operating activities of a business to users of accounting information. They motivate students by grounding the discussion in the real world, showing them the relevance of the topics covered to their future career.

Student Workbook:  This valuable study guide, written to use side-by-side with the Financial Accounting textbook provides the guidance and assurance you need to exceeed in the course.  Included a re study objectives, demonstration problems, true/false and multiple-choice questions, solutions, to exercises, chapter outlines, and blank working papers. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This Book is Terrible!
This book is terrible! It gives different definitions for the same term several times in the first few chapters. Why doesn't it just give one coherent, comprehensive definition for each word?!! The concepts are broken up and presented helter-skelter, so reading this book is like working a tedious jigsaw puzzle. Then it includes lots of problems at the end of each chapter, but there is no answer key, and the Solutions Manual is only available to teachers. Do they think that my professor is too lazy or too stupid to make up his own tests? (Hint to oblivious writers/editors: a textbook is useless if students cannot practice working problems and check the answers on their own. This is not third grade, and my professor is not a babysitter!) I bought the workbook (which contains practice tests) separately, but I still don't have the answers to the problems at the end of the chapters. I will speak to the department heads at my college and beg them to switch publishers next semester.

Great Book for Beginners
I used this book for my very first Accounting course and it was great. The author uses up to date info and really caters to a first year student such as myself. I can only hope that all of my Accounting books will be like this one.

Clear & Concise
This book is required of my Financial Accounting course and it is a great choice. The book displays many colorful illustrations and is pretty clear in the messages that it attempts to explain. This book will definitely help you to get an A in your class...or at least pass! The only flaw that I see is that it does not give many answers to the exercises and problems in the chapters. Otherwise, it is pretty good.

Good ACC Book for First-Time Accountants
This book is EXCELLENT for students and others to learn the fundamentals of accounting for the first time. The authors have made the chapters are easy and it comes with A LOT of review exercises to sharpen your skills!

Students really like this book.
Accounting can be a dry subject, but this book is actually interesting to read. There are lots of companies used as examples, and the authors really try to show you how accounting is used to make decisions. There is a Decision Toolkit that talks about what tools to use to make certain decisions. There are lots of photographs, helpful illustrations and great use of color. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

DO NOT BUY THIS!
Studying economy at a Swedish university i was forced to buy this book for the course in management accounting. This is the worst buy i have ever done. First of all i read the three first chapters and couldn't let myself be tortured any longer so i dropped the course. It is ultimately the most boring peace of litterature i have ever seen and it's filled with useless junk. There's one row of valuable information on every two pages. I can't believe these 110-year old senile authors are allowed to write books at all. I am now studying for the same course by reviewing old exams, and boy is that easy compared to reading that brick.

I am 100% Satisfied my Seller's service
The book was delivered on time. Every thing the seller promised was fulfilled.

Very decent book
I read and reread, this is very good in presenting concepts and illustrating through examples. Very interesting exercises. I am keeping this book for future reference. It could use some reorgnization of chapters. Seem like authors were not sure what concepts to present in what chapter as all of them were overlayed, perhaps justified in attempting to present the concept in understandble way

Start as a novice, end as an 'expert'
'The difference between profit and loss is the difference between costs and turnover' was a saying of my professor. But this book shows that there are lots of different calculations of those profits and loss. This book learns the reader step by step new ways to calculate the turnover and the costs, budgets, planning and presenting of the figures everyone is waiting for. Thanks to the exercises the basic calculations can be practiced and the cases present a first brief introduction what is going on in the real world, focusing on a special topic, but without removing the students freedom.

incredibly useful
As a (Dutch) consultant in the Russian Federation, I always suggest the Russian management teams I meet to use this book for the clearest introduction to cost accounting techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

“Intuit-approved and loaded with secrets, Quicken Press books provide you with recipes for financial success.”--Scott Cook, Co-founder, Intuit, Inc.

The only official guide to QuickBooks 2004, this information-packed resource teaches users of all levels how to manage their finances for business or home. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Reference Book Only - Don't buy to learn to use Quickbooks!
I bought this book to learn how to use QuickBooks properly after my accountant noticed a few major issues with how I tracked things in my company file. I found this book worthless for a beginner trying to learn how to use the product. Also, it doesn't seem to provide significantly more detail than QuickBooks online help. The only thing I've used it for so far is learning a good account naming scheme...

This book has everything you need
This book not only has clear explanations about how to perform every bookkeeping chore in Quickbooks, it also explains what's going on in the background so you can understand how your profit and loss numbers accumulated. Beyond that, this book has important and useful information about workarounds for all the Quickbooks functions that are annoying if you or your accountant don't want to do things the "Quickbooks way". The explanations and tips about setting up sales tax, overcoming bank reconciliation problems, tracking inventory, and managing customers are beautifully written and easy to understand. My accountant said he learned from it and took what he learned to his other Quickbooks customers. This book lets you get the most out of QuickBooks, and shows you how to run your business properly.

A Perfect Resource
This book has the most accurate information on all the Quickbooks features, and the explanations are so easy to follow that it's like having a private tutor. No matter what you need to do, this book has instructions, even if you don't want to do things the way Quickbooks normally works. These workarounds, along with all the "insider" information and tips, make this book an incredibly useful, wonderful, guide to getting everything you need out of Quickbooks. ... Read more

Book Description

The definitive work concerning Warren Buffett and intelligent investment philosophy, this is acollection of Buffett's letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway written over the past fewdecades that together furnish an enormously valuable informal education. The letters distill in plain words all the basic principles of sound business practices. They are arranged and introduced by a leading apostle of the "value" school and noted author, Lawrence Cunningham. Here in one place are the priceless pearls of business and investment wisdom, woven into a delightful narrative on the major topics concerning both managers and investors.These timeless lessons are ever-more important in the current environment. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

The Wit and Wisdom of Warren Buffett
If you are used to reading public company annual reports, including the (usually) short letters from company presidents, you know how shallow, self-congratulatory and sometimes even misleading these reports can be. On the (extreme) other hand, Warren Buffett's annual letters in his Berkshire Hathaway annual reports represent detailed, on-target, lively and highly readable masterpieces of valuable education, information, and wit. You can read Buffett's annual letters for free at Berkshire Hathaway's website, but it will take you a while, since there are many of them (back to 1977) and they run 20+ pages each. Further, Buffett's various letters weren't intended to serve as serial chapters of a book. Better, you can shell out the cost of Lawrence Cunningham's thematically organized collection (220 pages or so)of Buffett's essays and gain a better appreciation of the numerous important topics that Buffett addresses. These topics include, first and foremost, the critical impact of the quality of corporate governance--Buffett was years ahead of most investors in focusing on this area. Other topics include corporate finance (addressed with a clarity that is both unusual and revealing of Buffett's powers of insight), mergers and acquisitions, accounting (Buffett is the only person I know who can regularly make accounting seem positively interesting), taxes, junk bonds and much more.

Moreover, Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is nearly unique in its intense commitment to shareholders. The opposite (a commitment to management entrenchment and exorbitant compensation) is the norm with so many companies today that it would be easy to forget how vital shareholder primacy should be. As you read Buffett's essays you will have a model to measure other companies against--which should come in handy the next time you exercise your voting rights as a shareholder.

Life is short. As an investor or a concerned citizen-shareholder, you can learn through your own experiences, of course. There's nothing wrong with that, but the process can be long and expensive. (Depending on one's experiences, it can be very expensive.) Alternately, you can learn via Warren Buffett's lifetime of experiences distilled into a very readable, lively, fascinating collection of his essays. Buy the book-I doubt that you'll regret it.

Wisdom from the Heartland
This collection of essays by Warren E. Buffett, compiled by Lawrence A. Cunningham, is an excellent introduction to basic investment concepts that have proven successful for the 'Oracle of Omaha' and his loyal following. The reader will want to supplement these papers periodically with more timely updates from the annual letter Buffett writes to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett's ideas have been widely reported so there are no surprises here. To be sure, Buffett is consistent. He pokes fun at the 'efficient market' school which confuses stock price with stock value. Early on we hear him calling for the expensing of stock options and urging more transparent, segmented financial reporting by large companies. For Buffett mechanically rebalancing portfolios to achieve diversification, back in fashion, may miss the point of holding-on to your best investments for superior returns. Distinguishing between Growth and Value styles of investing is unnecessary and misleading. If you have ever wondered why Berkshire Hathaway does not pay a dividend or why it doesn't split its high stock price, Buffett gives his reasoned explanations. It was Warren Buffett's fundamental school mentor Benjamin Graham who introduced the allegory of Mr. Market and the concept of 'margin of safety' both of which get satisfactory attention here. Most importantly, I think, Buffett reminds us continually that as stock market investors we are buying for the long-term parts of real businesses that produce measurable cash flows as evidence of their intrinsic value. Real businesses that produce real value are run by dedicated, competent leaders who know how to allocate capital. Hanging-on to such deceptively simple principles can get an investor through some very rough market cycles. Reading this collection is a lot like listening to the conversation of an avuncular and very experienced elder who with great patience, common sense, and wit explains what principles have guided his (investment) life. Indeed uncommon sense and integrity are hallmarks of Warren Buffett's writings. Humor too. In what other serious investment study will you get quotations from such luminaries as Woody Allen, Mae West, and Yogi Berra. Buffett loves aphorisms to make his point. I challenge anyone reading this book not to underline or commit to memory some of these gems. For a general introduction to the fundamental school view of investing this collection is required reading.

Delayed in print and not "OUT OF PRINT"
I have been talking to Professor Cunningham and apparently, this book is not "out of print" as amazon states (Third party private sellers are selling the book for as much as $99) but rather, just delayed in printing. He will have the next shipment of books to amazon soon, and it will be retailing for US$25. This should appear on amazon very soon, so just keep checking back!

For bulk orders, please contact Professor Cunningham directly at cunninlb@mail.bc.edu.

Hope this help!

Cheers
Alex

Proper Business Practices
"The Essays of Warren Buffett" is a textbook on proper business practice used at Cardozo Law. Yeah, I know you can go to the Berkshire Hathaway website and get all of Buffett's letters to the shareholders (in fact those who truly want to know more can do this). But this book cuts to the chase. It is edited in such a way that the essays are grouped in a logical manner. Thus, you don't have to plow through all the letters ( which at times can be boring and redundant).This makes reading rather convenient and efficient. The parts of the book that are most useful for an individual investor are the sections on "corporate governance" (in which Buffett describes what makes a good CEO and Board) and on "corporate finance and investing" ( in which Buffett argues against the Efficient Market Theory and argues for the Graham-Dodd approach). I found the essays on "accounting and valuation" and "accounting policy and tax matters" a bit tedious (though the section on stock options was rather interesting).

Abandoned his own principles in the late 1990s
Buffet is trenchant and smart but abandoned his own principles in the late 90s after run ups of KO, FRE, and other stocks he had the foresight to purchase in the 80s. He attempts to justify this in the 90s with inapt analogies, covering up his own failure to stay true to the principles he learned at the feet of Dodd and Graham. His stockholders paid, and he has since and recently recanted. Only this leaves him in the category of those investors who deserve the platinum medal of investing .... one of the all time greats. ... Read more

Book Description

Deal Terms is the first ever in-depth look at valuations, preferred stock, stock options and other variables that affect deal structure, written by Alex Wilmerding (a venture capitalist at Boston Capital Ventures and best selling author of Term Sheets & Valuations). Written from a venture capital perspective, however applicable for all types of financings, Deal Terms includes actual term sheets, valuation methodology and analysis, assessment of stock option programs and their impact on valuations and capital structures and other real world documents used by leading venture capitalists and lawyers analyzed from multiple perspectives. A must have book for any executive, entrepreneur, or financial professional, this timeless classic is an unprecedented resource that will help you avoid costly mistakes, understand various structures and terms, and understand wording and language from other deal sheets to help you get deals done.

According to Graham Anderson, General Partner at Euclid SR Partners, "Deal Terms provides critical, in-depth, first-hand perspective on the crucial terms and factors which influence financing decisions."Clifford Schorer, Entrepreneur in Residence, Columbia Business School remarks, "Deal Terms is an indispensable reference for entrepreneurs and finance professionals." And Andrew McKee, General Partner at Webster Capital notes, "Deal Terms is a really important resource." ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Helpful, practical, and brilliant!
I recently finished your book "Deal Terms" and found it extremely
helpful as we are looking into our first round of financing.

This book showed me numerous issues that I would have definitely overlooked or simply not thought of.
 
Thanks for writing Deal Terms. Definitely an invaluable
reference for anyone in business!

Direct to the Deal Terms
This book has a few sample drafts of term sheets and other legal documents. That is not the primary focus of this book. You can hire that kind of talent (legal drafting) on a per hour basis. This book helps the owners make the BUSINESS decisions necessary to avoid hamstring their new venture during this difficult passage. Included is information about what to pay your independent directors, advisory board members and senior management. Also included is what percentage of the company the founders should expect to keep, how to avoid excessive dilution during an unfortunate down round and how to present your opportunity to potential investors. All of these BUSINESS decisions are beyond the discretion of attorneys in this area, they typically instruct the entrepreneur to reflect upon the topic and then the attorney will draft it to suit.

Wilmerding interviews individuals that are representative of players an entrepreneur will encounter in getting his business funded. These real world examples of how business (strategy) items are handled or viewed by third parties are the best part of his book.

Very Useful Reference Guide
As a corporate attorney specializing in the area of venture capital and private equity I just completed reading "Deal Terms." I found the book to be insightful and a good resource, particularly in areas that are outside of my traditional bailiwick as a lawyer. A recommend this book for those new to the venture capital area as well as experienced investors, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Very Insightful...Read Before Your Next Deal
Mr. Wilmerding's book is a great reference for every venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and investment banker. I was very impressed with the analysis of actual deal sheets, and the recommendations on specific points within a deal.

Also of particular value is the focus on the preferred and convertible stocks. The in-depth analysis of both the simple and complex types of offerrings brings to light a lot on the topic, and what to watch out for with new laws and regulations regarding these documents.

This book is a must read for anyone doing financial deals of any type. Although I have been doing deals for over 20 years, there were a couple of points in particular that I took away from this book that I now use in all the deals I do. We also had one of our portfolio entrepreneurs read it, who took away a lot and now uses this book as their "standard" for the types of deals they do.

Want to know what venture capitalists really think about deals and how they structure them? It's in this book.

Passable guide, but certainly not a reference book
A very brief and concise view of venture capital structures, but also somewhat basic in content. Examples could use more details (e.g., the sample weighted average anti-dilution calculations).

Disappointed that the author does not address more complicated security structures other than common and straight convertible preferred. Also, I was surprised given the recent publication date that there was not a comparison on how deal terms have changed from the dot-com boom and bust.

Certainly not a must have book for my bookshelf.

Sahlman's Entrepreneurial Venture is a much better "reference" book and cheaper too. ... Read more

Book Description

This consumer-oriented textbook addresses the principles of risk management without skimping on the discussion of insurance. It summarizes the nature of pure risk on the individual and on society and illustrates how insurance can be used to deal with the problems posed by such risk. Mirroring the diverse experience of its authors, the text is equally effective in presenting the principles of insurance theory and offering how-to advice to students. Throughout, the main emphasis is on the insurance product and the use of insurance within the risk management framework. The traditional fields of life insurance, health insurance, property and liability insurance, and social insurance are treated in terms of their relationship to the wide range of insurable risks to which the individual and the business firm are exposed. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fundamentals of Risk and Insurance
Updated to reflect changes in the field since 1999, this volume provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of insurance, with a consumer emphasis on the insurance product.

How Do I Write a Review about an Insurance Book?
Well, I guess I can try to review this book from the only perspective I read it from: that of a student. I had to read it for my CFP class on Insurance, and, as an introduction to most forms of insurance, it explains the forms in a very methodical and systematic way; it was very easy to follow and tough to get completely lost.

Honestly, I was never really fascinated with insurance. My life-licensing class was 24 hours of classroom time spread out over one weekend, so maybe that has created some insurance-related intellectual scars. The sections on Life Insurance and the basic components of any insurance contract and the whole insurance process were already familiar to me, so I found those sections incredibly uninteresting. The other forms of insurance were much more interesting and gave me a great foundation for other insurance studies I've done since.

The prose of the book, too, flows extremely well. In fact, I usually just lightly read passages explaining computations and formulas because I come back later to review them in-depth; however, while reading this book, I actually felt I fully understood most of the computations even while I read (which almost never happens because most formula-explaining reads much like Kant's "Metaphysics of Morals").

Just one closing point... I guess you'd have to be either Insurance Commissioner or a professor of insurance to be really interested in this material, but the authors write in a way that allows even the average CFP or insurance student to come away from the book with a good sense of how insurance works and where it fits into an individual's financial plan. ... Read more

Book Description

Financial statements are the basis for a wide range of business analysis.Managers, securities analysts, bankers and consultants all use them to make business decisions.There is strong demand among business students for course materials that provide a framework for using financial statement data in a variety of business analysis and valuation contexts. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Useful if cumbersome
This review applies to the edition WITH CASES. This isn't recommended for anyone who is just starting out with choosing investments. Beginners might be better off with a more general overview of financial statement analysis (FSA) like Higgins' "Analysis of Financial Statements" or Fraser and Omriston's "Understanding Financial Statements".

This was one of two textbooks used in a financial statement analysis course I took for my MBA. Most chapters are down-to-earth and as a whole the book is well-written.

The other text we used was Penman's "Financial Statement Analysis and Security Valuation" which was also a great resource as far as gaining a basic understanding of the mechanics of financial statements and how to build a valuation model.

I contrast the two books because while Penman provides a run-down of several different models analysts can use (and does a good job of arguing for the Residual Income Model of valuation model as being the best), Palepu delves into the implications of companies' choices of accounting methods and provides more insight into what different kinds of businesses should look like in terms of their financial statements.

The cases at the end of each chapter add a lot of value to the text because they get students to focus on the specific issues detailed in each chapter. By picking apart different companies' financial statements we learned to use financial statements to assess the success or failure of companies' efforts to carry out their business strategies.

I rate it "Good - 4 stars"

Required Text
This is a required text at my school, but after having read the first 5 chapters there is almost nothing of value that I have read. I have spoken to several people that have used this text for the class in prior semesters and they told me that they had stopped reading it after the first several chapters also.

Excellent Capstone Book
This book is an excellent description of all the elements that would go into reviewing a potential investment opportunity. It is not a detailed book in one category, such as financial accounting, but it ties business strategy analysis, financial analysis, forecasting analysis, and valuation analysis together. Most other books focus on one area and don't tie all of these together well. This one takes you down the path to evaluating the opportunity to its fullest. It is an excellent capstone book after you have sifted through the details of strategy, finance, and accounting.

Just same old story
I am using this book for a business valuation class now. Nothing but a binding many buzzy theories. Too many stories in a limited pages. This is not a good book for those who wants to deepen understanding of one subject.

A good book blending accounting, investing and finance !
This book is also a bestseller in Japan. Here someone called it "The only textbook now available that broadly explains accounting figures in the valuation model of the firm". This is a good book for beginners. Although the contents might be somewhat easy, the order in which it is written is very meaningful. You will probably have read everything in this book somewhere else, but certainly not in this order ! The importance of the ideas in this book go beyond its contents !! ... Read more

Book Description

Accounting is about decision making using financial information.The focus of this text is on developing within students the ability to critically analyze accounting information and make informed business decisions. Students are exposed to a lot of real-world examples where they can see the effect that accounting information has on the decisions made by real companies.Also chapters are split into basic and expanded material so that the professor can easily cover the basics of a topic or, if he or she prefers, delve deeper into a selected topic. Finally, analysis is incorporated throughout the text so that students can learn to use accounting information as they learn how that information is prepared. ... Read more

Book Description

This acclaimed, market-leading book embraces the basic theme of "different costs for different purposes." Cost Accounting reaches beyond cost accounting procedures to consider concepts, analyses, and management.Coverage includes discussions on cost-volume-profit analysis; job costing methods; activity-based costing; variance analysis; process costing; the Internet and World Wide Web; organization structure; supply chain; the value-chain concept; and more. For those interested in cost accounting, economics, and corporate finance. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A standard text for cost accounting
If you are looking for a single volume "bible" on cost accounting, this is likely the best book in print today to fit that bill. It is comprehensive in scope yet has many strengths to ease comprehension and aid readability.

The topics are grouped in six main sections each with several chapters on that topic. Since it is unlikely that you will read this reference / text book left to right as you would a novel this organization helps in finding what you are looking for and focusing on the area(s) of interest.

There are many helpful illustrations and a good use of color as well as chapter summaries and all the exercises you could ever hope for.

A very excellent feature is the use of application problems that take you step-by-step through building an Excel spreadsheet. This is tremendously useful.

The web support is also a good help as well as the streaming video vignettes.

I honestly find this topic very interesting and the 11th edition of this book to be a very valuable resource.

Good definitions, bad examples.
I find this book very difficult to understand. Too often, there are formulas written right into sentences, and not in any special order. I would much prefer that the definition for a particular term is given in a sentence, then have the formula off to the right, or in the middle of the page, separated from the definition. This book gives very good definitions of terms, but very poor examples of the exercises that are given in the back of the chapters for review. In the chapter, there is maybe one type of problem, yet in the back of the chapter, 10 different problems too different from the given example.

Cost Accounting-A Managerial Emphasis by Horngren et al.
In graduate school, I ut