I've been working on updating and completely refreshing the Bookkeeping for Dummies publication. The marketing dept at Wiley have asked me if I could find some willing volunteers to review the book and say what they think on Amazon.
If anyone's interested I can arrange for a free copy to be sent to you for review. This book has not hit the shelves yet, so you would be privy to an early look.
Drop me an email as shown in my signature below if you may be able to help.
Thanks in advance.
Jane
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Author of Sage 50 Accounts For Dummies, Sage One for Dummies and Bookkeeping for Dummies
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Just to give you all an idea of timescale, I am just finalising the proofs for the book, so dependant on how quickly they actually print the book, will determine when it gets posted to you. Hopefully it won't be too long.
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Author of Sage 50 Accounts For Dummies, Sage One for Dummies and Bookkeeping for Dummies
I received the book late last week and really enjoyed the read. Many thanks for that (helped me break in wearuing glasses for the first time as well).
I think that it takes up to 48 hours for the review to appear so here's the review that I have written. Hope that you are happy with it (I gave it five stars by the way):
I am reviewing this book from the perspective of being a practicing accountant and moderator of the book-keepers forum.
I was asked to review the book by the author but am receiving no remuneration for such and there is no link between myself, the author or the publisher.
Also, the book-keepers forum readership would lynch me if I gave a good review to a bad book!
This book is very easy to read with excellent practical examples throughout the text that try to put the reader into real life situations.
The text is very much written for the UK market with referral to UK tax and Payroll forms so a very nice change from the many books out there that try to accommodate both the UK and US markets often failing to accommodate either properly.
Throughout the text one feels as though one is learning bookkeeping as it would be used in the real world rather than rote learning of bookkeeping theory.
All book-keeping and accounting terms used are well explained assuming no prior knowledge of the subject matter yet written for adults rather than in any condescending manner.
The index and glossary are both comprehensive and correct (a current failing with many professional body study texts).
Well thought out and placed regular examples and questions reinforce the readers knowledge retention.
This is perhaps the first book that I would recommend for those starting their own bookkeeping practices due to the practical nature of the text.
Other books that I have recommended previously whilst excellent at conveying theory do not match this one for getting the readers mind into the right mindset for a career in this field.
I would not say that the book is in itself a one stop solution and would recommend that everyone considering bookkeeping as a career amounts a small library.
I will say that this book achieves what it sets out to and I would recommend it to all as the first book that one reads on bookkeeping.
The CD that comes with the book doesn't really contain very much which is a pity as there is a lot that would have been nice to see on the CD such as engagement letters, Money laundering forms and basic free cashbook software. There's Open Office plus a few excel templates which didn't really need to be put on a CD so all in all the CD doesn't need to be included with the book.
That said, the book itself is excellent and I would recommend anyone thinking of bookkeeping as a career to have it as the first in the set of the following five books (in the order given):
The most important of the above selection would be the first two.
If you are only thinking of entering this career then reading those first two will set you back around £35 rather than £100's or even £1000's in training provider costs only to decide that the career path is not for you.
The book alone will not make you a bookkeeper but it is currently the best starting point that I can think of replacing the third and last of the above recommendations.
I hope that the book proves a useful purchase and look forwards to chatting with you on the BKN forum.
kind regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Not able to put the same detail as Shaun as only received yesterday however had a look through the first chapter. The book is written as though informing someone starting from fresh with a new company books. Examples are often small stories told in a simplistic way often referring to "home life" to help visualise.
Written language is down to earth - even used "willy-nilly" which I haven't heard for years !
thank you Jane it was a lovely surprise to receive.
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Donna Curling - Complete Book-Keeping Ltd (CBKLtd) - 07939 101900
