There are a huge number of books out there in the market place. Some good, some not so good, some downright bad and a few that are just wrong.
How can you tell the difference without parting with your hard earned cash?
Amazon sometimes give a snippet of a book and quite often you will get a review or two but publishers have cottoned onto this and many book reviews are not as independant as they may first seem.
I thought that it would be a good idea to start a thread where people are able to chip in with books that they really rate.
Feel free to add multiple books in a single post and try to say in a few words why you think that others should buy that book.
The only restrictions on the thread will be that the books must be relevant to bookkeepers and small accounting practices. That does not exclude study texts for professional qualifications as some of those are actually some of the best books in the market place.
Here's my starter list of books that can be used whether you are just starting out or as reference books later on (I'll keep adding to it. I've got 8 floor to ceiling bookcases filled with accountancy books so will update my list as I reference books and remember how good they are) :
Business Accounts for book-keeping and Financial Accounting Courses : David Cox
To my mind the best starter book for those just coming to this business that you will refer back to even when you have read far more complex texts.
Taxation : Alan Melville
If you want to understand tax accept no substitute. Written in an easy to understand form with hundreds of examples to work through
Financial and Management Accounting (an introduction) : Pauline Weetman
A solid easy to read, easy to understand text that is well paced and example driven. This could be considered the next step after the David Cox book
Accounting (an introduction) : Eddie McLaney and Peter Atrill
Another easy to read book covering both financial and management accountancy. This one unlike the other two above does not start with bookkeeping but rather launches straight into accountancy.
That should do for starters. Please feel free to add a post with your own recomendations.
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.
....... and the scribe begat the clerk and the clerk begat the bookkeeper and the bookkeeper begat the accountant and thus was the house of Shaun made!
Unto trial balance thee shalt go. No more than such lest thee be perceived accountants.
But many there were who listened and with lifted voice decryed the word of Shaun for it was not what they would hear.
And the pharasee's of the bookkeepers didst write their syllabuses decrying the word of Shaun.
For many days against temptation of the easy path he wrote many a sermon that upon deaf ears fell.
Until with mighty wrath he carved in stone as deep as a spear is long the words of the mighty ACCA regulation 8 that Bookkeeping is unto trial balance, VAT and Payroll and no more.
And there was much wailing and pulling of hair amongst the heretics as they beheld the words of the ACCA.
p.s. not by coincidence methinks that my initials are St.... Actually, don't you have to be dead to be a Saint... I've really not thought this through have I!
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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.
I'd just like to say that I restrained myself from making comments like these, which was especially hard as the original post was on a Sunday, because I thought this would be a seriously useful topic, and didn't want to spoil it .
Way too much fun to tidy up so I've moved the serious subject matter to another one so this one's open season on posts.
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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.
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