Economic-earnings Books

I have purchased several books on amazon.com, but I must say that this is one of the best ones I have read so far ! This is exactly the sort of book management in companies worldwide should be reading ! I live and work in Tokyo, and I think the Japanese public companies here could learn so much from this book ! Corporate reporting here is very poor, especially in the banking sector(horrendous !), and investors do not take them seriously anymore. Public companies here should improve their corporate reporting and utilize the capital markets more, and the first thing they need to do is to regain the trust of their
shareholders. In other words, they should read this book cover to cover right away ! The people who worked on this book, like Mr. Matthew Wissell, who leads the Value Reporting practice in PricewaterhouseCoopers' New York office, should be highly commended for such a fine piece of work !

I have purchased several books on amazon.com, but I must say that this is one of the best ones I have read so far ! This is exactly the sort of book management in companies worldwide should be reading ! I live and work in Tokyo, and I think the Japanese public companies here could learn so much from this book ! Corporate reporting here is very poor, especially in the banking sector(horrendous !), and investors do not take them seriously anymore. Public companies here should improve their corporate reporting and utilize the capital markets more, and the first thing they need to do is to regain the trust of their
shareholders. In other words, they should read this book cover to cover right away ! The people who worked on this book, like Mr. Matthew Wissell, who leads the Value Reporting practice in PricewaterhouseCoopers' New York office, should be highly commended for such a fine piece of work !

If you want to learn about accounting scams, you probably need Mulford and Comiskey, The Financial Numbers Game. But for a broader view of the virtues and limits of accounting, Eccles and company have a lot to offer. You can skip or skim the somewhat overhyped stuff about the "ValueRevolution" itself (note that three of the authors come from PricewaterhouseCoopers, where they seem to be having some trouble with their space bar, or spacebar). Keep your best brain cells for chapters three through eight, where you get a look at the earnings obsession -- and just as useful, a suggestion of what investors really need and want. Note that one of the co-authors (Robert H. Herz) is the new head of the Financial Accounting Standards Board).

"ValueReporting" smoothly describes many broken financial reporting processes, including "whispering", a time-consuming process that CFOs play with analysts, where CFOs "whisper" their earnings expectations to the analyst, making the analysts appear intelligent. A great deal for the analyst cause they don't have to do any real analysis. If the CFO does not play this game, they risk the wrath of Wall Street.

The problem with this is that it is in violation of the spirit (if not the law) of the yet to be enforced SEC Fair Disclosure Act which states that Sally Q. Public gets to know material information the same time that John Q. Analyst does.

"ValueReporting" does offer a practical solution through XBRL technology. As a member of XBRL.org I strongly agree with the authors that if business reporting, both financial and non-financial, is standardized, Web technologies are in place to distribute this information uniformly to all investors and in a richer format than at present. With the gentle prodding of regulatory agencies like the SEC and FDIC, this will happen sooner rather than later. Let's hope that SEC Chairman Unger reads this book, and fast.

For me as a consultant and a technologist "who can spell XBRL", The ValueReporting Revolution was a call to arms to apply my knowledge to the inequities of financial reporting. Helping clients sell their wares over the Web is nice, but to level the financial playing field for small companies as well as large, for the small investor as well as the institutional, is ennobling. And forcing Wall Street analysts to actually work for a living, would be, well, just icing on the cake.

First I should explain that I'm not a neutral reviewer: I have known one of the authors of this book (Bob Eccles) ever since he woke some of us up with his HBR article "The Performance Measurement Manifesto" almost ten years ago, and I've also met another of the authors (David Phillips) in the last year. Coupled with that, some of the work of my company (Metapraxis) on Business Driver Diagrams is mentioned in Chapter 1. I mention these points up-front in the interests of transparency, which is a core theme of the book itself.

The book's thesis is that the investors of the future will reward companies for such transparency - in other words, those companies that understand, measure and publish information about leading indicators such as growth of market share as well as lagging indicators such as profit will be better rated than their competitors, other things being equal.

This is pretty controversial stuff. After all, if you're the CEO or CFO of a major global multinational that's just announced on-target quarterly earnings, but your (currently confidential) internal leading edge indicators say that your market share is starting to fall, how exactly are your investors going to react if you decide to be brave enough to tell them all about it?

There is clearly something of a problem here and I refer to it as the Paradox of the World's Bravest Customer. You don't know who that was? I think it was the guy who bought the world's first fax machine. Think about it.

So undoubtedly there'll be some short-term pain for the pioneers, but once the markets start to see that a core group of innovative firms has the courage to disclose this kind of information (whether good or bad) then it's obvious that this disclosure will reduce the risks involved in these investments. And as John Maynard Keynes pointed out in 1910:

"What would be a risky investment for an ignorant speculator may be exceptionally safe for the well-informed expert. The amount of risk to any investor practically depends, in fact, upon the degree of his ignorance respecting the circumstances and prospects of the investment he is considering." *

The book is all about the revolutionary implications that follow through from this 90-year old observation. Whether you agree with the thesis or not, it will change the way you think about corporate information, business management and investor relations. I recommend it highly to CEOs, CFOs, IR heads, financial analysts and auditors, business school students and indeed to anyone embarking on a career in these areas.

Robert Bittlestone: Managing Director, Metapraxis - London & New York

* JM Keynes: Hopes Betrayed 1883-1920 by Robert Skidelsky (Vol 1); Ch. 9 Economic Orthodoxies. Skidelsky is quoting in turn from the "Collected Writings of JMK": xv 46-47....

The funny thing is that I have read over 20 books on financial analysis and investing, and I believe that every penny that I have spent on this book was well worth it. The price of the book scared me at first, but where all of the other books that I read fell short, Financial Warnings did not. I was very impressed with the detail to which the book describes each investment scenario. There is no shortage of financial warnings to look out for. In fact, I was shocked to learn of how many warnings lenders and investors should be aware of. Not only has this book taught me about what to avoid, but also about what to buy. Did you know that the CEO or CFO going through a divorce is a financial warning? Did you know that a company entering a new business is a financial warning? Did you know that beating earnings expectations by one penny every quarter is a financial warning when your competitor fell short of expectations? This is a must read. Reading Financial Warnings has changed my life. It is a must read.

To all the people who are skeptical. This book is excellent. I got an email pointing me to this direction and I am glad I did spend the money. It is money well spend.

It teachs you the non recuring items in the financial statements, capitalized assets, capitalized interest, Lifo liquidation etc.

If you find my review satisfying, let me know if you had another good book to read. I know another book, let's trade some info.

Impeccable, a must read for investors, bankers, corporate finance pros. Highly recommended.

Although this book looks outdated but I am sure it sounds loud and clear especially when we are so hot-headed about the Internet Age and Knowledge Management and in most cases have forgotten about what are the Warning Signs we have to watch for particularly when we are opting to invest in a new stock of the new age.The Author is a respected scholar in the field of Finance and I admire every book of his and has spent the money to have every book he has written but most of all, I feel this book is the best. Read it and you will have things to remember everyday.

The book is an excellent treatise which provides the readers a systematic framework for figuring out whether the books have been manipulated or if the accounting has been aggressive, through finding out non-recurring items in the income statement and balance sheet. I have tried other books but, they just do not compare with this treatise. The book uses a systematic step-by-step approach which introduces the reader to how to read the fine print. This book should be invaluable to finance and accounting professionals, and also to amateur investors, who would be willing to do a little research into the company books.

For those who not lucky enough to attend Dr. Mulford's class, this book should do a great job.

Networking may seem like an obvious way to tell people about your business, but this book is full of wonderful details that help you build your business by cross-promoting and working with other entrepreneurs.

In their usual personal style, the authors define the various strategies for business arrangements, allowing you to choose the ones that are right for you.

You will learn the 10 effective ways of teaming up with others, how to find the right people to network with, business aspects of joint relationships, continuing the working relationship, and when to move on or stay on your chosen collaborative path.

A definite primer for networking, I recommend that any business owner, especially those in home business, learn the principles covered in Teaming Up.

If you have a small business and want to grow your income, you'll find this book a helpful guide to how you can team up with other business owners to market your business or to provide services or goods. There is a wealth of very practical advice on ten different "win-win" ways to team up from simple networking through joint ventures and virtual organizations. The book covers all the aspects of teaming from the legal and financial aspects of different arrangements to the psychology of relationships to the realities of business break ups. While not a substitute for individual legal or accounting advice, the book can help you think through the options and clarify your questions for the experts so that you can reduce costs and make your interactions with the experts more efficient and effective.

The choice is no longer should you go into business for yourself but when. Eventually we will all be self employed. Current employment trends, as spelled out by Jeremy Rifkin in "The End of Work," show that within the next decade over 90 million of today's 124 million jobs are in danger of elimination due to technology. Countless articles have been written about developing your resume while you're still employed and how to act as if you are self-employed even while working for a corporation. Today, more than at any other time in our history, we are being faced with the probability of losing our job and having to find another or becoming self-employed. The strategies, techniques, self-tests, and advice contained in Teaming Up are absolutely essential for everyone who plans to continue working into the future. It is a must read for all of our members. Chris Hansen, President, The Home Based Business Council, Inc.

I've read several books on priestly celibacy over the years and this seems to be the best! It goes over the history of celibacy, the theology, the formation for living as a celibate, and more. This is a must-have for any priest, seminarian, or religious. Fully documented and gives a 100% positive view of celibacy.

This is a truly important book in the discussion of priestly celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church. It presents a view of the history of celibacy that is strongly at odds with the normal views accepted by many, including priests and bishops here in the United States. Chaste celibacy and continency were the normal way of living the priestly vocation, even among married men who were ordained. It is not that the Roman Catholic Church introduced this practice some centuries later, but that that possibility of living with a wife as husband and wife was introduced later by the Eastern Churches. The book also presents a good spirituality of celiacy, based primarily on the writings of Pope John Paul II.

My name is Kimesha Keys. I am going write a review about this guide. All parents should let their child read this book. It tells you about earning, sharing,spending,saving and growing you money. It tells you jobs you can do. Book account and much more.Many people should buy this book it will help you through life.The author Steve Otfinoski did a lot of thinking for writing this book to help kids from 9-12 with money.This book has 128 pages in it but it is not so hard to read.I am glad my mother brought me this book. Now I am going to succeed in life. You wouldn't have to think to about buying this book. Trust me even though I am a stranger this book is great. I hope this review help you about buying this book. If you don't buy this book you are going miss something very important to know during a young age. Bye!! Bye!! I hope you enjoy reading this review by Kimesha Keys.

This book is great!! It has all the ideas and information you need to earn and learn all about money!

Ms. Leon works successfully with the most underemployed, difficult to employ, and nearly impossible to keep employed population: prison parolees. As a parole officer, I am familiar with her work with our criminal population and have reviewed her book. Her agency contracts with the state of California to provide encouragement to men and women ex-prisoners used to robbing and stealing to support their drug habits. Many of these deceitful and violent people get out of prison with genuine hopes for a real job. Unfortunately, their previous work is at the end of a gun barrel or selling crack cocaine and heroin. Ms. Leon works individually with ex-offenders, capitalizing on their hopes, but preparing them to face real-world barriers in the work place. The book is well-written, and best of all, in a workbook format to be used by the job seeker frustrated by the barriers in the workplace. I use it with my own parolees. Ms. Leon's book would help individual readers, but better, it would be used in job-seekers groups, trade schools, or community colleges were students prepare for the working world. Her experience with tattooed and toothless convicts is a valuable buy for any law-abiding citizen.

I truly enjoyed reading the book. The workbook is easy to read with clear language, with a "pinch of humor" -- and definitely not boring. Page after page, I thought of friends, family members, acquaintances, clients I work with (and myself) the benefits of reading this book. Even, if you think you know the ins-and-outs of job seeking, as a resource book, it will be helpful. The author knows the business of "how to find a job", gives good advise and the information is up-to-date with a focus on the "real world". I highly recommend this book - for those who are currently job seeking, would like to change jobs or careers, or are trying to find their "first job". Think of the dollars spent buying this workbook, as a small investment for a better job and better future.

ACTION REFLECTION LEARNING: SOLVING REAL BUSINESS PROBLEMS BY CONNECTING LEARNING WITH EARNING covers the basics of supporting fundamental changes in behaviors to encourage learning. Stories, journal entries, dialogues and other styles of case history examples from real life power a hands-on guide to Action Reflection Learning in practice, surveying its concepts, how they are applied, and how they make a difference within and outside the classroom. It's an exceptional hands-on opportunity to learn from others and a top pick for any business or education college-level library.

I think this is a well written and informative book. It's very timely based on what's been happening with analysts in the news. I recommend it to all investors.

Dr. McKee's Earnings Management offers a great deal of insight into a highly controversial topic within the realm of accounting. The first third of this book explains the difference between ethical earnings management practices and fraudulent financial reporting. He points out that Generally Accepted Accounting Principles offer multiple opportunities for legal and ethical earning management and points out the benefits of such practices. An especially interesting section provides a model that can be used to measure the bankruptcy probability of a company based upon recent financial performance. Dr. McKee shows how the use of earnings management techniques can significantly reduce financial distress and legitimately strengthen shareholder confidence.

The final two thirds of the book includes specific examples of earnings management techniques used by various public companies in recent years. His explanations of these techniques are thorough, yet at the same time not overly-technical. The writing is straightforward and you will not need to be a CPA in order to understand exactly how your company can take advantage of these earning management practices.

This book is geared toward those involved in the management of public companies; however, I believe it will appeal to a much wider group of readers. It provides information that is useful to all users of financial statements. The ideas contained within it would be useful to CEOs and CFOs, but also to shareholders and creditors, auditors and financial reporting managers, really anyone with an interest in the accounting practices of both public and privately-held companies. Highly Recommended!

What drives stock markets? Earnings. Can you look at current earnings to predict future price changes? No, current earnings are already reflected in the stock price. You must look at the estimates of future earnings in order to predict price changes. This book is a MUST READ for anyone who invests as it covers every seminal article written on the subject of using earnings estimates. Brian Bruce, who hosts an annual conference on the subject, is a leader in the field and has chosen the best of the best articles.