The most comprehensive and authoritative review of B-School fundamentals—from top accounting and finance professors
For years, the Portable MBA series has tracked the core curricula of leading business schools to teach you the funda The above is the description for The Portable MBA in Finance and Accounting
Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Practical easy-to-understand guide to key topics, December 13, 1997
Well written explanations of important subjects, such as how to find essential information in financial statements, how to price products and make profitable bids, legally minimizing taxes for your small business, managing financial risks with options, hedges and derivatives, using your computer for financial analysis, etc. etc. Why spend time and money for an MBA when its all here.
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As a liberal arts major, I desperately needed to familiarize myself with business finance concepts during the year prior to my MBA program (I'll start B-School in Fall 2001), and turned to "The Portable MBA in Finance and Accounting" for help due to the "best in class" reputation of the series. Though not entirely disappointed, I really do not feel this book lived up to its top billing.
I found a lot of the sections unclear, mostly because the authors skimp on the necessary math, trying to describe numeric concepts with words; Sort of like "using a screwdriver to carve roast beef," as Tom Robbins once quipped. Additionally, the Portable MBA series' format, with different authors each writing a chapter, detracts from the book's cohesiveness. A book by one author (or several edited into one continuous voice) tends to hold together better. For example, I got more out of the briefer introduction to fiscal management, "Finance and Accounting for the Non-Financial Manager" by Steven Finkler due to its one-voice cohesiveness than I did from the Portable MBA.
On the up side, the first chapter is a brilliant exposition on how day-to-day business activities translate into the standard accounting reports. This section also illustrates how a manager can use spreadsheets to observe how changing prices or costs affect the "bottom line," and how financials can be used to build a strategy. I also found the chapter on budgeting quite helpful. However, when the book delves into finance, the lack of math really begins to take its toll. If it weren't for the Finkler book, I doubt I would have the faintest idea what capital budgeting was all about. All things considered, "The PMBA in F&A" is a decent but flawed book. However, when it is on, it is brilliant.
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This book has the quality of a one year course in finance and accounting. Even if you have only a high school diploma you can understand it. Don't let this comment fool you. The authors of this book have made complex concepts seem simple.
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Working Papers, Chapters 1-17 for Warren/Reeve/Duchac's Accounting, 24th and Financial Accounting, 12th
The traditional working papers include problem-specific forms for preparing solutions for Exercises, A & B Problems, the Continuing Problem, and the Comprehensive Problems from the textbook. These forms, with preprinted headings, provide a structure The above is the description for Working Papers, Chapters 1-17 for Warren/Reeve/Duchac's Accounting, 24th and Financial Accounting, 12th
This review is from: Working Papers, Chapters 1-17 for Warren/Reeve/Duchac's Accounting, 24th and Financial Accounting, 12th (Paperback)
It was much easier to have all the templates there and ready instead of trying to draw them out myself. If my class covered more than just the first six chapters I would have been happier since now I have a nearly complete book and no use for it, but that is really an issue with my school, not the book itself.
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This review is from: Working Papers, Chapters 1-17 for Warren/Reeve/Duchac's Accounting, 24th and Financial Accounting, 12th (Paperback)
I am glad that our teacher recommended the working papers to use with our Accounting book. It has saved me time by having the forms pre-printed so that I don't have to draw them. It is a big book, but the pages are perforated so I can tear out a chapter at a time, and carry only what I need. Since I will be using our Accounting book for at least four more classes, I know I will get my money's worth from this purchase. This working papers book definitely complements the textbook. Thank you so much for such a helpful tool.
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Financial Statements and the Accounting Equation (Accounting Fundamentals)
This study guide covers the fundamental accounting concepts that form the foundations of the discipline. Using easy to understand language, it deals with basic assumptions, the role and structure of financial statements, and the relationship between The above is the description for Financial Statements and the Accounting Equation (Accounting Fundamentals)
