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JAYNE M. GODFREY AND KERYN CHALMERS (Editors), Globalisation of Accounting Standards (Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar, 2007, xvi, 309 pp) (ISBN 978-1-84542852-5).
The stated purpose of this book may be considered somewhat grandiose. It is "to provide an analysis of some of the myriad issues and perspectives of accounting globalization as perceived by authors from diverse geographical regions" (p. 2). In my opinion, the editors have failed to achieve their objective, but they have made a very useful contribution to our knowledge of me experiences and practices in several countries. Although readers will be familiar with the nature of some of me material, the book provides confirmation and explanation of the events and also provides fresh insights. The strengths of the book greatly outweigh its deficiencies.
One of the main strengths is the quality of the contributions by both academics and practitioners. The names of the contributing authors will be familiar to followers of international accounting and the articles reflect their reputations. Possibly because their contributions were not intended for refereed journals, mere is expansiveness in their explanations and also an expression of personal opinions that capture me political tensions of convergence.
A vivid example of these tensions is the opinions expressed by Rum Pickering writing on Australia's decision to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (U7RS). In her prediction of the future, she hypothesizes that the increasing rapprochement between the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)...