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More Than a Numbers Game: A Brief History of Accounting By Thomas A. King Published by John Wiley & Sons, 2006; ISBN: 978-0-470-00873-7, 242 pages, $29.95.
This refreshing book is a wellresearched, well-written, and intelligent explanation of modern-day U.S. accounting and how it has evolved to its present state. Thomas A. King, the author, studied accounting at New York University and obtained an MBA from Harvard. He is a CPA and former member of Arthur Andersen's New York audit staff, and since then has been a corporate controller, investment strategist, and treasurer. In the course of his extensive research for the book, he has not only found and read the pertinent history, but he understands and explains it exceptionally well. He styles the book as "a history of ideas."
The author is at his best when telling stories, whether of the twists and turns in specific accounting standards from the 1940s to the present, of the accounting transgressions of Enron, Global Crossing, WorldCom, and HealthSouth, or of the factors leading to the demise of Arthur Andersen. The 15 chapters make for easy reading. King is a concise writer, yet he never sacrifices accuracy or completeness. He effectively uses numerous tables and diagrams to illustrate his points. Throughout, he places accounting developments against the backdrop of economics, finance, law, and actual business decisions. If...