100 Best Accounting Books of All Time
We've researched and ranked the best accounting books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more
The world of accounting can be intimidating. Whether you're a manager, business owner, aspiring entrepreneur, or taking a college course in accounting, you'll find yourself need to know the basics...but baffled by complicated accounting books. What if learning accounting could be as simple and fun as running a child's lemonade stand? It can.
The Accounting Game presents financial information in a format so simple and so unlike a common accounting textbook, you may forget you're learning... more
Andrew ElliottIf you have no understanding of accounting, read a good accounting book. A good example would be The Accounting Game by Darrell Mullis. (Source)
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose... more
Malcolm GladwellI don’t need to say much here. This book invented an entire genre. Economics was never supposed to be this entertaining. (Source)
Daymond JohnI love newer books like [this book]. (Source)
James Altucher[James Altucher recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show".] (Source)
Daymond John[Daymond John said this is one of his most-recommended books.] (Source)
Grant CardoneThis book emphasized the need to get reliable income streams and to never ever confuse your necessary expenses with the things you want. It’s a timeless classic that every school in America should have in their curriculum. (Source)
David Heinemeier HanssonThis is a 1920s classic version of How To Get Rich. The ancestor of all the pale imitations, like Rich Dad/Poor Dad, that came since. And while I scoffed at plenty of the allegories from ancient Babylon that presents the lessons, it was still a neat package. And at least ancient Babylon is a more interesting backdrop for teaching lessons about money than some suburban house flipper. I ended up... (Source)
The bestselling classic from the "Sherlock Holmes of Accounting"--updated to reflect the key case studies and most important lessons from the past quarter century.
This fourth edition of the classic guide shines a light on the most shocking frauds and financial reporting offenders of the last twenty-five years, and gives investors the tools they need to detect:
-Corporate cultures that incentivize dishonest practices-The latest tricks companies use to exaggerate revenue and earnings-Techniques devised by management to manipulate cash flow as... more
Sam E. Antar@HowardSchilit And I love your book! (Source)
Think and Grow Rich reveals the secrets that can bring you fortune. By suppressing negative thoughts and keeping your focus on... more
Daymond JohnThe main takeaway from [this book] was goal-setting. It was the fact that if you don't set a specific goal, then how can you expect to hit it? (Source)
Mark Moses[ listing the books that had the biggest impact on him] (Source)
This revised and expanded second edition of Ittelson's master work will give you that firm grasp of "the numbers" necessary for business success. With more than 100,000 copies in print, Financial Statements is a perfect introduction to financial accounting for non-financial managers, stock-market investors, undergraduate business and MBA students, lawyers, lenders, entrepreneurs, and more.
Most introductory finance and accounting books fail either because they are written "by accountants for... more
Chris MobbsWarren Buffett Accounting Book: Reading Financial Statements for Value Investing (Warren Buffett’s 3 Favorite Books Book 2) https://t.co/uwVh05lLJH https://t.co/sR5CEeOEDf (Source)
Conventional accounting uses the logical (albeit, flawed) formula: Sales - Expenses = Profit. The problem is, businesses are run by humans, and humans aren't always logical. Serial entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz has developed a behavioral approach to accounting to flip the formula: Sales - Profit = Expenses. Just as the most effective... more
Jacqui PrettyThe most recent business book I found that had a transformative impact on my business is Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, which completely changed the way we manage our finances at Grammar Factory. (Source)
Bill WidmerI also recommend Profit First by Mike Michalowicz to learn how to put profit first in your business. (Source)
Remarkably, it was just two years ago that Enron was thought to epitomize a great New Economy company, with its skyrocketing profits and share price. But that was... more
Warren BuffettWell-reported and well-written. (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Barack ObamaObama, unsurprisingly, appears to be more drawn to stories sympathetic to the working classes than is McCain. Obama cites John Steinbeck’s “In Dubious Battle,” about a labor dispute; Robert Caro’s “Power Broker,” about Robert Moses; and Studs Terkel’s “Working.” But he also includes Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” and “Theory of Moral Sentiments” on his list. (Source)
Neil deGrasse TysonWhich books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Wealth of Nations (Smith) [to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)
Since its release in 2006, Financial Intelligence has become a favorite among managers who need a guided tour through the numbers—helping them to understand not only what the numbers really mean, but also why they matter.
This new, completely updated edition brings the numbers up to date and continues to teach the basics of... more
Warren BuffettTo invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information. What's needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework. This book precisely and clearly prescribes the proper framework. You must provide the emotional discipline. (Source)
Kevin RoseThe foundation for investing. A lot of people have used this as their guide to getting into investment, basic strategies. Actually Warren Buffett cites this as the book that got him into investing and he says that principles he learned here helped him to become a great investor. Highly recommend this book. It’s a great way understand what’s going on and how to evaluate different companies out... (Source)
"All investors, from beginners to old hands, should gain from the use of this guide, as I have."Benjamin Graham has been called the most important investment thinker of the twentieth century. As a master investor, pioneering stock analyst, and mentor to investment superstars, he has no peer.
From the Introduction by Michael F. Price, president, Franklin Mutual Advisors, Inc.
The volume you hold in your hands is Graham's timeless guide to interpreting and understanding financial statements. It has long been out of print, but now joins Graham's other... more
Preston Pysh@Hom3Slice @stig_brodersen That’s a great little book, but it’s simply showing you the math behind each ratio. It doesn’t go any further than that. (Source)
Approaching each chapter the same way he approaches a client consult, Kohler delivers topic- or question-specific solutions illustrating each critical business... more
Laying aside many of the tools of modern finance--the cost-of-capital, the CAPM, and discounted cash flow analysis--Stephen Penman returns to the common-sense principles that have long guided fundamental investing: price is what you pay but value is what you get; the risk in investing is the risk of paying too much; anchor on what... more
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
"I love this book. Douglas Hubbard helps us create a path to know the answer to almost any question in business, in science, or in life . . . Hubbard helps us by showing us that when we seek metrics to solve problems, we are really trying to know something better than we know it now. How to Measure Anything provides just the tools most of us need to measure anything better, to gain that insight, to make progress, and to succeed."
-Peter Tippett, PhD, M.D.
Chief Technology Officer at... more
Julia Galef[Has] some good advice on how to improve your ability to make accurate predictions. (Source)
Nick GanjuAbout being outcome-based and getting these measurable outcomes. (Source)
--From the Foreword by Warren E. Buffett
First published in 1934, "Security Analysis" is one of the most influential financial books ever written. Selling more than one million copies through five editions, it has provided generations of investors with the timeless value investing philosophy and techniques of Benjamin Graham and David L. Dodd.
As relevant today as when they first appeared nearly 75 years ago, the teachings of Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, have withstood the... more
Warren BuffettBuffett said that Security Analysis, another groundbreaking work of Graham's, had given him a road map for investing that he has been following for 57 years. (Source)
Drawing on their work training tens of thousands of people at leading organizations worldwide, the authors provide a deep understanding of the basics of financial management and measurement, along with hands-on activities to practice what you are reading. You'll discover:
Why the assumptions behind financial data matter more
The sixth edition of this bestselling book is designed to help anyone who works with financial reports--but has neither the time nor the need for an in-depth knowledge of accounting--cut through the maze of accounting information to find out what those numbers really mean. less
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
As a small-business owner, financial statements are your most important tools--and if you don't know how to read them and understand their implications, you cannot possibly steer your business successfully. Accounting for the Numberphobic demystifies your company's financial dashboard: the Net Income Statement,... more
"So much for the notion 'those who can, do-those who can't, teach.' Mulford and Comiskey function successfully both as college professors and real-world financial mercenaries. These guys know their balance sheets. The Financial Numbers Game should serve as a survival manual for both serious individual investors and industry pros who study and act upon the interpretation of financial statements. This unique blend of battle-earned scholarship and quality writing is a must-read/must-have reference for serious financial statement analysis." --Bob... more
A Practitioner's Guide
Third Edition
"This is an illuminating and insightful tour of financial statements, how they can be used to inform, how they can be used to mislead, and how they can be used to analyze the financial health of a company."
-Professor Jay O. Light
Harvard Business School
"Financial Statement Analysis should be required reading for anyone who puts a dime to work in the securities markets or recommends that others do the same."
-Jack L. Rivkin
Executive Vice President... more
Economic and other outcomes differ vastly among individuals, groups, and nations. Many explanations have been offered for the differences. Some believe that those with less fortunate outcomes are victims of genetics. Others believe that those who are less fortunate are victims of the more fortunate.
Discrimination and Disparities gathers a wide array of empirical evidence to challenge the idea that different economic outcomes can be... more
In "Smart Money Smart Kids, "financial expert and best-selling author Dave Ramsey and his daughter Rachel Cruze equip parents to teach their children how to win with money. Starting with the basics like working, spending, saving, and giving, and moving into more challenging issues like avoiding debt for life, paying cash for college, and battling discontentment, Dave and Rachel present a no-nonsense, common-sense approach for changing your family tree. less
Creative Cash Flow Reporting and Analysis capitalizes on current concerns with misleading financial reporting on misleading financial reporting. It identifies the common steps used to yield misleading cash flow amounts, demonstrates how to adjust the cash flow statement for more effective analysis, and how to use adjusted operating cash flow to uncover earnings that have been misreported using aggressive or fraudulent accounting practices.
Charles W. Mulford, PhD, CPA (Atlanta, GA), is the coauthor of... more
Howard MarksSo good. (Source)
Jason ZweigIn the book, he explores risk at every conceivable level – what it is mathematically and what it is psychologically, how it has played out historically, how people have thought to measure it and also to control it. (Source)
John Lanchesterit’s an absolutely fascinating, for-the-layman account of how humanity mastered risk and came to understand probability. (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Buffett and Clark clearly outline Warren Buffett's strategies in a way that will appeal to newcomers and seasoned Buffettologists alike. Inspired by the seminal work of Buffett's mentor, Benjamin Graham (The Interpretation of Financial Statements, 1937), this book presents Buffett's interpretation of financial statements with anecdotes and quotes from the master investor himself.
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The consensus is clear: MBA programs are a waste of time and money. Even the elite schools offer outdated assembly-line educations about profit-and-loss statements and PowerPoint presentations. After two years poring over sanitized case studies, students are shuffled off into middle management to find out how business really works.
Josh Kaufman has made a business out of distilling the core principles of business and delivering them quickly and concisely to people at all... more
Brian BurkhartIt’s jam-packed with little digestible bites of wisdom—from finance to marketing to organizational development. It’s the guru bible of business. (Source)
Ola OlusogaFor business, I've read Influence by Robert Cialdini 3 times, and Traction by Gabriel Weinberg twice, so if number of times read indicates favor, then those are it. There are a whole bunch of others, like The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman, Confession of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy, The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss, and Running Lean by Ash Maurya, that I've also enjoyed and recommend to... (Source)
Once you understand the basic principles of tax reduction, you can begin, immediately, reducing your taxes. Eventually, you may even be able to legally eliminate your income taxes... more
Jonathan GruberJoel Slemrod and Jon Bakija do an excellent job of taking what we know about how taxes affect behaviour and translating it into basic lessons. There are three different kinds of reactions people can have to taxes. There are timing reactions like, “Should I realise my capital gains today or tomorrow?” There are financing reactions like, “Should I get paid in stock options or wages?” And then there... (Source)
Tax-Free Wealth is about tax planning concepts and how to use tax laws to your benefit. Tom explains how the tax laws work and how they are designed to reduce you taxes - not to increase them. The audiobook explains how to use the tax laws to your advantage and in ways that will support business owners' vision and growth plans for their companies.
Once listeners understand the basic principles of tax reduction, they can being, immediately, reducing their taxes to the point where, enentually, they may even be able to... more
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Accounting for Non-Accountants is the must-have guide for all of us who have never taken an accounting class, are mystified by accounting jargon, and have no clue about balance sheets, income statements, payroll management, corporate taxes, or statements of cash flows.
Whether you own a business, plan on starting one, or just want to control your own assets, you'll find everything you need to know:
?How to prepare and use financial statements ?How to control... more
You'll learn the core concepts of these technologies and understand their strengths and weaknesses from real-world case studies; dive deep into their technical, economic, political, and... more
David HenzelThe top three for me would be Napoleon Hill "Outwitting the Devil", basically any Napoleon Hill books. "Think and Grow Rich", "How to Sell Your Way Through Life", "The Laws of Success." Really, really amazing books, especially when you're an entrepreneur. It's like I think a must to read. (Source)
The Joneses are broke.
Life looks good, but hidden beneath that glossy exterior are credit card bills, student loans, car payments, and an out-of-control mortgage. Their money situation is a mess, and... more
Dave Ramsey[Dave Ramsey recommended this book on his website.] (Source)
Tools and Techniques for Determining the Value of Any Asset
Valuation is at the heart of every investment decision, whether that decision is to buy, sell, or hold. But the pricing of any financial asset has become a more complex task in modern financial markets. Now completely revised and fully updated to reflect changing market conditions, Investment Valuation, Second Edition, provides expert instruction on how to value virtually any type of asset-stocks, bonds, options, futures, real assets, and much more.
Noted valuation authority and acclaimed NYU... more
Finance guru, former financial advisor, and Amazon bestselling author of Money Honey, Rachel Richards has one goal in mind: teaching you everything you need to know to become financially free earlier than you ever thought possible. At age 27, Rachel quit her job and retired, living off $10,000+ per month in passive income streams. Let her show you how to do it at any... more
With easy-to-understand explanations and real-life examples, Financial Accounting For Dummies provides students who are studying business, finance, and... more
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant is a guide to financial freedom. It’s the second book in the Rich Dad Series and reveals how some people work less, earn more, pay less in taxes, and learn to become financially free.
CASHFLOW Quadrant was written for those who are ready to move beyond job security and enter the world of financial freedom. It’s for those who want to make significant changes in their lives and take control of their financial future.
Robert believes that the reason most people struggle financially is because they've been spent years in school but were... more
Malcolm TanThe business book series that set me on the path to entrepreneurship is from Richard Kiyosaki - from Rich Dad, Poor Dad to the Cashflow Quadrant, and his other books. My paradigms shifted after reading those books and made me decide that in order to achieve some arbitrary financial goals, what I was doing at that point in time (being a company lawyer) wasn't going to enable me to reach those... (Source)
Make sense of... more
Meet Josh Bauerle, reluctant accounting student turned super CPA and author of the Accounting QuickStart Guide, 3rd edition.
This is the revolutionary book that expertly simplifies accounting fundamentals. It’s an invaluable resource for accounting students, business owners, bookkeepers, and other finance and recordkeeping professionals worldwide!
Whether you are a business owner looking to boost your bottom line or an accounting student looking to boost your grade, this... more
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Powerful techniques anyone can use to deduct more, invest smarter, and pay far less to the IRS!
Are you dreading tax season? Not sure how to maximize deductions for your real estate business? CPAs Amanda Han and Matthew MacFarland share the practical information you need to not only do your taxes this year, but to also prepare an ongoing strategy that will make your next tax season that much easier.
It’s time to take control of the bookkeeping practices for your real estate business. Start saving thousands with a great tax strategy!
In this book,... more
Thomas R. Ittelson’s master work for entrepreneurs, non-financial managers, business students, lawyers, lenders, and investors—the bestselling book of its kind, with over 200,000 copies in print—has gotten even better with this 20th anniversary edition.
Ittelson is an expert at translating complicated financial topics in an accessible way for non-financial audiences. In this book, he empowers readers by clearly and simply demonstrating how the three major accounting statements interact to offer a snapshot of a company's financial... more
There's a massive freight train bearing down on the average American investor, and it's coming in the form of higher taxes.
The United States Government has made trillions of dollars in unfunded promises for programs like Social Security and Medicare--and the only way to deliver on these promises is to raise taxes. Some experts have even suggested that tax rates will need to double, just to keep our country solvent.... more
For over 70 years, millions of taxpayers have trusted J.K. Lasser to provide accurate, authoritative guidance.Fullyupdated to reflect the latest changes to the 2019 tax code, Your Income Tax 2020 gives you step-by-step instructions for easy, stress-free filing. This invaluable book walks you through every part of the filing process in plain English, from organizing your records to navigating IRS worksheets and filling out the correct forms. Clear, easy-to-understand advice enables you to maximize... more
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
* An increased international focus with more coverage of IASC and non-US GAAPs and more non-US examples. less
Anyone can learn to invest wisely with this bestselling investment system!
Through every type of market, William J. O'Neil's national bestseller, How to Make Money in Stocks, has shown over 2 million investors the secrets to building wealth. O'Neil's powerful CAN SLIM(R) Investing System--a proven 7-step process for minimizing risk and maximizing gains--has influenced generations of investors.
Based on a major study of market winners from 1880 to 2009, this expanded edition gives you:
Proven... more
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
"The Art of Short Selling is the best description of this difficulttechnique."--John Train, Train, Thomas, Smith Investment Counsel, and author of The New Money Masters
"Kathryn Staley has done a masterful job explaining the highlyspecialized art of short selling. Her approach to telling the truestories of famous investment 'scams' will keep the readerspellbound, while teaching the investor many cruciallessons."--David W. Tice, Portfolio Manager, Prudent BearFund
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Even as they became fabulously wealthy, the ultra-rich have seen their taxes collapse to levels last seen in the 1920s. Meanwhile, working-class Americans have been asked to pay more. The Triumph of Injustice presents a forensic investigation into this dramatic transformation, written by two economists who revolutionized the study of inequality. Eschewing anecdotes and case studies, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman offer a comprehensive view of America’s tax system, based on new statistics... more
Dani RodrikCongratulations @gabriel_zucman. Just finished reading it. Fantastic book. https://t.co/ZRxkDzpx7a (Source)
Keith EllisonGreat new book by Emmanuel Saez The Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay. Saez is advising @BernieSanders and @ewarren campaign. (Source)
--Geoffrey Garland, Controller, StacoSwitch, Inc.
"This is good stuff! Steven Bragg has introduced us to an accounting structure that will enhance our bottom line utilizing throughput accounting methodology. Finally! We have a presentable means to transform a company's financial functions to support... more
Don't have time to read the top Accounting books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.