[.ca] The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Accounting Course, Third Edition (ISBN 0070170940)

A thorough, well-written introduction to accounting:
For those of us who don't have an accounting background, but need to have one fast, this book is great. I didn't follow the 36-hour guideline, although I have no doubt that the "course" can be completed in that time. I read it leisurely, an hour here, an hour there, and was able to read the book in two weeks. Each chapter has a distinct lesson, with an "exam" at the end of the chapter (and supplemental exams in the back of the book). The content is well written, with plenty of great examples and definitions of basic terms. I don't have an accounting background, but I needed one, and selected this book as one of many to get myself up to speed. This book was the best of several that I choose, and I do think it did the best job in terms of education. The book can be read straight through, or you can use it as a reference - the contents are segmented in such a way that it's a handy reference guide. Highly recommended for those people without accounting backgrounds who need one.

An excellent Textbook:
My Prof. prescribed this as a text book for an introductory Accounting Course. I think this book more than meets it. It is a book that explains all the Accounting practices in simple terms in plain English. Some readers have mentioned the absense of Glossary as a negative point. These are cosmetic issues, but the book itself is very well written and some complex topics are very well analyzed. This book is about accounting and not financial analysis. This book coupled with a book on Financial Analysis will provide a solid foundation. ( This is what my Prof. did ). The problem at the end of every chapter helps to apply concepts learnt in the Chapter. The supplementary problems are tougher and requires more intuition. I think that is a good thing. The book doesn't treat you as a dumb reader.

Pointless verbeage around the subject:
This book breaks all the good rules for the text books. Set your expectations straight: glossary does not exist, index is incomplete, definitions of terms are either absent or given after 10 pages of waterly discussions into the term. Many times book talks about the term without ever defining what it is. No summaries at the end of the chapter. Explanations at first appear to be plain English and simple until you realize that subject is not there. My guess is it was probably meant for the experienced bookkeepers or accountants who need some high-level essays on the philosophy of accounting. However, section "For whom is this book?" clearly refers to people that have no accounting background or who took a class or two and never practiced it. The only reason why I am giving it 1 star is becuase Amazon does not give me an option to rate it with 0 stars.

I would not choose this book:
In preparing for an financail class, I bought this book to help prepare me. I wish I had done a little research first. The lessons are OK, but among other things, there are a lot of editing mistakes, which can me one wonder if the answer is wrong because it's wrong, or the solution given is wrong. Also there are few examples that do not address all aspects of the lesson; the test question at the end will ask a different aspect not previously brought up. I would choose another book.

Don't waste your Money-A Duke MBA:
I bought this book to prepare for financial accounting. I do not recommend it, get the "Accounting for Finance" Workbook. This is basic accounting, not very related to actual financial analysis.