This book is intended for people who want to know something about the fundamentals of financial accounting without becoming an accountant. Many people are in this position; small business owners, employers, employees, business owners, stockholders, investors, and many, many more. Most of these folks do not need a deep understanding of accounting; they just need to learn what accounting is and how they should be using it. Just as important, they need to understand what accountants are talking about in their reports. They must learn the vocabulary and the most important terms. If you are one of those, you have found the right book for you.

We will examine this subject in some detail, discussing accounting fundamentals, the various areas where accounting professionals work and the information they produce. We will also examine the measures and ratios that accountants use to analyze an organization's performance and the important relationship between time and money. The fact that information is the product of accounting will remain foremost in this book.

Here are just some of the topics that are discussed within this book:

• Accounting is Different From Bookkeeping
• Understanding the Vocabulary
• Accounting Reports: The Income Statement
• The Balance Sheet
• The Cash Flow Statement
• The Accounting Equation
• The CPA and Public Accounting
• Jobs in Accounting: Financial Accounting
• Tax Accounting
• Accounting Consultants
• Forensic Accounting
• Personal Accounting
• Measures and Ratios
• Accounting Software
• And Much, Much More