The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

A GODSEND!! Recommended!!!, 14 Apr 2005
I have just begun my first year studying Accounting and Finance at university and have found the subject of Financial Accounting extremely difficult. Thanks to this book I am finding my own learning and revision periods are much easier and I am now understanding concepts which I hadnt a clue about in lectures! Thank you to the authors! One tiny issue with the book is that sometimes the double entry questions and examples used are not complex enough for what is needed at my level. Apart from that I recommend this book highly!

GREAT BOOK!!!!, 01 Dec 2002
I have just started studying account this year. I was really, really scared about how the subject was going to be. As it was, I found the subject really hard, but on top of that our teacher was really bad as well! But thank God, that our school had prescribed this book for the Year 10s! It has really helped. This book contains detailed explanations, plus multiple choice questions and loads of activities review questions. The answers of activities are written at the end of each chapter respectively.

Also, answers of alternative review questions are written at the back of the book. For me, one termed has passed, and I have studied wholly out of the book, and scored high marks! Three cheers for Frnk Wood and Alan Spanster!!!

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

A GODSEND!! Recommended!!!, 14 Apr 2005
I have just begun my first year studying Accounting and Finance at university and have found the subject of Financial Accounting extremely difficult. Thanks to this book I am finding my own learning and revision periods are much easier and I am now understanding concepts which I hadnt a clue about in lectures! Thank you to the authors! One tiny issue with the book is that sometimes the double entry questions and examples used are not complex enough for what is needed at my level. Apart from that I recommend this book highly!

GREAT BOOK!!!!, 01 Dec 2002
I have just started studying account this year. I was really, really scared about how the subject was going to be. As it was, I found the subject really hard, but on top of that our teacher was really bad as well! But thank God, that our school had prescribed this book for the Year 10s! It has really helped. This book contains detailed explanations, plus multiple choice questions and loads of activities review questions. The answers of activities are written at the end of each chapter respectively.

Also, answers of alternative review questions are written at the back of the book. For me, one termed has passed, and I have studied wholly out of the book, and scored high marks! Three cheers for Frnk Wood and Alan Spanster!!!

Great for a new accounting student., 08 May 2007
I purchased this book on the recommendation of a co-worker (fully qualified accountant) who used the third edition while at uni. She was spot on when she told me that it is a great help to those students who come from a non-accounting background. (i.e. no A levels in accounting).

The layout is easy to follow, great self tests along the way, case studies, real world relevent news articles and even an online site with further tests.



Brilliant from a Student at University, 13 Feb 2004
This book is easy to read yet engages the reader in financial accounting. This provides all essential information without overload and gives a firm understanding and grasp of all concepts. the book is colourful and easy to read.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

P+L, Cash Flow....., 02 Jan 2001
What can I say? This book tells you virtually everything you need to know about accounting -- and not a technie in sight!

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

A GODSEND!! Recommended!!!, 14 Apr 2005
I have just begun my first year studying Accounting and Finance at university and have found the subject of Financial Accounting extremely difficult. Thanks to this book I am finding my own learning and revision periods are much easier and I am now understanding concepts which I hadnt a clue about in lectures! Thank you to the authors! One tiny issue with the book is that sometimes the double entry questions and examples used are not complex enough for what is needed at my level. Apart from that I recommend this book highly!

GREAT BOOK!!!!, 01 Dec 2002
I have just started studying account this year. I was really, really scared about how the subject was going to be. As it was, I found the subject really hard, but on top of that our teacher was really bad as well! But thank God, that our school had prescribed this book for the Year 10s! It has really helped. This book contains detailed explanations, plus multiple choice questions and loads of activities review questions. The answers of activities are written at the end of each chapter respectively.

Also, answers of alternative review questions are written at the back of the book. For me, one termed has passed, and I have studied wholly out of the book, and scored high marks! Three cheers for Frnk Wood and Alan Spanster!!!

Great for a new accounting student., 08 May 2007
I purchased this book on the recommendation of a co-worker (fully qualified accountant) who used the third edition while at uni. She was spot on when she told me that it is a great help to those students who come from a non-accounting background. (i.e. no A levels in accounting).

The layout is easy to follow, great self tests along the way, case studies, real world relevent news articles and even an online site with further tests.



Brilliant from a Student at University, 13 Feb 2004
This book is easy to read yet engages the reader in financial accounting. This provides all essential information without overload and gives a firm understanding and grasp of all concepts. the book is colourful and easy to read.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

P+L, Cash Flow....., 02 Jan 2001
What can I say? This book tells you virtually everything you need to know about accounting -- and not a technie in sight!

Comprehensive but somewhat technical (not very suitable for most beginners), 27 Jun 2006
I want to agree with the previous, rather brief reviewer who found this book to be somewhat complicated.

While it certainly IS very comprehensive (as in it covers all you want to know, plus more), the manner in which the material is presented at times comes accross overly technical and complicated - especially for the novice. Furthermore, the layout, while visually appealing, doesn't seem thought through properly. Much too often, the text discusses key concepts by refering to example-boxes which, for some reason, are inconveniently printed pages away from the complementing text. This often disrupts the learning flow and thus may hinder (easy) comprehension of even the most basic concepts such as standard overhead absorption costing, budgeting, marignal costing, etc.
However, not all is amiss! One aspect of the book which deserves utmost praise is the extensive supply of exercise questions (and suggested solutions) to each chapter. These are extremely helpful in gaining a "feel" for the usefulness and necessity of management accounting in business. That alone may justify the purchase of the book. (hence three stars in the rating)

All in all I would say that this book isn't best-suited for the novice as stand-alone learning source, but may be a very useful supplement for those who want to apply what they have learned (possibly elsewhere) and those who want to gain a deeper, more technical understanding of already understood management accounting concepts.

Bloody good book, 15 Feb 2005
I thought that last years edition was good, but having picked up the latest of Drury; I can say I was blown away!

I especially like the little pictures of a roulette wheel; it adds a bit of danger and exicitment to the already thrilling world of management accounting.

BUY THIS BOOK YESTERDAY IF NOT BEFORE

Management & cost accounting, 14 Feb 2005
The book illustrate in a very complicate way and some of the explanation are not very clear

The most comprehensive survey of management accounting., 28 Feb 2002
This book covers the whole field so it's not ideal if you need a quick introduction to the subject. But for anyone studying management accounting it provides an excellent resource for learning and testing your skills.
The student's manual is highly recommended too.

An Essential Companion to a Poor Textbook, 31 Jan 2002
I am a first year accountancy student at the University of Glasgow, and the accompanying textbook for this workbook (Management & Cost Accounting, by Colin Drury) was the prescribed text for my management accounting course. Unfortunately, I found that the main textbook had weaknesses in certain areas, namely the lack of worked solutions to the often very demanding end of chapter questions.
Nevertheless, the student's workbook has proved to be an essential companion to the textbook. It contains a considerable amount of worked solutions to end of chapter questions. These were especially helpful, especially in the areas of the course where I am having difficulty.
I would recommend this book to other accountancy students who are reading the parent textbook and having difficulty in a lot of the areas. However, those students who are not having many difficulties (although there are few of them!) would probably be just as well off without the student's workbook.

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

A GODSEND!! Recommended!!!, 14 Apr 2005
I have just begun my first year studying Accounting and Finance at university and have found the subject of Financial Accounting extremely difficult. Thanks to this book I am finding my own learning and revision periods are much easier and I am now understanding concepts which I hadnt a clue about in lectures! Thank you to the authors! One tiny issue with the book is that sometimes the double entry questions and examples used are not complex enough for what is needed at my level. Apart from that I recommend this book highly!

GREAT BOOK!!!!, 01 Dec 2002
I have just started studying account this year. I was really, really scared about how the subject was going to be. As it was, I found the subject really hard, but on top of that our teacher was really bad as well! But thank God, that our school had prescribed this book for the Year 10s! It has really helped. This book contains detailed explanations, plus multiple choice questions and loads of activities review questions. The answers of activities are written at the end of each chapter respectively.

Also, answers of alternative review questions are written at the back of the book. For me, one termed has passed, and I have studied wholly out of the book, and scored high marks! Three cheers for Frnk Wood and Alan Spanster!!!

Great for a new accounting student., 08 May 2007
I purchased this book on the recommendation of a co-worker (fully qualified accountant) who used the third edition while at uni. She was spot on when she told me that it is a great help to those students who come from a non-accounting background. (i.e. no A levels in accounting).

The layout is easy to follow, great self tests along the way, case studies, real world relevent news articles and even an online site with further tests.



Brilliant from a Student at University, 13 Feb 2004
This book is easy to read yet engages the reader in financial accounting. This provides all essential information without overload and gives a firm understanding and grasp of all concepts. the book is colourful and easy to read.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

P+L, Cash Flow....., 02 Jan 2001
What can I say? This book tells you virtually everything you need to know about accounting -- and not a technie in sight!

Comprehensive but somewhat technical (not very suitable for most beginners), 27 Jun 2006
I want to agree with the previous, rather brief reviewer who found this book to be somewhat complicated.

While it certainly IS very comprehensive (as in it covers all you want to know, plus more), the manner in which the material is presented at times comes accross overly technical and complicated - especially for the novice. Furthermore, the layout, while visually appealing, doesn't seem thought through properly. Much too often, the text discusses key concepts by refering to example-boxes which, for some reason, are inconveniently printed pages away from the complementing text. This often disrupts the learning flow and thus may hinder (easy) comprehension of even the most basic concepts such as standard overhead absorption costing, budgeting, marignal costing, etc.
However, not all is amiss! One aspect of the book which deserves utmost praise is the extensive supply of exercise questions (and suggested solutions) to each chapter. These are extremely helpful in gaining a "feel" for the usefulness and necessity of management accounting in business. That alone may justify the purchase of the book. (hence three stars in the rating)

All in all I would say that this book isn't best-suited for the novice as stand-alone learning source, but may be a very useful supplement for those who want to apply what they have learned (possibly elsewhere) and those who want to gain a deeper, more technical understanding of already understood management accounting concepts.

Bloody good book, 15 Feb 2005
I thought that last years edition was good, but having picked up the latest of Drury; I can say I was blown away!

I especially like the little pictures of a roulette wheel; it adds a bit of danger and exicitment to the already thrilling world of management accounting.

BUY THIS BOOK YESTERDAY IF NOT BEFORE

Management & cost accounting, 14 Feb 2005
The book illustrate in a very complicate way and some of the explanation are not very clear

The most comprehensive survey of management accounting., 28 Feb 2002
This book covers the whole field so it's not ideal if you need a quick introduction to the subject. But for anyone studying management accounting it provides an excellent resource for learning and testing your skills.
The student's manual is highly recommended too.

An Essential Companion to a Poor Textbook, 31 Jan 2002
I am a first year accountancy student at the University of Glasgow, and the accompanying textbook for this workbook (Management & Cost Accounting, by Colin Drury) was the prescribed text for my management accounting course. Unfortunately, I found that the main textbook had weaknesses in certain areas, namely the lack of worked solutions to the often very demanding end of chapter questions.
Nevertheless, the student's workbook has proved to be an essential companion to the textbook. It contains a considerable amount of worked solutions to end of chapter questions. These were especially helpful, especially in the areas of the course where I am having difficulty.
I would recommend this book to other accountancy students who are reading the parent textbook and having difficulty in a lot of the areas. However, those students who are not having many difficulties (although there are few of them!) would probably be just as well off without the student's workbook.

Very Good, 03 Feb 2008
I disagree with the other reviews. It's title says it all. The book covered a four week segment of an on-line course I am doing. To me it covers all of the areas in an informative and understandable way. It is not intended to be a bookeepers bible therefore does not go into detail of "T" accounts. Combined with good teaching, research and discussion it will certainly enable non-accountants to get a grasp of the subjects of accounting and finance.

Brilliant for the purpose, 16 Sep 2007
Ignore everything everyone else has said about this book. The title says that the target audience are non-specialists and as a non-specialist this book gave me a fantastic introduction to accounting and finance. The authors live up perfectly to their task and give enough detail for a beginner like me to get a good grounding in accounting and finance. Their writing style is uncomplicated (very easy to follow). At the end of each section I felt that I have gained in understanding the subject. Other books which I will acquire afterwards will give more detail and be more in-depth. This book can be judged by its cover and I recommend it highly to non-specialists, especially beginners.

Poor Attempt, 23 May 2005
Would not recommend this book to non-specialists looking for an overview of Accounting & Finance. It is a tedious read and the examples are unclear, split across pages and jump from one stage to the next without proper explanation. Not a very helpful book at all.

Only the very basics, 03 Mar 2004
Having recently completed a six month accountancy course, with this book as the primary text I can only recommend it to those with no prior grounding in the subject and studying at a very basic level.

It provides the very basics required to compile cash flows, profit and loss accounts and vertical balance sheets but is not sufficiently in depth to be of major use in the analysis of real world company financial statements or indeed to create ones own.

It would benefit greatly by expanding into the use of T-accounts, double entries and more thorough consideration of the horizontal balance sheet method.

That said it is saved from being a two star book by merit of a good chapter on the basics of investment appraisal and some excellent worked examples.

Overall rather dry and recommended only to those with no prior experience.

Not the most entertaining text-book...., 16 Feb 2000
This book is a good text book for the student who is new to Financial systems. As a non-specialist, I need all the help I can get! However, this book is a little dry and some of the explanations are not clear. Good for the basics, but very boring.

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

A GODSEND!! Recommended!!!, 14 Apr 2005
I have just begun my first year studying Accounting and Finance at university and have found the subject of Financial Accounting extremely difficult. Thanks to this book I am finding my own learning and revision periods are much easier and I am now understanding concepts which I hadnt a clue about in lectures! Thank you to the authors! One tiny issue with the book is that sometimes the double entry questions and examples used are not complex enough for what is needed at my level. Apart from that I recommend this book highly!

GREAT BOOK!!!!, 01 Dec 2002
I have just started studying account this year. I was really, really scared about how the subject was going to be. As it was, I found the subject really hard, but on top of that our teacher was really bad as well! But thank God, that our school had prescribed this book for the Year 10s! It has really helped. This book contains detailed explanations, plus multiple choice questions and loads of activities review questions. The answers of activities are written at the end of each chapter respectively.

Also, answers of alternative review questions are written at the back of the book. For me, one termed has passed, and I have studied wholly out of the book, and scored high marks! Three cheers for Frnk Wood and Alan Spanster!!!

Great for a new accounting student., 08 May 2007
I purchased this book on the recommendation of a co-worker (fully qualified accountant) who used the third edition while at uni. She was spot on when she told me that it is a great help to those students who come from a non-accounting background. (i.e. no A levels in accounting).

The layout is easy to follow, great self tests along the way, case studies, real world relevent news articles and even an online site with further tests.



Brilliant from a Student at University, 13 Feb 2004
This book is easy to read yet engages the reader in financial accounting. This provides all essential information without overload and gives a firm understanding and grasp of all concepts. the book is colourful and easy to read.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

P+L, Cash Flow....., 02 Jan 2001
What can I say? This book tells you virtually everything you need to know about accounting -- and not a technie in sight!

Comprehensive but somewhat technical (not very suitable for most beginners), 27 Jun 2006
I want to agree with the previous, rather brief reviewer who found this book to be somewhat complicated.

While it certainly IS very comprehensive (as in it covers all you want to know, plus more), the manner in which the material is presented at times comes accross overly technical and complicated - especially for the novice. Furthermore, the layout, while visually appealing, doesn't seem thought through properly. Much too often, the text discusses key concepts by refering to example-boxes which, for some reason, are inconveniently printed pages away from the complementing text. This often disrupts the learning flow and thus may hinder (easy) comprehension of even the most basic concepts such as standard overhead absorption costing, budgeting, marignal costing, etc.
However, not all is amiss! One aspect of the book which deserves utmost praise is the extensive supply of exercise questions (and suggested solutions) to each chapter. These are extremely helpful in gaining a "feel" for the usefulness and necessity of management accounting in business. That alone may justify the purchase of the book. (hence three stars in the rating)

All in all I would say that this book isn't best-suited for the novice as stand-alone learning source, but may be a very useful supplement for those who want to apply what they have learned (possibly elsewhere) and those who want to gain a deeper, more technical understanding of already understood management accounting concepts.

Bloody good book, 15 Feb 2005
I thought that last years edition was good, but having picked up the latest of Drury; I can say I was blown away!

I especially like the little pictures of a roulette wheel; it adds a bit of danger and exicitment to the already thrilling world of management accounting.

BUY THIS BOOK YESTERDAY IF NOT BEFORE

Management & cost accounting, 14 Feb 2005
The book illustrate in a very complicate way and some of the explanation are not very clear

The most comprehensive survey of management accounting., 28 Feb 2002
This book covers the whole field so it's not ideal if you need a quick introduction to the subject. But for anyone studying management accounting it provides an excellent resource for learning and testing your skills.
The student's manual is highly recommended too.

An Essential Companion to a Poor Textbook, 31 Jan 2002
I am a first year accountancy student at the University of Glasgow, and the accompanying textbook for this workbook (Management & Cost Accounting, by Colin Drury) was the prescribed text for my management accounting course. Unfortunately, I found that the main textbook had weaknesses in certain areas, namely the lack of worked solutions to the often very demanding end of chapter questions.
Nevertheless, the student's workbook has proved to be an essential companion to the textbook. It contains a considerable amount of worked solutions to end of chapter questions. These were especially helpful, especially in the areas of the course where I am having difficulty.
I would recommend this book to other accountancy students who are reading the parent textbook and having difficulty in a lot of the areas. However, those students who are not having many difficulties (although there are few of them!) would probably be just as well off without the student's workbook.

Very Good, 03 Feb 2008
I disagree with the other reviews. It's title says it all. The book covered a four week segment of an on-line course I am doing. To me it covers all of the areas in an informative and understandable way. It is not intended to be a bookeepers bible therefore does not go into detail of "T" accounts. Combined with good teaching, research and discussion it will certainly enable non-accountants to get a grasp of the subjects of accounting and finance.

Brilliant for the purpose, 16 Sep 2007
Ignore everything everyone else has said about this book. The title says that the target audience are non-specialists and as a non-specialist this book gave me a fantastic introduction to accounting and finance. The authors live up perfectly to their task and give enough detail for a beginner like me to get a good grounding in accounting and finance. Their writing style is uncomplicated (very easy to follow). At the end of each section I felt that I have gained in understanding the subject. Other books which I will acquire afterwards will give more detail and be more in-depth. This book can be judged by its cover and I recommend it highly to non-specialists, especially beginners.

Poor Attempt, 23 May 2005
Would not recommend this book to non-specialists looking for an overview of Accounting & Finance. It is a tedious read and the examples are unclear, split across pages and jump from one stage to the next without proper explanation. Not a very helpful book at all.

Only the very basics, 03 Mar 2004
Having recently completed a six month accountancy course, with this book as the primary text I can only recommend it to those with no prior grounding in the subject and studying at a very basic level.

It provides the very basics required to compile cash flows, profit and loss accounts and vertical balance sheets but is not sufficiently in depth to be of major use in the analysis of real world company financial statements or indeed to create ones own.

It would benefit greatly by expanding into the use of T-accounts, double entries and more thorough consideration of the horizontal balance sheet method.

That said it is saved from being a two star book by merit of a good chapter on the basics of investment appraisal and some excellent worked examples.

Overall rather dry and recommended only to those with no prior experience.

Not the most entertaining text-book...., 16 Feb 2000
This book is a good text book for the student who is new to Financial systems. As a non-specialist, I need all the help I can get! However, this book is a little dry and some of the explanations are not clear. Good for the basics, but very boring.

Excellent Book, 03 Oct 2002
For those people like myself who are training to do the CIMA foundation stage this is an excellent book on accountancy. I found my problem with learning accountancy was that it is not based on common sense but accounting concepts which you must understand before you can develop proficiency in double entry and develop a good knowledge of month end accounting.

Furthermore, analysis of the main financial staments BS and P&L also requires a good grounding in double entry and a thorough knowledge of the four main concepts in SSAP2.

This book makes a dull subject bearable by contextualising accountancy allowing readers to apply the concepts in real life and also provides a conceptual framework to guide their judgements when they are trying top decide whether something is a debit or credit, income,expense, liability or asset.

It is particularly effective in teaching readers how to discern accruals or prepayments.

It provides case studies showing accounts of well known British PLCs and gets you thinking in an accounting fashion. It should be used in combination with a good financial dictionary and CIMA texts of which BPP are probably the best.

As with all reviews you can never be sure whether a book is as good as its review but you know the only way you will find out.

You will not be dissapointed, well worth the money.

Very good, easy to use., 28 Nov 2000
I've found this book an extremely good buy. I;m doing an accounting unit on my degree course at university, and i was having quite a hard time following the course. This book, however, was very helpful, and gave me a far better understanding of accounting.

It also comes recommended by my accounting department as the best book for people trying to start learning accounting techniques

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

A GODSEND!! Recommended!!!, 14 Apr 2005
I have just begun my first year studying Accounting and Finance at university and have found the subject of Financial Accounting extremely difficult. Thanks to this book I am finding my own learning and revision periods are much easier and I am now understanding concepts which I hadnt a clue about in lectures! Thank you to the authors! One tiny issue with the book is that sometimes the double entry questions and examples used are not complex enough for what is needed at my level. Apart from that I recommend this book highly!

GREAT BOOK!!!!, 01 Dec 2002
I have just started studying account this year. I was really, really scared about how the subject was going to be. As it was, I found the subject really hard, but on top of that our teacher was really bad as well! But thank God, that our school had prescribed this book for the Year 10s! It has really helped. This book contains detailed explanations, plus multiple choice questions and loads of activities review questions. The answers of activities are written at the end of each chapter respectively.

Also, answers of alternative review questions are written at the back of the book. For me, one termed has passed, and I have studied wholly out of the book, and scored high marks! Three cheers for Frnk Wood and Alan Spanster!!!

Great for a new accounting student., 08 May 2007
I purchased this book on the recommendation of a co-worker (fully qualified accountant) who used the third edition while at uni. She was spot on when she told me that it is a great help to those students who come from a non-accounting background. (i.e. no A levels in accounting).

The layout is easy to follow, great self tests along the way, case studies, real world relevent news articles and even an online site with further tests.



Brilliant from a Student at University, 13 Feb 2004
This book is easy to read yet engages the reader in financial accounting. This provides all essential information without overload and gives a firm understanding and grasp of all concepts. the book is colourful and easy to read.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

simple, but often insufficient, 30 Apr 2003
The book has been chosen to be our coursebook and was a great help when I did the very basics of accounting. When it came to the second year however, the number of examples was insufficient to help students understand the topics. The explanations are good but sometimes too long. It's a good book to use as a core text but not enough to understand topics well.

P+L, Cash Flow....., 02 Jan 2001
What can I say? This book tells you virtually everything you need to know about accounting -- and not a technie in sight!

Comprehensive but somewhat technical (not very suitable for most beginners), 27 Jun 2006
I want to agree with the previous, rather brief reviewer who found this book to be somewhat complicated.

While it certainly IS very comprehensive (as in it covers all you want to know, plus more), the manner in which the material is presented at times comes accross overly technical and complicated - especially for the novice. Furthermore, the layout, while visually appealing, doesn't seem thought through properly. Much too often, the text discusses key concepts by refering to example-boxes which, for some reason, are inconveniently printed pages away from the complementing text. This often disrupts the learning flow and thus may hinder (easy) comprehension of even the most basic concepts such as standard overhead absorption costing, budgeting, marignal costing, etc.
However, not all is amiss! One aspect of the book which deserves utmost praise is the extensive supply of exercise questions (and suggested solutions) to each chapter. These are extremely helpful in gaining a "feel" for the usefulness and necessity of management accounting in business. That alone may justify the purchase of the book. (hence three stars in the rating)

All in all I would say that this book isn't best-suited for the novice as stand-alone learning source, but may be a very useful supplement for those who want to apply what they have learned (possibly elsewhere) and those who want to gain a deeper, more technical understanding of already understood management accounting concepts.

Bloody good book, 15 Feb 2005
I thought that last years edition was good, but having picked up the latest of Drury; I can say I was blown away!

I especially like the little pictures of a roulette wheel; it adds a bit of danger and exicitment to the already thrilling world of management accounting.

BUY THIS BOOK YESTERDAY IF NOT BEFORE

Management & cost accounting, 14 Feb 2005
The book illustrate in a very complicate way and some of the explanation are not very clear

The most comprehensive survey of management accounting., 28 Feb 2002
This book covers the whole field so it's not ideal if you need a quick introduction to the subject. But for anyone studying management accounting it provides an excellent resource for learning and testing your skills.
The student's manual is highly recommended too.

An Essential Companion to a Poor Textbook, 31 Jan 2002
I am a first year accountancy student at the University of Glasgow, and the accompanying textbook for this workbook (Management & Cost Accounting, by Colin Drury) was the prescribed text for my management accounting course. Unfortunately, I found that the main textbook had weaknesses in certain areas, namely the lack of worked solutions to the often very demanding end of chapter questions.
Nevertheless, the student's workbook has proved to be an essential companion to the textbook. It contains a considerable amount of worked solutions to end of chapter questions. These were especially helpful, especially in the areas of the course where I am having difficulty.
I would recommend this book to other accountancy students who are reading the parent textbook and having difficulty in a lot of the areas. However, those students who are not having many difficulties (although there are few of them!) would probably be just as well off without the student's workbook.

Very Good, 03 Feb 2008
I disagree with the other reviews. It's title says it all. The book covered a four week segment of an on-line course I am doing. To me it covers all of the areas in an informative and understandable way. It is not intended to be a bookeepers bible therefore does not go into detail of "T" accounts. Combined with good teaching, research and discussion it will certainly enable non-accountants to get a grasp of the subjects of accounting and finance.

Brilliant for the purpose, 16 Sep 2007
Ignore everything everyone else has said about this book. The title says that the target audience are non-specialists and as a non-specialist this book gave me a fantastic introduction to accounting and finance. The authors live up perfectly to their task and give enough detail for a beginner like me to get a good grounding in accounting and finance. Their writing style is uncomplicated (very easy to follow). At the end of each section I felt that I have gained in understanding the subject. Other books which I will acquire afterwards will give more detail and be more in-depth. This book can be judged by its cover and I recommend it highly to non-specialists, especially beginners.

Poor Attempt, 23 May 2005
Would not recommend this book to non-specialists looking for an overview of Accounting & Finance. It is a tedious read and the examples are unclear, split across pages and jump from one stage to the next without proper explanation. Not a very helpful book at all.

Only the very basics, 03 Mar 2004
Having recently completed a six month accountancy course, with this book as the primary text I can only recommend it to those with no prior grounding in the subject and studying at a very basic level.

It provides the very basics required to compile cash flows, profit and loss accounts and vertical balance sheets but is not sufficiently in depth to be of major use in the analysis of real world company financial statements or indeed to create ones own.

It would benefit greatly by expanding into the use of T-accounts, double entries and more thorough consideration of the horizontal balance sheet method.

That said it is saved from being a two star book by merit of a good chapter on the basics of investment appraisal and some excellent worked examples.

Overall rather dry and recommended only to those with no prior experience.

Not the most entertaining text-book...., 16 Feb 2000
This book is a good text book for the student who is new to Financial systems. As a non-specialist, I need all the help I can get! However, this book is a little dry and some of the explanations are not clear. Good for the basics, but very boring.

Excellent Book, 03 Oct 2002
For those people like myself who are training to do the CIMA foundation stage this is an excellent book on accountancy. I found my problem with learning accountancy was that it is not based on common sense but accounting concepts which you must understand before you can develop proficiency in double entry and develop a good knowledge of month end accounting.

Furthermore, analysis of the main financial staments BS and P&L also requires a good grounding in double entry and a thorough knowledge of the four main concepts in SSAP2.

This book makes a dull subject bearable by contextualising accountancy allowing readers to apply the concepts in real life and also provides a conceptual framework to guide their judgements when they are trying top decide whether something is a debit or credit, income,expense, liability or asset.

It is particularly effective in teaching readers how to discern accruals or prepayments.

It provides case studies showing accounts of well known British PLCs and gets you thinking in an accounting fashion. It should be used in combination with a good financial dictionary and CIMA texts of which BPP are probably the best.

As with all reviews you can never be sure whether a book is as good as its review but you know the only way you will find out.

You will not be dissapointed, well worth the money.

Very good, easy to use., 28 Nov 2000
I've found this book an extremely good buy. I;m doing an accounting unit on my degree course at university, and i was having quite a hard time following the course. This book, however, was very helpful, and gave me a far better understanding of accounting.

It also comes recommended by my accounting department as the best book for people trying to start learning accounting techniques

Good approach but lacking in some details, 09 Jan 2002
I used this book as the required textbook for an Introductory course on Quantitative Methods for Management at the Master's level. It has the benefit of being brief, inexpensive, and covers both mathematics and statistics, which few books of this type do.

In the end this book may work better for people who have already had some exposure to this material and who simply need a "refresher". For those students who have very little quantitative background, it may be too brief. A more comprehensive book is probably be more appropriate in this case.

The students complained about numerous small mistakes, which, with luck, have been removed in the second edition.

The only authentic Buffett, 04 Mar 2008
Too many books contain the word Buffett in their title but only this book comes from the annual letters to shareholders. Truly authentic Buffett in his own words is much better just because he dosen't need any interpretation.
Domenico De Salvo


Prominent name, bad book, 30 Jan 2008
This book tells about company strategy of Berkshire Hathaway and the history of it. Very boring, nothing interesting to learn and badly written. Complicated and confusing, skipping from one story to another and back again to first story.
Waste of money.

Wisdom from the great investor, 08 Dec 2007
I admire Warren Buffett and love reading what he writes. Not only is he probably the wisest investor ever but he is also very articulate and witty.

Some of the chapters, e.g. "An Owner-Based Approach to Corporate Charity", "Berkshire's Recapitalization", "Distribution of the Corporate Tax Burden", etc were not of any interest to me. Excluding such chapters, this slim volume would be even slimmer. However, the book is worth it just for the remainder.

His basic investment goal is simple: He tries to buy businesses that he can understand that have favourable, long-term prospects and are operated by honest and competent people at an attractive price. This is easier said than done, but there is some guidance in his essays as to how he does this.

Some examples of his way with words, taken at random from the first few pages:
"At too many companies, the boss shoots the arrow of managerial performance and then hastily paints the bullseye around the spot where it lands."
"A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse - not a remarkable mathematician."
"Should you find yourself in a chronically-leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks."

Essence of sage, 16 Mar 2007
Cunningham has done us a great favour. Buffett doesn't talk to the press and most books claiming to be Buffett bibles are re-hashes and interpretations, so this book of essays is the closest you will get to hearing it straight from the horse's mouth. This is Buffett's wisdom distilled from annual letters to shareholders in his company, which Cunningham has strung together seamlessly. Although that means alot of passages refer to Buffett's own firm and its shareholdings, the lessons for investors are universal, and the "value investing" philosophy shines through. If that was all there was to recommend the book it would still be a must-have for anyone interested in making money. But it is also a great read.
Buffett comes across as the most genial, honest and no-nonsense guy in the financial world. He also has a wonderfully impish sense of humour and had me chuckling out loud (and then trying in vain to explain the joke to my girlfriend...) The only bits where he slightly lost me was when comparing investing with baseball, but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, Buffett writes as clearly as he thinks and is as modest and self-deprecating as he is authoritative. He treats his readers like the investors they are, so this is not an "entry level" book and it might be a struggle if you don't know the difference between a fixed asset and a preference share, but otherwise it is a book that you won't regret buying.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant, 26 Jan 2007
This is such a good read, I can't recommend it enough. It has short punchy chapters and is full of Warren Buffetts wit and expertise. His ideas on business management are refreshing and his investing technique is unsurpassed. This has a wonderfully informal style and shows Buffets unique skill, as well as his outlook on other issues. A great read with much to teach. If you like this I highly recommend 'The Warren Buffett Way' By Robert Hagstrom.

Good text for the average student, 26 Dec 2007
This book is well written and fairly easy to understand, so it is a rather useful text to help the university student through the exams.

A GODSEND!! Recommended!!!, 14 Apr 2005
I have just begun my first year studying Accounting and Finance at university and have found the subject of Financial Accounting extremely difficult. Thanks to this book I am finding my own learning and revision periods are much easier and I am now understanding concepts which I hadnt a clue about in lectures! Thank you to the authors! One tiny issue with