Introduction to Financial Accounting: A User Perspective, Third Edition
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
The world is changing, accounting education is changing, and so are accounting textbooks. Our book is no exception. In this edition, we have incorporated a number of changes that we believe will make this book an even better teaching resource than previous editions. In addition to rewriting much of the material for improved clarity, we have integrated coverage of the statement of cash flows and key financial ratios throughout the text. We also consolidated the two balance sheet chapters into one. In this edition, we added significantly to the assignment material and improved its alignment with the topics covered in each chapter. We have revised the chapter opening vignettes to increase student interest and to suggest the need for the accounting applications covered in the chapters. You will find that these changes, along with many others, help make this text an easy-to-use tool to teach beginning accounting students. BASIC PHILOSOPHY Businesspeople must be prepared to perform tasks that only people can perform; in particular, they must be able to communicate, to think, and to make solid, well-informed decisions. Decision making is the critical skill in today's business world, and Introduction to Financial Accounting: A User Perspective, Third Edition, helps students to better use accounting information to improve their decision making skills. This text provides an introduction to accounting within the context of business and business decisions. Readers will explore accounting information's role in the decision making process and learn how to use the accounting information found in financial statements and annual reports. Seeing how accounting information can be used to make better business decisions will benefit all students, regardless of their major course of study or chosen career. We agree with the recommendations made by the Accounting Education Change Commission in its Position Statement No. Two: The First Course in Accounting. We believe the course should be a broad introduction to accounting, rather than introductory accounting as it has traditionally been taught. It should emphasize what accounting information is, why it is important, and how it is used by economic decision makers. This text is purposely written so students will find it easy to read and understand. In this edition, many passages have been rewritten to further enhance readability and student understanding. In addition; we include the exhibits necessary to get important points across, but we very intentionally do not include the array of glitz and graphics that can break up the flow and distract student attention. We do not generally segregate material into special presentation boxes that might be skipped by students attempting to focus on the most relevant points. All of the points of interest and examples we present are woven into the body of the text. SUPPORT FOR THE INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM We believe this text provides tools to actively involve students in their learning processes. The conversational tone of the text, its user perspective, and the logical presentation of topics all contribute to the ability of this text to meet that goal. However, several features are particularly important in developing a classroom atmosphere in which students share ideas, ask questions, and relate their learning to the world around them. Throughout each chapter of the text, you will find Discussion Questions (DQs) that challenge students to reach beyond the surface of the written text to determine answers. Far from typical review questions, for which the students can scan a few pages of the text to locate an answer, many of the DQs provide relevant learning by relating students' personal experiences to the knowledge they gain through the text. The DQs provide a variety of classroom experiences: Many DQs provide the basis for lively classroom discussions, requiring students to think about issues and formulate or defend their opinions. Some DQs are springboards for group assignments (in or out of the classroom) to put cooperative learning into practice. DQs may be assigned as individual writing assignments to allow students to practice and develop their writing skills. Combining individually written DO responses with follow-up group discussions can spark lively debate! Having students keep a journal of their responses to all DQs (regardless of whether they are used in another way) encourages contemplation of accounting concepts. The DQs comprise an important part of the text's pedagogy designed to emphasize important points that students may skim across in their initial reading. Even if they are not formally part of the required work for your course, students will gain a greater understanding of the concepts discussed when they take time to consider each question as part of the text. Students get enthused about accounting when working with real companies. Chapter F1 and its appendix provide students with the knowledge they need to use library and Internet resources to research real companies. The chapter also introduces students to the annual report and Form 10-K. We included the 2002 Pier 1 Imports, Inc., annual report with our text with the hope that instructors will find it a helpful resource for class examples. We also use Pier 1 's annual report for selected assignment material and to demonstrate financial analysis in Chapter F11. Aside from its support for the interactive classroom, a major distinction of this text is its total separation of the use of accounting information and its preparation. SEPARATION OF ACCOUNTING AND BOOKKEEPING Coverage of recording procedures differs from school to school. Some schools choose to have all students learn basic accounting procedures; others require only accounting majors to acquire these skills. Our text offers institutions the flexibility to cover accounting procedures to a significant degree, to cover just the basics, or to omit the coverage of accounting procedures entirely. In this text, we do not use debits and credits or journal entries to demonstrate or explain characteristics and uses of accounting information. In fact, except in the accounting procedures chapter itself (Chapter F6), no references are made to the recording process except in chapter appendices. To facilitate the separation of accounting and bookkeeping, we introduce the accounting cycle in Chapter F6 and complete its coverage in appendices to Chapters F7, F8, and F9. We hold off coverage of accounting procedures until Chapter F6 to give students the chance to acquire the basic accounting background that will help make accounting procedures easier to comprehend and learn. Institutions that desire to omit recording procedures entirely would simply skip Chapter F6 and these appendices from their course coverage. For those institutions that would like to include accounting procedures in their introductory accounting curriculum, Chapter F6 and the appendices in Chapter F7 through F9 cover the complete accounting cycle from analyzing transactions through post-closing trial balance. Coverage includes debits and credits, journal entries, adjusting entries, posting to the general ledger, trial balance preparation, the worksheet, and financial statement preparation. Chapter F6 assignment material includes short, medium, and long accounting procedure problems. In addition, the chapter includes three mini practice sets that take a student from the beginnings of a company all the way through the preparation of financial statements. IMPROVED AND EXPANDED ASSIGNMENT MATERIAL In this edition, we added significantly to the assignment material and improved the alignment of assignment material with the topics cooed in each chapter. Discussion Questions. As we have already mentioned, throughout each chapter of the text, you will find Discussion Questions (DQs) that challenge students to reach beyond the surface of the written text to determine answers. Review the Facts. Students can use these basic, definitional questions to review the key points of each chapter. The questions are in a sequence reflecting the coverage of topics in the chapter. Annual Report Project. The text includes a completely revised annual report project that begins in Chapter Fl and continues throughout the text. Adventures into real information about real companies always raise student interest! In addition it can foster an open, interactive environment in the classroom. In Chapter Fl, the annual report project assignment requires students to select a publicly traded company and to obtain the company's Form 10-K and annual report. Instructors should not be concerned that they will need to spend valuable class time to tell students how to accomplish the assignment. The text and the material included in the assignment itself provide enough guidance so that students should be able to obtain the Form 10-K and annual report by themselves. The annual report project requirements in later chapters are similarly supported by the text. In Chapter F3, students use key financial ratios to analyze their company, and in Chapter F6, students select a peer company to use as a comparison throughout the remainder of the project. Instructors should note that even if they omit coverage of Chapter F6, the annual report project for Chapter F6 should be assigned as it is vital to the continuity of the project. Apply What You Have Learned. These end-of-chapter assignment materials include a mix- of traditional types of homework problems and innovative assignments requiring critical thinking and writing. Many of the requirements can be used as the basis for classroom discussions. You will find matching problems, short essay questions, and calculations. Assignments dealing directly with the use of financial statements are also included. Many of these applications also work well as group assignments. There are three versions of most problems one to use as an example in class, one for homework, and one extra. Financial Reporting Exercises. Financial Reporting Exercises included in the assignment material for each chapte...
The publisher, Prentice Hall Business Publishing
This introduction to accounting, and its significant role in making sound business decisions, seeks to teach students how to be wise users, not necessarily preparers of accounting information -- a focus endorsed and supported by the AECC. The authors put accounting information into the broader business context, emphasizing what accounting information is, why it is important, and how it is used to make strategic economic decisions.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Introduction to Financial Accounting: A User Perspective, Third Edition
Introduction to Financial Accounting: A User Perspective, Third Edition,Michael L. Werner,Kumen H. Jones,Prentice Hall,013032759X,Accounting - Financial,Accounting - General,Business & Economics,Business / Economics / Finance,Business/Economics,Financial Accounting,Managerial accounting,Business & Economics / Accounting / General
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