Accounting Books

List of Best Accounting Books [Updated 2021]

Accounting books are the different books having information about what is accounting, types of accounting, ways to do accounting and the other related concepts. Below is the list of such books on accounting that you must read in 2021 –

1. Accounting Made Simple: Accounting Explained in 100 Pages or Less ( Get this book )
2. A Brief History of Economic Genius Paperback ( Get this book )
3. Accounting All-in-One For Dummies ( Get this book )
4. Accounting Handbook (Barron’s Accounting Handbook) ( Get this book )
5. The Tax and Legal Playbook: Game-Changing Solutions to Your Small ( Get this book )
6. Warren Buffett Accounting Book: Reading Financial Statements for Value Investing Buffett Book Edition ( Get this book )
7. A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing ( Get this book )
8. Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports ( Get this book )
9. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything Paperback ( Get this book )
10. Intermediate Accounting ( Get this book )

Let us discuss each of the accounting books in detail along with its key takeaways and reviews.

You are free to use this image on your website, templates etc, Please provide us with an attribution linkHow to Provide Attribution?Article Link to be Hyperlinked
For eg:
Source: Accounting Books (wallstreetmojo.com)

#1 – Accounting Made Simple – Accounting Explained in 100 Pages or Less

by Mike Piper

The first baby step into the accounting world needs to cautiously tread, considering you do not want to run away with fright with the in-depth details and heavy terminology. This accounting book by Piper keeps things straight and simple with practical and simple examples that help elucidate the concepts without the unnecessary jargon of the technicalities. The basic concepts of topics like Accounting EquationAccounting EquationAccounting Equation is the primary accounting principle stating that a business's total assets are equivalent to the sum of its liabilities & owner’s capital. This is also known as the Balance Sheet Equation & it forms the basis of the double-entry accounting system. read more and its significance, reading and preparing financial statements, calculation, and interpretation of several different financial ratios and the concepts and assumptions behind Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are explained sufficiently in a concise manner. The accounting textbook is a quick read for the early beginners gripping them till the end as well as helping the novice to refresh their concepts.

<< Get this book >>

#2 – A Brief History of Economic Genius Paperback

by Paul Strathern

History puts many off to sleep…zzzz and imagines if it is the history of numbers and theories, but we vouch that this accounting book won’t make you fall off to sleep until you have read the last page of the book. Strathern writes history as if it is a piece of the lively picture. He uncovers the definite progression of mathematics and economic theory, from double-entry booking keeping to the discovery of standard deviation and the various applications of probability theory.  Theories have been synchronized as a piece of beautiful music taking from Adam Smith and Hume; to the French Optimists and British Pessimists: Saint-Simon and Owen; Marx and Hegel; Pareto; Veblen; Schumpeter, Keynes, John Nash and finally back to von Neumann. Strathern condenses the broad history of the mathematical influence of every economist on to the other and thereby shaping each of their theories by arriving at one another’s conclusion. The author does a great job of putting this boring information in an interesting format and thereby providing a deep understanding of the subject through the men of history.

<< Get this book >>

#3 – Accounting All-in-One For Dummies

by Kenneth Boyd  (Author), Lita Epstein (Author), Mark P. Holtzman (Author), Frimette Kass-Shraibman (Author), Maire Loughran  (Author), Vijay S. Sampath (Author), John A. Tracy (Author), Tage C. Tracy (Author), Jill Gilbert Welytok (Author)

A one-stop solution for all the problems is the easiest answer to many of our issues. How about solving all your accounting problems in one go? Accounting All-in-one for Dummies is the right reference in this regard. The book provides a speed cruise of all accounting topics from the basics of debits and credits to more complex issues like amortization and regulation. The text is simply written and a very easy read. The book also covers topics such as ways to report on financial statementsFinancial StatementsFinancial statements are written reports prepared by a company's management to present the company's financial affairs over a given period (quarter, six monthly or yearly). These statements, which include the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flows, and Shareholders Equity Statement, must be prepared in accordance with prescribed and standardized accounting standards to ensure uniformity in reporting at all levels.read more, how to make savvy business decisions, auditing, and detecting financial fraud. All this is made easy with simple examples and small business scenarios. This accounting textbook is a good investment for the future by any accounting professional, MBA students, or small businesses for a quick reference.

<< Get this book >>

#4 – Accounting Handbook (Barron’s Accounting Handbook)

by Jae K. Shim Ph.D. (Author), Joel G. Siegel Ph.D. CPA (Author), Nick Dauber MS CPA (Author), Anique A. Qureshi Ph.D. CPA (Author)

When you have a book written by so many CPA holders, it is worth checking out for the sheer magnanimity of the task completed by them. But this book is worth treasuring considering the innumerable requirements that it meets from the world of accounting. The authors have very carefully penned down the details of financial accounting and painstakingly described each and every element of financial statements with details on financial reportingFinancial ReportingFinancial Reporting is the process of disclosing all the relevant financial information of a business for a particular accounting period. These reports are used by the stakeholders (investors, creditors/ bankers, public, regulatory agencies, and government) to make investing and other relevant decisions. read more requirements and compliance, and U.S. GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and IFRS International Financial Reporting Standards. Chapters are also dedicated to cover cost managementCost ManagementCost management is an integral part of business management that works on the basis of estimates, where various activities such as data collection, data analysis and mechanisms, process evaluation, and event reporting are carried out so that the decision-maker can plan and control the organization's budget requirements, allowing the decision-maker to make informed decisions.read more, as well as tax forms and their preparation. This book is an extensive A-to-Z dictionary of accounting terms, short-entry definitions of everything from Abacus to Z score.

<< Get this book >>

#5 – The Tax and Legal Playbook: Game-Changing Solutions to Your Small

by Mark J. Kohler 

Accounting itself is so tough and combine it with tax, a cocktail of two dangerous subjects. But Kohler handles both accounting and tax issues in a funny manner throwing the seriousness completely out of the window. Small business owners often get so dogged by complexities of the legal entities that they often miss out on their product spelling doom for them in the long run. Kohler, an expert on the matter of accounting and tax, delivers outstanding content to help people save their time and money. The book answers legal questions by baring open the naked truth allowing you to make better decisions for the protection of your assets. Kohler does a great job by providing real-life examples, ultimately taking out the fear of the common man from the idea of tax and accounting as a complex world of bizarre and intimidating instructions. The book is a great guide for tax planning and tax-saving strategies. With every page, you unfold this accounting book is sure to make you wiser and equipped with handling the difficult situations of tax saving and planning. Read this informative book to raise your tax IQ quotient.

<< Get this book >>

#6 – Warren Buffett Accounting Book: Reading Financial Statements for Value Investing Buffett Book Edition

by Stig Brodersen  (Author), Preston Pysh (Author)

Accounting is incomplete without the musing of investing. The complex terms and heavy financial concepts can put off anybody, but this book is sure to put you through the entire nitty-gritty of investing without the usual boredom. The book is aimed at enlightening investing professionals who have just set their foot into this industry. It is a treasure trove, as the book is to the point in explaining the requirements to analyze financial statements. There is no beating around the bush or unnecessary examples that will bog you down. It’s a textbook on investing that every fresher should invest in for his successful career in this profession. The authors have done an excellent job in providing a perfect link to the various metrics of the various financial statements, and explain thoroughly why certain metrics are used and what they represent in real-world terms. It is great learning to analyze companies and when to buy and sell the stock.

<< Get this book >>

#7 – A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing

by Burton G. Malkiel  (Author)

A book by Princeton economist is sure to make heads turn, and if it is the celebrated Burton Malkiel, students cannot resist the inclination to grab a copy of his book. Written in 1973, this book is an established guide for all fresher, novice, or entrepreneur. Written in a simple and engaging style, this book packs the idea of indexing in a risk-taking and unpredictable world of the stock market. The book advises in a lucid way and does a great job of combining the theoretical and the practical of the stock market funds. The eleventh edition of the book adds fresh material on exchange-traded funds and investment opportunities in emerging markets, a brand-new chapter on “smart beta” funds, the newest marketing gimmick of the investment management industry, and a new supplement that tackles the increasingly complex world of derivativesDerivativesDerivatives in finance are financial instruments that derive their value from the value of the underlying asset. The underlying asset can be bonds, stocks, currency, commodities, etc. The four types of derivatives are - Option contracts, Future derivatives contracts, Swaps, Forward derivative contracts. read more. This book is a great source of fundamentals and is recommended for anybody who is looking for advice on managing his money.

<< Get this book >>

#8 – Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports

by Howard Schilit  (Author), Jeremy Perler  (Author)

The name of the book itself is enough to ignite your curiosity and going through it. It almost sounds like a detective story, and no wonder the Business Week awards them the title “from the Sherlock Holmes of Accounting.”  The book is an investment for not only financial professionals but for the layman to understand the gimmicks played upon by master head company makers to trick the investors. It is the Bible of detecting accounting frauds, allowing you to assimilate information on the tricks played by corporate bigwigs, exposing the deceptive levels of accounting involved, and preparing you to be ready to detect such frauds early on to avoid financial losses in the future. This financial accountingFinancial AccountingFinancial accounting refers to bookkeeping, i.e., identifying, classifying, summarizing and recording all the financial transactions in the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. It even includes the analysis of these financial statements.read more book equips you to deal with

• Earnings Manipulation Shenanigans: Learn the latest tricks companies use to exaggerate revenue and earnings.
• Cash Flow Shenanigans: Discover new techniques devised by management that allow it to manipulate cash flow as easily as earnings.
• Key Metrics Shenanigans: See how companies use misleading “key” metrics to fool investors about their financial performance.

The authors shed light on all the informative details by revealing the most shocking frauds and financial miscreants in the global market.

<< Get this book >>

#9 – Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything Paperback

by Steven D. Levitt (Author), Stephen J. Dubner (Author)

The heady combination of an economist and a journalist is sure to produce something spectacular, and the result is Freakonomics. Levitt and Dubner delve deeper into the everyday working of normal situations to decide how things work in the world by the control of economics. The book is written in a fiction format, but provides a very valuable wry insight into the workings of economics from its root, analyzing sociological developments in a lively manner.  The book though, provides food for the mind; the technical data is supplemented by concrete arguments and evidence that does not allow the reader to lose the plot. An easy read that is sure to keep everyone fascinated with its revelations.

<< Get this book >>

#10 – Intermediate Accounting

by Donald E. Kieso  (Author), Jerry J. Weygandt (Author), Terry D. Warfield (Author)

An excellent reference for established accountants, the author, invariably handles each and every topic of accounting as a teaching lesson rather than a gospel being imparted for learning. Kieso very efficiently dwells on everyday accounting programs like Excel, GLS, and other computerized accounting software, giving them a strong background in the tools needed in the accounting profession. Intermediate Accounting is the perfect guide to providing the tools needed to understand what GAAP is and how it is applied in practice. The text also includes the new way of looking at GAAP, Convergence of U.S. GAAP and IFRS, and the Fair Value Movement. The core of Kelso’s value statement continues to be authoritativeness and preparation for the profession (CPA exam). The book on accounting and finance provides tips, example problems, and shows you how to break them down step by step. It is a comprehensive guide and a must-have for every accounting student.

<< Get this book >>

The above is a summary of the top ten accounting books that we think is a great treasure trove of knowledge. Students and professionals opinion can vary because each individual have their own favorites, and there are countless books on accounting, so delve into each personally to enrich your knowledge. Consider spending time with these! All the best in your reading.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Best Accounting Books. Here we provide you with the top 10 accounting books of all time that could be of great use for accountants. You may also read the following books –

• Data Analytics Books Overview
• Financial Planning Books Overview
• Best Financial Advisor Books
• Top 10 Best Financial Mathematics Books
• Top 8 Best Auditing Books

Amazon Associate Disclosure

WallStreetMojo is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com