D. R. Myddelton

Taking a concise approach to the key concepts of finance, this textbook clearly focuses on the most relevant issues around financial management, which will be of interest to business managers, students and anyone who wishes to understand the basics of finance. Covering cash and working capital, capital project appraisal, risk and uncertainty, financial markets, the cost of capital, mergers and acquisitions and valuation, financial concepts are applied to the business world using real life examples. This text is both international and contemporary in outlook, reflecting the financial environment in which all businesses operate.

The Meaning of Company Accounts first appeared in 1971 and quickly achieved recognition among managers, financial and non-financial alike. It is now seen as the standard text in the subject. It aims to help anyone using company accounts to gain a firm grasp of what they mean and how they relate to business activities. Throughout the book, ideas are developed in a logical, structured sequence, involving a high degree of reader participation, while at the same time being extremely flexible. The workbook approach, including examples to be worked through, enables readers to achieve understanding of topics they may previously have found difficult. This eighth edition has been thoroughly revised to ensure that the text and appendices are current. It includes up-to-date references of both international and UK accounting standards.

The Meaning of Company Accounts first appeared in 1971 and quickly achieved recognition among managers, financial and non-financial alike. It is now seen as the standard text in the subject. It aims to help anyone using company accounts to gain a firm grasp of what they mean and how they relate to business activities. Throughout the book, ideas are developed in a logical, structured sequence, involving a high degree of reader participation, while at the same time being extremely flexible. The workbook approach, including examples to be worked through, enables readers to achieve understanding of topics they may previously have found difficult. This eighth edition has been thoroughly revised to ensure that the text and appendices are current. It includes up-to-date references of both international and UK accounting standards.

In Unshackling Accountants, Professor D R Myddelton of Cranfield School of Management looks at the history of and the arguments for and against detailed accounting standards. Myddelton concludes that, while there may be a case for the accounting profession to develop voluntary guidelines, the imposition of rigid standards is likely to prevent the art of accounting from evolving. Myddelton believes that the argument that more regulation and more uniformity are necessary to avoid scandals such as those at Enron and WorldCom is flawed. He argues that those scandals happened at a time when accounting practices were more regulated than ever before and in jurisdictions where practices were laid down in the greatest detail. Very often, in fact, bad practice is imposed by regulation and accounting standards.

Statements of standard accounting practice (SSAPs) should be limited to disclosure requirements for listed companies and should not attempt to prescribe rules on measurement. There is little evidence that the growth of standards has produced any measurable benefits to the public.