If you are an accounting student or even if you are a veteran professional accountant, it’s important to keep learning about the industry. The easiest way to learn outside of the classroom is to pick up a book. Yet with so many accounting books out there, where should you begin? Below are some of the tops accounting books that you should read.
Accounting Made Simple: Accounting Explained in 100 Pages or Less – Mike Piper
Accounting Made Simple prides itself on explaining some of the most important accounting concepts in simple-to-read language. The book is currently the best selling accounting book on Amazon—a testament to its popularity with readers. In its pages, you’ll find information about things like the accounting equation and financial statements.
Accounting All-in-One For Dummies – Kenneth Boyd
The Dummies series of books are great for people who need a brief, yet in-depth, overview of a subject. Accounting All-in-One is a great resource for people who have to learn accounting basics in a short period of time, like small businesses or one person startups. When you’re finished with this book, it’s a great resource to keep on the shelf. This book is written in a similar easy-to-read style like Accounting Made Simple.
Barron’s Accounting Handbook – Joel G. Siegel Ph.D.
Barron’s Accounting Handbook is written by two finance professors. The book covers just about every accounting topic that is worth studying. One of the best features of the book is its A-Z dictionary of important terms to know. The dictionary alone makes the book worth the price.
The Tax and Legal Playbook: Game-Changing Solutions to Your Small-Business Questions – Mark J. Kohler
Even if you are not a small business owner, this is an important book to own—especially since you will most likely help small business owners at some point during your career. The chapters that discuss tax are particularly useful to business owners. Many readers note that the book is not only informative but entertaining as well due to the examples it presents from the real world.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street – Burton Gordon Malkiel
Burton Gordon Malkiel is a Princeton economist. While his book doesn’t specifically focus on accounting, accountants will find its advice on investing very useful. Although it’s written by an academic, it’s easy to read. The book’s main point is that it’s incredibly difficult to “beat the market” unless you have a stroke of luck to assist you. Here is an interview with the author that highlights the main ideas of the book.