Bean Counters

Author: Richard Brooks
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1786490307
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 351

Book Description
'A devastating exposé.' Mail on Sunday They helped cause the 2008 financial crash. They created a global tax avoidance industry. They lurk behind the scenes at every level of government... The world's 'Big Four' accountancy firms - PwC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and KPMG - have become a gilded elite. Up in the high six figures, an average partner salary rivals that of a Premier League footballer. But how has the seemingly humdrum profession of accountancy got to this level? And what is the price we pay for their excesses? Leading investigative journalist Richard Brooks charts the profession's rise to global influence and offers a gripping exposé of the accountancy industry. From underpinning global tax avoidance to corrupting world football, Bean Counters reveals how the accountants have used their central role in the economy to sell management consultancy services that send billions in fees its way. A compelling history informed by numerous insider interviews, this is essential reading for anyone interested in how our economy works and the future of accountancy.

Car Guys vs. Bean Counters

Author: Bob Lutz
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110151602X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 209

Book Description
A legend in the car industry reveals the philosophy that's starting to turn General Motors around. In 2001, General Motors hired Bob Lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance. After declaring bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, GM is back on track thanks to its embrace of Lutz's philosophy. When Lutz got into the auto business in the early sixties, CEOs knew that if you captured the public's imagination with great cars, the money would follow. The car guys held sway, and GM dominated with bold, creative leadership and iconic brands like Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, GMC, and Chevrolet. But then GM's leadership began to put their faith in analysis, determined to eliminate the "waste" and "personality worship" of the bygone creative leaders. Management got too smart for its own good. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers (and much of American industry) lost their single-minded focus on product excellence. Decline followed. Lutz's commonsense lessons (with a generous helping of fascinating anecdotes) will inspire readers at any company facing the bean counter analysis-paralysis menace.

Friggin’ Bean Counters

Author: Karla Sasser
Publisher: KSasser, PL
ISBN: 0990763714
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 212

Book Description
Information technology and accounting have developed interdependently. From ancient Mesopotamia to the global economy, business growth has depended on accurate information gathered and reported in a timely fashion. So why do so many accounting IT projects fall victim to misunderstanding, miscommunication and sibling rivalry? This is the essential guide for IT and project management professionals who struggle to give auditors and accounting departments what they want. Learn how to talk the talk, walk the walk and make the friggin’ bean counters happy while completing your project on time and on budget. IT and project management professionals will learn how to: Understand the regulatory and accounting requirements within the company Implement systems and controls that satisfy such crucial regulations as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the European Union Data Protection Directive Improve IT project success rates by ensuring that new applications can be properly controlled and documented Overcome project-killing objections like “We can’t do that, because Sarbanes-Oxley does not allow it.” Reduce the risk of financial statement fraud by building a solid partnership between the IT and accounting departments.

Car Guys vs. Bean Counters

Author: Bob Lutz
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1591846226
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 289

Book Description
“One of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that I have read in a long time. If anyone wants to know exactly how the U.S. auto industry got into trouble, here is your guide.” —John Gapper, FINANCIAL TIMES When Bob Lutz got into the auto business in the early 1960s, CEOs knew that if you captured the public’s imagination with innovative car design and top-quality craftsmanship, the money would follow. The “car guys” held sway, and GM dominated with bold, creative leadership and iconic brands like Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, GMC, and Chevrolet. But then GM’s leadership began to put its faith in numbers and spreadsheets. Determined to eliminate the “waste” and “personality worship” of the bygone creative leaders, management got too smart for its own good. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers, and much of American industry, lost their single-minded focus on product excellence and their competitive advantage. Decline soon followed. In 2001, General Motors hired Lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. As vice chairman, he launched a war against the penny-pinching number crunchers who ran the company by the bottom line and reinstated a focus on creativity, design, and cars and trucks that would satisfy GM’s customers. Lutz’s commonsense lessons, combined with a generous helping of fascinating anecdotes, will inspire readers in any industry.

Icons and Idiots

Author: Bob Lutz
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101608080
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 177

Book Description
When Bob Lutz retired from General Motors in 2010, after an unparalleled forty-seven-year career in the auto industry, he was one of the most respected leaders in American business. He had survived all kinds of managers over those decades: tough and timid, analytical and irrational, charismatic and antisocial, and some who seemed to shift frequently among all those traits. His experiences made him an expert on leadership, every bit as much as he was an expert on cars and trucks. Now Lutz is revealing the leaders-good, bad, and ugly-who made the strongest impression on him throughout his career. Icons and Idiots is a collection of shocking and often hilarious true stories and the lessons Lutz drew from them. From enduring the sadism of a Marine Corps drill instructor, to working with a washed-up alcoholic, to taking over the reins from a convicted felon, he reflects on the complexities of all-too-human leaders. No textbook or business school course can fully capture their idiosyncrasies, foibles and weaknesses - which can make or break companies in the real world. Lutz shows that we can learn just as much from the most stubborn, stupid, and corrupt leaders as we can from the inspiring geniuses. The result is a powerful and entertaining guide for any aspiring leader.

The Big Four

Author: Ian D. Gow
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1523098031
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
"Messrs. Gow and Kells have made an invaluable contribution, writing in an amused tone that nevertheless acknowledges the firms' immense power and the seriousness of their neglect of traditional responsibilities. 'The Big Four' will appeal to all those interested in the future of the profession--and of capitalism itself." —Jane Gleeson-White, Wall Street Journal With staffs that are collectively larger than the Russian army and combined revenues of over $130 billion a year, the Big Four accounting firms—Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG—are a keystone of global commerce. But leading scholar Ian Gow and award-winning author Stuart Kells warn that a house of cards may be about to fall. Stretching back to the Medicis in Renaissance Florence, this book is a fascinating story of wealth, power, and luck. The founders of the Big Four lived surprisingly colorful lives. Samuel Price, for example, married his own niece. Between the world wars, Nicholas Waterhouse collected postage stamps while also hosting decadent parties in his fashionable London home. All four firms have endured major calamities in recent decades. There have been hundreds of court cases and legal prosecutions for failed audits, tax scandals, and breaches of independence. The firms have come so close to “extinction level events” that regulators have required them to prepare “living wills.” And today, the Big Four face an uncertain future—thanks to their push into China, their vulnerability to digital disruption and competition, and the hazards of providing traditional services in a new era of transparency. This account of the past, present, and likely future of the Big Four is essential reading for anyone perplexed or fascinated by professional services, working or considering working in the industry, or simply curious about the fate of the global economy.

Among Enemies

Author: Luke Bencie
Publisher: Mountain Lake Press
ISBN: 098859191X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 152

Book Description
Each business day, some 35,000 executives, scientists, consultants, and lawyers pass through the nation's airports to destinations across the globe. They carry, along with proprietary documents and computer files, the latest in personal electronic gear. However, carefully watching most of those travelers—beginning the moment they arrive at the airport and often sooner—are uncounted numbers of espionage operatives. These individuals work for foreign intelligence services and economic concerns and seek to separate international business travelers from their trade secrets. To succeed, they use many time-tested techniques to lure unsuspecting travelers into vulnerable or compromising positions. They also employ the latest electronic means to steal business information often at a distance from their prey. This is the 21st century, after all, and economic and industrial espionage have become multibillion-dollar enterprises, utilizing a wide array of the most sophisticated means to obtain proprietary information. Luke Bencie is a veteran of this struggle. He knows intimately the threats business travelers face and how to combat those threats. In Among Enemies: Counter-Espionage for the Business Traveler, Bencie provides everything you need to know to protect yourself and your company from attempted espionage.

The House of Sixty Fathers

Author: Meindert De Jong
Publisher: Allen Lane
ISBN: 9780140302769
Category : Adventure stories
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Book Description
How the Chinese boy, Tien Po, makes his way back from Japanese-occupied territory with only the family pig for company.

Bean Counting for Authors

Author: Christina Mercer
Publisher: Christina Mercer
ISBN: 1311619534
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 136

Book Description
FEAR ACCOUNTING? Though the professions of author and accountant couldn't be more different in their main functions, authors come closer to becoming mini-accountants than they realize. Why? Because once anyone becomes an official business owner, he/she crosses into the realm of accounting and taxation. Oh, the horrors of it, right? But never fear! Getting a handle on important basics is really not all that daunting. Allow this author and former CPA to help you get serious about your business by learning the major "must-knows" of Bean Counting for Authors and Creative Business Owners.In this book, you'll gain insight on how to: Determine if your endeavor is a Business or HobbyChoose and implement an Entity Structure for your BusinessSet up and Keep Books properlySet up and manage Sales and Use Tax when and where requiredUnderstand the different Business TaxesRecognize, track, and budget for Common ExpensesRecognize, track, and budget for Complex ExpensesBecome clear about Employees versus Independent Contractors, and handle each accordingly Plan and save for RetirementCounting each and every "Bean" earned may not be the idea of fun and adventure for most, but having lots of beans in the bank is a pretty great way for writers to keep on doing what they do love most--CREATING BOOKS! And understanding some important must-knows of financial matters is a big step toward making that happen.

Bean Thirteen

Author: Matthew McElligott
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399245359
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 34

Book Description
Ralph warns Flora not to pick that thirteenth bean. Everyone knows it’s unlucky! Now that they’re stuck with it, how can they make it disappear? If they each eat half the beans, there’s still one left over. And if they invite a friend over, they each eat four beans, but there’s still one left over! And four friends could each eat three beans, but there’s still one left over! HOW WILL THEY ESCAPE THE CURSE OF BEAN THIRTEEN?! A funny story about beans, that may secretly be about . . . math! Sometimes you can divide, but you just can’t conquer (the bean thirteen, that is).