Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting [Hardcover]

Robert J. Freeman (Author), Craig D. Shoulders (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0132726750 | ISBN-13: 978-0132726757 | Publication Date: October 13, 1998 | Edition: 6

Appropriate for undergraduate Accounting courses, such as Governmental Accounting, Public Sector accounting, Government and Nonprofit Accounting, and Fund Accounting. Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting, Sixth Edition provides a better balance between theory and practice than other texts, with the most up-to-date coverage. It provides students with a thorough basis for understanding the logic for and nature of all of the funds and account groups of a government, with a unique approach that enables students to grasp the entire accounting and reporting framework for a government before focusing on specific individual fund types and account groups.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

THE most comprehensive text in the field, this introduction to accounting and financial reporting for state and local governments and nonprofit organizations offers an excellent balance between theory and practice. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Key Benefit: This comprehensive book provides a balance between theory and practice, with up-to-date coverage that makes it easy to assure that the current authoritative standards are included. It provides a thorough basis for understanding the logic for and nature of all of the funds and account groups of a government, with a unique approach that enables readers to grasp the entire accounting and reporting framework for a government before focusing on specific individual fund types and account groups. Key Topics: Completely updated content includes: all GASB standards through GASB Statement 32; the latest FASB and AICPA guidance on accounting and reporting for not-for-profit organizations; the latest revisions of the OMB and AICPA single audit guidance; the latest changes in federal government accounting and reporting; the new pension plan accounting standards; the latest revision of OMB Circular A-133 on single audits, including coverage of the risk based approach to identifying major federal assistance programs and changes in auditor reports; and coverage of the GASB's proposed new reporting model. Market: For accounting professionals in public accepting firms with government clients, and professional government accountants.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 858 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall College Div; 6 edition (October 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0132726750
• ISBN-13: 978-0132726757
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,830,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent textbook, August 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting (6th Edition) (Hardcover)

I used this textbook the last time I taught GovernmentalAccounting. The book is an excellent introduction to state and local government accounting and reporting, federal government accounting, not-for-profit organizations (colleges, universities, health care organizations, etc.), and public sector auditing. The 20 chapters have numerous illustrations of financial statements and flow charts relating each of the different fund types within specific organizations. The illustrations are both academic (i.e., written by the authors) and actual (e.g., City of Des Moines, Iowa). Where appropriate, there are chapter glossaries. Governmental accounting is unlike corporate accounting, in that both actual and budgetary amounts are shown in the financial statements provided to the external reader. The authors explain this clearly. The authors use t-accounts to show the interrelationship of the accounts and the flow of funds between the accounts. There also useful references to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board...

The previous comment shows a typical response from an undergraduate, similar to what I have encountered on teaching evaluations in my different classes. A number of students believe that a course should be "interesting." That is, more entertaining. (See Peter Sacks's book, _Generation X Goes to College_.) If someone doesn't find governmental accounting interesting, don't major in accounting. It is not a requirement for any other undergraduate major at any school I know; indeed, few schools even teach the course. People should major in areas that they find interesting.

On the other hand, anyone who wants to understand the construction and analysis of statements which present the operations and financial position of government and non-profit entities will benefit from a careful reading of this book. I have used it for directed readings (only one student reading on his or her own) successfully for motivated graduate students.

The previous commentator faults the book for lack of color. For this material, color adds almost nothing to comprehension, slightly to clarity and greatly to the cost. The book already costs $100, because the governmental accounting textbook market, with numerous competitors in it, is only 3,000-4,000 classroom adoptions per year (compared with over 50,000 a year for Principles of Accounting).

My experience as an author suggests that adding color would raise the cost of the book to at least $140. Would the previous reviewer be willing to spend the money in the hopes it would be more interesting?

I recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Poorly Wrriten Government Accounting Textbook, June 29, 2009

By 

Trish - See all my reviews

This review is from: Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting: Theory and Practice (9th Edition) (Hardcover)

This book is disorganized, disjointed and has a poor index. There are zero online supplemental resources for this book. During my class, I used supplemental resources for other governmental accounting books, such as, McGraw Hill.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time, March 13, 2010

By 

Brejo (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Governmental and NonProfit Accounting: Theory and Practice (Hardcover)

Like others have said, this book is awful. Plain and simple. Unorganized, laughable at best index, terrible examples, and the list goes on and on. Wouldn't even get it if it was a required text for class, unless of course you have assigned homework problems from the book. The authors should be ashamed of themselves.