Examines the key concepts and the main types of accounting work

Traces the development of accounting over the centuries

Examines the building blocks of financial reports, such as assets and liabilities

Looks at how accounting differs between countries and the importance of international standards

Includes a glossary of key terms

Part of the best selling Very Short Introductions series - over six million copies sold worldwide

If you read the 'business pages' of a newspaper or if you listen to the financial news on the television or radio, you will often hear terms such as 'liability', 'balance sheet' or 'earnings'. These terms turn up in non-financial contexts as well: 'he was more of a liability than an asset'. If you invest in shares, have a building society account, or sit on a committee of the property company which owns your apartment block, you will receive financial statements every year. If you are a manager in a company, a hospital or a school, you will see accounting information often.