Michele Cagan

Stock Market 101 is a crisp treatment of the Stock Market. It talks about what it is and how it works, throwing in some history and famous figures along the way. It talks about how most of the trading is now done on computers, what exactly a stock is, and how it pays off and so on. Since the book is an introduction to the world of stocks, it has a number of other resources that you can look up on the internet.

The book was set to print in 2016 so it doesn’t have the latest on how the economy is doing or anything like that, but it does talk about how the economy and stock market are linked as certain events occur. It talks about the so-called ‘Black days,’ where the market tanks by an appreciable fraction, and it talks about investors and power players that are either famous or infamous as the case may be.

Since the stock market is pretty old by the standards of a person, it means we also got to see different bubbles and ways that they try to swindle people. Then the Securities and Exchange Commission came into the field and things have been a bit better I suppose. All in all, the book was pretty good. I like books that teach me things, and this book did have some things to offer. Since it is a basic primer, don’t expect to get any deep, superlative advice.… (altro)

Accounting 101 is a book about the basics of accounting. Michele Cagan, CPA takes us through the wondrous world of Accounting by talking about how it all works. So for instance, if you need to find an accountant, the book tells you to search for one that is accredited. This may seem obvious, but it also tells you about danger signs to look out for. Like if you have someone doing your taxes, it talks about the red flags to beware of.

Since the book is a basic primer, it doesn’t really go too deeply into the nuances present in accountancy. Is that even a word? It seems to be one. Anyway, the book is mainly aimed at people that are starting up a new business. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything for you in the book if you don’t have a business, it just means that it mostly discusses how important it is to have a financial adviser on your team. It tells us about the different types of accountants and what they do. Since it is pretty recent, it also talks about that Ben Affleck movie, The Accountant, and jokes about how it isn’t necessary to have hand-to-hand combat skills.

The book stresses that bookkeeping is probably the most important thing to keep up with, even if it is terribly boring. If you don’t have any idea of how much money you have, how are you supposed to make financial decisions? It does acknowledge the existence of software capable of doing bookkeeping, but it also emphasizes that accounting is not only keeping the books; accountants make sense of the barrage of numbers to provide a readable and understandable report of the state of your finances.

For being short, this book is packed with information. From talking about what constitutes a transaction to discussing what an asset is, this book will explain a lot of things. It even talks about the double entry accounting system and when to record transactions with it.

I could go on and on about this book since it so densely packed, but I will leave off by saying that getting this book isn’t a replacement for a CPA or other Accounting Professional. That would be like representing yourself in a court when you aren’t Matt Damon’s character in Good Will Hunting. Anyway, it does encourage you to seek out professional help if you need it since all CPAs and other professional accountants have to pass certifications and keep up with the latest trends in order to keep their licenses. Even the future of Accounting is rosy since the pay is good and with the changing global economy, Accountants will be more sought-after than ever.… (altro)