Accounting ethics /

Many believe that "ethics are caught, not taught." However, major accounting misrepresentations of the last five years along with corporate greed and malfeasance have led to a rebirth of ethics education. While the problem is not new (see Abraham Briloff's The Truth about Corporate Accounting, 1980), the knowledgeable authors (a professor of ethics and a financial administrator, respectively) believe it is imperative to present a methodology for evaluating what accountants "ought" to do in this environment. They begin with narrative chronologies of Enron, Arthur Andersen, and WorldCom. An introduction framing the issues and three excellent minicases follow. Subsequent chapters cover the nature and purpose of accounting, what ethics is, current ethical theories, and accounting as a profession; intensively examine the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Code of Ethics; address specific ethical issues in auditing, management and tax accounting; and provide an overview of the ethical crisis in accounting. The authors emphasize ethical principles and their application to realistic and challenging situations. While several issues are not discussed, namely consulting and social responsibility issues, the authors' clear, practical, and jargon-free presentation makes this book a valuable resource for nonaccountants and required reading for every accountant and student of accounting. ^BSumming Up: Essential. Academic and professional accounting collections. Highly recommended. Public library collections. D. C. Daly Metropolitan State University