By Cecil W. Jackson
On the heels of the Enron trial there are many lessons to be learned from the barrage of fraud hammering corporate America, including how to spot signs of future impropriety. Business Fairy Tales uses real-world scandals to illustrate the most common 20 methods used by companies to fraudulently overstate their earnings and hide their debt. These prevalent accounting schemes are based on an analysis of the frequency of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement actions.
This book explains each accounting trick with an engaging story of a company and the officials who committed a spectacular version of that method of fictitious financial reporting. It goes behind the scenes to describe the organization's acts of deception, and to examine the character failures of the leaders. In addition to the specific cases, the book presents a compelling argument for the kind of reform that is needed, as well as the ethical frameworks that must support authentic reform.
Ultimately, Business Fairy Tales equips and empowers readers with the skills to spot signs of potential accounting fraud so that investors and employees can be forewarned of future financial shocks. It provides analysts and educators alike with specific, tell-tale signals of the top 20 financial-reporting frauds and schemes left behind in manipulated financial statements.
Copyright 2006
ISBN 0-324-30539-7
Hardcover, 282 Pages
Thomson Publishing