Book Review - And You Thought Accountants Were Boring - Larry R Katzen

Title: And You Thought Accountants Were Boring
Author: Larry Katzen

Review: If you ever thought you might want to be an accountant this book is
an absolute must read.  Even as a non-accountant involved in business this
was an eye-opener.  All I can say about accountants after reading this book
is “Who Knew?”

The author makes a very compelling case that there is a lot more to being
an accountant and accountancy than balancing your checkbook. They are
heavily involved in all aspects of business, and this book was riveting.
It also offers an inside look at the accounting scandal of Arthur Anderson,
giving a side of the story never seen in the media at the time.

This book is a requirement for all future accountants and I highly
recommend it to anyone in business.

Publisher: Self
ISBN: 978-1-9397581-8-7
Copyright: 2013
Pages: 338
Quick Review: 4.5 stars out of 5
Why I Read It: I work in business and have a lot of exposure to corporate
accounting.
Where I Obtained the Book: Sent to me by the author for review.

Synopsis: Ingenuity. Indictments. Injustice. Arthur Anderson: an innovative
accounting firm brought down by governmental false accusations. Political
fodder in the government's prosecution of Enron, the company was unjustly
dismantled for its supposed connections to the corruption. The company was
later vindicated by a 9 - 0 supreme court ruling, but it was too late. The
impact was devastating. Thousands of employees were suddenly tarnished by
the Arthur Andersen name, left reeling in the aftershock. Meet one of them:
Larry Katzen. An honorable, hardworking man who devoted his life to Arthur
Andersen, Larry was there from the company's meteoric rise to its unjust
demise. This is his story.


Author Biography: By the time he was 30, Larry Katzen made partner at
Arthur Andersen, enjoying a fast-paced rise through the ranks as the firm
grew in size and renown.

But It came crashing down in 2002 when Arthur Andersen was indicted based
on accusations related to scandals at Enron. With the firm’s survival in
question, Katzen moved quickly to encourage employees to carefully complete
all remaining assignments.