How to Understand the Balance Sheet and Other Periodical Statements (Classic Reprint)

Book excerpt: Excerpt from How to Understand the Balance Sheet and Other Periodical Statements The general public by no means thoroughly comprehend such documents, nor can it reasonably be otherwise expected; these accounts are Of necessity far from being Of a simple nature, though it would seem that many of those who know the least of scientific book-keeping and accounts discourse the most Of the simplicity Of such matters. The public at large, however, do not in the first place rightly grasp the principles upon which thedifferent accounts are constructed, whilst confusion is added by the pitfalls that some Balance Sheet items provide on sundry occasions for the uninitiated. To this need of information may in no small degree be ascribed the listless attitude characteristic of Shareholders in Limited Companies, to whom these explanations it is hoped will be especially useful. The want of confidence in one's self to form a reliable opinion upon a technical document whereby one is more or less confused is a serious obstacle which it is the writer's aim to remove. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.