Intermediate Accounting II. [antikvár]

[introduction_ We eontinue to revise Intermediate Accounting with the student in mind. Our mission is to present critical concepts in a clear, concise way that is most helpful to learning and to enhancing the student's interest. The major changes we have made have this goal in mind. This revision was driven by extensive research into the preferences of current users as well as faculty who were not adopters of the Third Edition of this text. Instructors teli us they prefer a text that is user-friendly and that fosters the learning process. We believe this edition reflects the views of both nonadopters and our faithful group of repeat users. We have learned a great deal. We thank them for their support and their suggestions. Our hope is that our text truly is a book that students will want to read and one from which they will learn a great deal. As the authors of this text, we have put our many years of practical experience in teaching intermediate accounting to work in designing what we feel is an outstanding text for intermediate accounting. We have learned what works and what does not in the classroom and have exercised special care when covering those areas that are especially troubling for students. We involve the student in the learning process by developing the logic for important and controversial principles and by integrating real-world examples of financial reporting into the text. By starting each chapter with a short introduction involving the main issues of the chapter in a real-world context, we first catch the student's interest and then hold it to the end of the chapter. We welcome your comments on how to improve continually the learning process for our students and add value for our adopters. i overall objectives and changes for the [fourth edition_ The fourth edition builds on the foundation of the third edition and maintains its: • Comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of accounting principles. ¦ Use of examples to illustrate procedure. ¦ Clear writing style. ¦ Thorough end-of-chapter material. ¦ Emphasis on critical thinking. ¦ Real-world emphasis in both text and end-of-chapter material. ¦ Flexible organizational structure. " Diverse set of pedagogical features. Curriculum Concerns We believe that the curriculum should eontinue to respond to issues pertaining to encouraging students to learn how to learn. Rather than emphasize rote learning of rules and regulations, we underscore how important it is for users and preparers of financial statements to understand accounting principles and how they are applied in financial reporting decisions. We alsó believe that without a firm grounding in accounting principles, the more user-oriented features would be of little value. Once the basics are internalized, the focus is on the process of inquiry in which the student learns to identify problem situations, search for relevant information, analyze and interpret the information, and reach valid conclusions. The text presents GAAP as the current solution to a continually evolving host of financial reporting questions. By acquainting the student with the political nature of standard setting, the reader becomes aware that both users and preparers are affected by the outcome of the standard-setting process. Therefore each of us should have input into the deliberations that establish reporting standards. A fair number of the end-of-chapter cases require students to adopt this perspective in making recommendations on reporting issues. We hope this text stimulates a more interactive and involved learning process on the part of students as they learn. Appearance and Exposition The design of this text should make reading and learning more interesting and pleasant for the student. More important, we have made much greater use of examples, diagrams, tables, flowcharts, and other visuals in an effort to use graphical material as much as possible in place of pure textual discussion to facilitate the learning process. A short example is often better than using a verbal approach. We have introduced the "Crystal Clear Connections" icon to show the integration of critical topics throughout the text. We have found in our teaching that visual aids and examples help students get over the initial introduction to new material, increase their interest and enthusiasm, and improve retention. Use of graphical material alsó is more efficient in terms of the space required to present a concept. The interaction of several components of a complex procedure often is more easily assimilated visually. You will find fewer long paragraphs compared to earlier editions, and fewer pages without page breaks of somé kind. Critical Chapters From discussions with our reviewer panel and colleagues at several universities across the country, we have identified eight topics that are critical to understanding intermediate accounting. These are