What you'll get out of this book: After reading this book you should have a good understanding of financial statements and reports, and be able to make smart, informed decisions as an accountant/bookkeeper, business owner, investor, or stakeholder. Accounting is the basic language of business. Whether you are an accountant/bookkeeper, a business owner, or an investor, you look at financial statements and reports to determine how well a company is performing. As a CPA, I look at financial statements every day. I also prepare financial statements for clients. I will share with you in simple terms how to understand and make use of financial statements to achieve your goals. Where do you start? Financial statements analysis have several components, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, statement of equity, and notes to financial statements. In my job as a public accountant/auditor I've worked with many different companies. On many days I work with new clients. I have to familiarize myself with the company before doing my audit work. I start by looking at the notes to the financial statements, usually attached at the end of the financial statements. The notes generally give a good overview of what the company does and introduces the many features in the balance sheet and income statement.