Closing the Books gives you a complete understanding of how information is summarized into the financial statements, as well as the closing steps needed to create financial statements. It shows how to fine-tune the closing process to achieve a shorter close, and describes the variety of financial statement formats that are available. It even addresses financial statement disclosures, the soft close, public company reporting, and the controls and record keeping needed for the closing process.

Closing the books is one of the key functions of the accounting department. Closing the Books reveals how to do so promptly and accurately, so that financial statements can be issued shortly after the end of the reporting period. The book discusses the entire process of how information is summarized into the financial statements, as well as the many reporting formats that are available. It covers the full range of closing steps, and shows how to fine-tune the closing process to achieve a shorter close. In addition, the book addresses the controls and record keeping needed for the closing process.

Praise for Fast Close: A Guide to Closing the Books Quickly "Steve captures the essence of the problems affecting the financial close process within corporations of all sizes; from the period close of subledgers and general ledger through financial reporting, and the relationship and interdependencies of governance, people and technology. A must-read for the corporate controller." —David Taylor, ACMA, MBA, VP Strategy, Trintech Inc. "Fast Close: A Guide to Closing the Books Quickly, Second Edition is a must-read for today's busy controllers. Steven Bragg points out everything that can be done outside the close that you just never realized didn't actually have to be part of the month-end close process! Very commonsensical approach!" —Kathleen Schneibel, mba, cpa, Controller/CFO for Hire, KMAS Consulting LLC "A well-executed 'fast close' can bring many valuable benefits to any company, from improving organizational performance to transforming accounting executives from financial historians to trusted advisors. In Fast Close, Second Edition, Steve systematically breaks down the steps required to achieve a fast close in both public and private companies, providing financial executives with tips, checklists, and a cost-effective road map to implement fast close procedures in virtually any company." —Matthew Posta, Esq., CPA, Vice President of Finance, Key Air, LLC FROM THE FIRST EDITION "This is an outstanding book in which Steve reveals his secrets to a fast close. Having personally experienced his (one-day) fast close for years and enjoyed the beneficial impact on my company, I highly recommend this book for all financial officers who desire to have a large, favorable impact on their company." —Richard V. Souders, President and CEO, Kaba Workforce Solutions

An analysis of transitional justice - retribution and reparation after a change of political regime - from Athens in the fifth century BC to the present. Part I, 'The Universe of Transitional Justice', describes more than thirty transitions, some of them in considerable detail, others more succinctly. Part II, 'The Analytics of Transitional Justice', proposes a framework for explaining the variations among the cases - why after some transitions wrongdoers from the previous regime are punished severely and in other cases mildly or not at all, and victims sometimes compensated generously and sometimes poorly or not at all. After surveying a broad range of justifications and excuses for wrongdoings and criteria for selecting and indemnifying victims, the 2004 book concludes with a discussion of three general explanatory factors: economic and political constraints, the retributive emotions, and the play of party politics.

A leading authority on sales and customer service reveals how to close the deal on your terms. This powerful book shows you new perspectives on closing that builds relationships, creates partnerships, and allows you to win your price on your terms. The Very Little But Very Powerful Book on Closing is a great tool to help you ask effective closing questions, create urgency, and find your winning formula. With this book as your guide, you’ll master closing the sale in just five steps. • Packed with insights grounded in real world experience from the bestselling author of The Sales Bible and The Little Book of Leadership • Contains essential advice from the leading authority in sales and customer service • Teaches you how to ask the right questions to close the sale

A PAPERBACK ORIGINAL The first simple guide to understanding the real estate closing process Closing and escrow are among the most important­­and least understood­­components of a real estate transaction. The Complete Guide to Your Real Estate Closing takes the mystery out of the confusing, expensive process by giving real estate professionals, investors, and consumers a step-by-step explanation. In simple, everyday language, the book explains closing documents and paperwork, what to do when something goes wrong, mortgage options, how to save money on title insurance, problems that can occur on a title report, and much more. With sample forms, work sheets, and more, this sophisticated but accessible book covers: Insider tips on how to save money­­from a closing professional Who does what: the real estate agent, lender, title company, closing officer, attorney State-specific information for all 50 states

The brilliant, controversial, bestselling critique of American culture that “hits with the approximate force and effect of electroshock therapy” (The New York Times)—now featuring a new afterword by Andrew Ferguson in a twenty-fifth anniversary edition. In 1987, eminent political philosopher Allan Bloom published The Closing of the American Mind, an appraisal of contemporary America that “hits with the approximate force and effect of electroshock therapy” (The New York Times) and has not only been vindicated, but has also become more urgent today. In clear, spirited prose, Bloom argues that the social and political crises of contemporary America are part of a larger intellectual crisis: the result of a dangerous narrowing of curiosity and exploration by the university elites. Now, in this twenty-fifth anniversary edition, acclaimed author and journalist Andrew Ferguson contributes a new essay that describes why Bloom’s argument caused such a furor at publication and why our culture so deeply resists its truths today.