In 1981, Stevens (Sudden Death, 1989, etc.) authored The Big Eight, an enlightening rundown on the pick-of-the-litter partnerships that audit publicly held corporations, government agencies, philanthropic institutions, and other organizations whose books need independent keeping. Ten years later, he's back with an equally illuminating report on what's been happening at the top of the accounting trade in the interim. As his title suggests, there was a full measure of turmoil in the numbers game during the 1980's. For openers, two major mergers have made an elite octet a beset sextet comprised (in order of 1989 revenues) of: Ernst & Young; Arthur Andersen; Deloitte & Touche; KMPG Peat Marwick; Coopers & Lybrand; and Price Waterhouse. Owing to the high overhead required to maintain a multinational practice, Stevens expects at least a couple of the firms still at the top to join forces by the turn of the century. As he makes clear, moreover, all survivors must cope with pressing problems in court, in house, and in the marketplace. Using inculpatory case studies, the author conveys a good idea of the staggering liabilities that threaten CPA firms as a result of slipshod work for S&Ls and other gaudy casualties of excessively free enterprise. He also documents the efforts of managing partners to mollify captive consulting units whose restive, even rebellious, staffers are convinced their contributions are unappreciated and inadequately rewarded. In the meantime, Stevens notes, the once-clubby calling of big-time accounting has turned competitive as ambitious auditors vie to expand their client rosters. Among other consequences, he implies, this increases the risk of conflicts of interest and raises disturbing questions about some practitioners' professionalism (e.g., are they for hireor sale?). An update that stands on its own as a source of valuable perspectives on a business whose for-the-record opinions can undergird (or undermine) public confidence in the integrity of the financial statements issued by commerce and industry.
Pub Date: April 30, 1991
ISBN: 0-671-69549-5
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1991
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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