Cultures of fraudWhile we wouldn't go so far as to say that we have a culture of fraud here at New Products, we wouldn't recommend that you take a check from us. That's why our immediate superiors would benefit from Executive Roadmap to Fraud Prevention and Internal Control, which was written specifically to help companies instill a culture of compliance in their personnel and processes. The book shows executives how to establish a robust fraud detection and investigation program, how to test a company's vulnerability to fraud, and how to understand the complex compliance requirements. With its 14-point antifraud program, case studies, best practices for the care and feeding of whistleblowers, and its sample policies and guidelines for promoting financial integrity, it might even get us on the side of the angels.
Price: $39.95.
John Wiley & Sons
www.wiley.com
(800) 225-5945
SOX of clay
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act bestrides the world of corporate accounting like a colossus - but like many colossi, though its grip may be iron, its feet sometimes look like clay. Sarbanes-Oxley: A Practical Guide to Implementation Challenges and Global Response exposes many of the act's flaws, bringing to light the many pain points that have made complying with it so very difficult and costly. As an in-depth, specific examination of running a business in the shadow of a giant regulatory regime, it's invaluable, and would be an illuminating addition to the bookshelf of anyone who's ever stared up in fear and terror at the looming colossus.
Price: $430.
Risk Books
www.riskbooks.com
44 (0) 870-240-8859
Rich idiots
Frankly, there are already too many wealthy idiots out there for our taste, and the third edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Rich only threatens to make more. On the other hand, moneyed morons require complex (and expensive) financial planning and accounting services, so providers of those should welcome the book's toolkit for wealth-building - including 11 essential tools for building wealth, guidance on managing investments (and which bad investments to avoid), security measures to protect money for future generations, and much more. Now if only we were stupid enough to get rich ... .
Price: $18.95.
Alpha (Penguin Group)
www.idiotsguides.com
Alpha and omega
If everything goes well with that new freelance business you (or your client) is planning, then Nolo's Working for Yourself is the only book you'll need. It covers everything a self-employed contractor, freelancer or consultant needs to know about the law and taxes, from the best legal form for your business, to covering your estimated taxes, while also giving crucial advice on pricing, collections, licenses and permits, and health care and retirement plans.
If everything doesn't go well, however, you may find yourself turning to Nolo's The New Bankruptcy: Will It Work for You? and hoping that it will. With last year's change in the bankruptcy laws creating unprecedented confusion in the field, it's important to know whether it remains a viable option, and this book will offer both explanations and reassurance to those who have failed to properly implement the advice of Working for Yourself.
Price: Working for Yourself - $39.99; The New Bankruptcy - $21.99.
Nolo
www.nolo.com
(510) 549-1976
Ups and downs
They're always telling you that you can't time the markets - how much more impossible, then, must it be to try and time the whole economy? Hard, but not impossible, is the answer given in The Well-Timed Strategy: Managing the Business Cycle for Competitive Advantage. Blaming poor economic conditions for poor performance, author Peter Navarro claims, simply isn't acceptable: Savvy executives know how to manage their companies in both good times and bad.
With plenty of case studies and real-life examples of both those who steer successfully through the ups and downs of the economic cycle, and those who let themselves be blindsided by them, the book offers strategies and tactics for surviving and thriving no matter what the financial weather. After all, there's a reason they call it the business cycle: It keeps coming around again and again.
Price: $27.99.
Wharton School Publishing (Pearson Education)
www.whartonsp.com
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