Financial Accounting, 11th edition

Published by Pearson (February 8, 2016) © 2017

  • Walter T. Harrison Baylor University
  • Charles Horngren Edmund W. Littlefield Professor Emeritus of Accounting at Stanford University
  • C William Thomas Baylor University
  • Wendy M. Tietz Kent State University

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About the Book

Use Consistency, Repetition, and a High Level of Detail

  • NEW! Scaffolding Approach: Chapter content and end-of-chapter material build from a basic, short exercise featuring one basic single concept, to more advanced problems featuring multiple learning objectives, encouraging practice and skill development among students.
  • Core concepts and mechanics are brought together using consistent language, format, and formulas.
  • Students also receive thorough explanations and details that show the meaning behind each concept and how to do the computation following it. So whether it’s the first transaction or the last, students perform the analysis in the same way, reinforcing their understanding, reducing the level of confusion and frustration, and helping them capture those “I get it!” moments.
  • UPDATED! Illustrations of electronic bank statements (Chapter 4).


Teach with Better Coverage of Accounting Concepts and Standards

  • UPDATED! Accounting cycle is now covered in a more chronological sequence:
    • Chapter 1 introduces the accounting cycle with a brief financial statement overview, using the financial statements of The Walt Disney Company. This first exposure to accounting explores financial statements in depth, familiarizes students with using real business data, and points out basic relationships between the different types of statements.
    • Chapter 2 continues the discussion of the accounting cycle by explaining how to journalize, post, and summarize basic transactions, and builds in repetition to ensure that students understand the fundamentals when they prepare the trial balance.
    • Chapter 3 concludes the discussion of the accounting cycle with adjusting and closing entries, and preparation of the related trial balances to close the loop for students.
  • A User-oriented Approach focuses students’ attention on the meaning and relevance of information in financial statements by adding new ratios to assist in evaluating liquidity, turnover, and profitability.
  • NEW! Coverage of AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct includes the code’s principles, explaining CPA’s responsibility to act in the public’s interest, to have integrity and objectivity, and to exercise due professional care.   
  • Excel Integration: Excel-based financial statements are included so that students can familiarize themselves with the accounting information format actually used in the business world.
  • International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) coverage makes students aware of important issues. In order to increase student awareness of the most important potential shift in the future of financial accounting, information on IFRS is introduced in Chapter 1, can be found where appropriate throughout the chapters in the new Global View feature, and in an appendix. When students practice or complete their homework in MyAccountingLab, they will also be exposed to IFRS. Any time that IFRS could influence a decision, it’s highlighted and explained within MyAccountingLab.
  • UPDATED! Up-to-the-minute coverage of the revised FASB accounting standard on revenue recognition, impacting accounting for sales returns and sales discounts, is included in Chapters 3, 5, and 11.
  • Enhanced coverage of cash flows lets students understand how money is viewed. The current economy has created a shift in how we view money–specifically, cash. Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business so the coverage of Cash Flows in this edition has been increased and highlighted in Chapters 4-10, where students can easily see the connections and understand the significance.
  • Fraud coverage is highlighted throughout the text. In an age of public scandals, understanding fraud is a key component of Financial Accounting. Chapter 4 includes the concept of fraud, and introduces students to the “fraud triangle” (motivation, opportunity, and rationalization) and  discusses internal controls as the primary way companies prevent fraud.
  • UPDATED! The Days’ Sales Outstanding (DSO) ratio in Chapter 5 has been improved and made more consistent with the coverage of Days’ Inventory Outstanding (DIO) in Chapter 6 and Days’ Payable Outstanding (DPO) in Chapter 9.  
  • UPDATED! Coverage of inventory and cost of goods sold in Chapter 6 has been updated using Under Armour, Inc., a company highly familiar to college students, and one whose details makes the study of inventory more interesting.
  • NEW! Ethics coverage is a vital part of accounting. Sound ethical judgment is important for every major financial decision–which is why this text provides consistent ethical reinforcement in every chapter.
    • Several sections of the text are dedicated to discussing potential ethical problems that can arise when dealing with the corresponding topic, and how they should be properly handled.
    • Additional End-of-Chapter questions allow for short open response questions and/or discussion. These End-of-Chapter questions connect back to AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct and the overall topic of ethics.
  • Coverage on time value of money is incorporated into Chapter 8: Long-Term Investments, highlighting its importance in measuring fair value of certain long-term assets and liabilities.
  • NEW! A self-contained section on straight-line amortization for bond premium or discount in Chapter 9 allows instructors to pick and choose what topics they want to cover.

Reinforce Learning by Using Exercises

  • “Try It” text boxes are now included in every chapter after relevant concepts, so that students can read them, try them, and practice them.
    • Some chapters include “Try It in EXCEL,” which illustrates usage of EXCEL as a business problem-solving tool by describing line-by-line how to retrieve and prepare accounting information (such as adjusted trial balance worksheets, ratio computations, depreciation schedules, bond discount and premium amortization schedules, and financial statement analysis) in the program.
  • A Mid-Chapter Summary Problem provides a stopping point for students; it gives them an opportunity to repeat the entire process again, using data from a different company, to make sure they’ve “got it.”
  • An End-of-Chapter Summary Problem closes out the chapter and allows the student to practice the process again and really “nail” these fundamental skills.
  • UPDATED! Short exercises, exercises, and problems are more clearly labeled by learning objectives (LO). Short exercises have been condensed and simplified in this edition to explain only one learning objective each (to better cover single concepts as illustrations or class exercises) while exercises cover two or three LOs and problems cover multiple LOs.
  • Focus on Financials Cases  are based on the consolidated financial statements of Apple, Inc. and will help students develop the ability to use the financial statements of an actual company.
  • NEW! A hypothetical Case Study in Chapter 4 introduces fraud concepts and how fraud can be prevented by internal control. This fictionalized case study is based on an actual company in Texas whose highly-trusted and loyal controller and his wife systematically stole $16 million over the space of 10 years by issuing company checks to pay off their personal credit card bills.
  • UPDATED! A Focus on Analysis company, Under Armour, Inc. The author team developed relevant analytical problems using Under Armour’s financial information.
  • UPDATED! Challenge Problems have been increased and added to every chapter, helping students develop higher-order critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Decision Guidelines present day-to-day business decisions and can be used as a summary in the end-of-chapter material where they highlight key terms, information, and formulas. The Decision Guidelines can also be used as a basis for students’ future business decisions.


New Authorship

  • UPDATED! New Author, Wendy M. Tietz is an associate professor for the Department of Accounting in the College of Business Administration at Kent State University, where she has taught since 2000. Prior to Kent State University, she was on the faculty at the University of Akron. She teaches in a variety of formats, including large, small, and web-based sections. Dr. Tietz is a co-author on Pearson's Managerial Accounting title with Karen Braun, and in addition, has been teaching and using Harrison and MyAccountingLab in her course for the last 5 years, making her the perfect addition to the Harrison author team!


Also Available with MyAccountingLab®

MyAccountingLab is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue a personalized study plan that helps them better absorb course material and understand difficult concepts.

  • NEW! Accounting Cycle Tutorial. MyAccountingLab’s new interactive tutorial helps students master the Accounting Cycle for early and continued success in the Introduction to Accounting Course. The tutorial, accessed by computer, smartphone, or tablet, provides students with brief, interactive activities covering each of the accounting cycle concepts. Using embedded assessments, student performance is scored and recorded in the MyAccountingLab Gradebook. Learn more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyHs9SjlqDo.
  • NEW! Accounting in the Headlines. Spark interest and increase engagement in introductory accounting with relevant and real-life examples that speak to students. With the award-winning blog, Accounting in the Headlines, by Wendy Tietz, instructors can incorporate recent news articles featuring real companies and events into their course material to effectively illustrate introductory financial and managerial accounting concepts. Concise, tailorable, and updated on a weekly basis, these articles can be assigned through MyAccountingLab and Learning Catalytics. Instructors are provided with additional discussion questions, PowerPoint slides, and handout files, to support learning initiatives.
  • eText 2.0. The Pearson eText gives students access to their textbook anytime, anywhere. In addition to note taking, highlighting, and bookmarking, the Pearson eText offers interactive and sharing features. Rich media options let students watch lecture and example videos as they read or do their homework. Instructors can share their comments or highlights, and students can add their own, creating a tight community of learners in your class.

The Pearson eText companion app allows existing subscribers to access their titles on an iPad or Android tablet for either online or offline viewing.

NEW! eText 2.0 for © 2017 titles

  • Now available on smartphones and tablets.
  • Seamlessly integrated videos and other rich media.
  • Accessible (screen-reader ready).
  • Configurable reading settings, including resizable type and night reading mode.
  • Instructor and student note-taking, highlighting, bookmarking, and search.
  • Try It exercises give students practice of accounting problems while accompanying videos guide students step-by-step through the solution to the problem. Offered only in MyAccountingLab.
  • Learning Catalytics™. Generate class discussion, guide your lecture, and promote peer-to-peer learning with real-time analytics. MyAccountingLab & Mastering with eText now provides Learning Catalytics—an interactive student response tool that uses students’ smartphones, tablets, or laptops to engage them in more sophisticated tasks and thinking. Instructors, you can:
    • Pose a variety of open-ended questions that help your students develop critical thinking skills
    • Monitor responses to find out where students are struggling
    • Use real-time data to adjust your instructional strategy and try other ways of engaging your students during class
    • Manage student interactions by automatically grouping students for discussion, teamwork, and peer-to-peer learning
  • Worked Out Solutions provide step-by-step explanations of specific problems using the exact numbers and data that were presented, helping students understand how to arrive at the correct answers themselves.
  • Real World Accounting Videos demonstrate course material in action, and show how accounting will apply to students’ future careers.

About the Book

Use Consistency, Repetition, and a High Level of Detail

  • Scaffolding Approach: Chapter content and end-of-chapter material build from a basic, short exercise featuring one basic single concept, to more advanced problems featuring multiple learning objectives, encouraging practice and skill development among students.
  • UPDATED! Illustrations of electronic bank statements (Chapter 4).

Teach with Better Coverage of Accounting Concepts and Standards

  • UPDATED! Accounting cycle is now covered in a more chronological sequence:
    • Chapter 1 introduces the accounting cycle with a brief financial statement overview, using the financial statements of The Walt Disney Company. This first exposure to accounting explores financial statements in depth, familiarizes students with using real business data, and points out basic relationships between the different types of statements.
    • Chapter 2 continues the discussion of the accounting cycle by explaining how to journalize, post, and summarize basic transactions, and builds in repetition to ensure that students understand the fundamentals when they prepare the trial balance.
    • Chapter 3 concludes the discussion of the accounting cycle with adjusting and closing entries, and preparation of the related trial balances to close the loop for students.
  • Coverage of AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct includes the code’s principles, explaining CPA’s responsibility to act in the public’s interest, to have integrity and objectivity, and to exercise due professional care.   
  • UPDATED! Up-to-the-minute coverage of the revised FASB accounting standard on revenue recognition, impacting accounting for sales returns and sales discounts, is included in Chapters 3, 5, and 11.
  • UPDATED! The Days’ Sales Outstanding (DSO) ratio in Chapter 5 has been improved and made more consistent with the coverage of Days’ Inventory Outstanding (DIO) in Chapter 6 and Days’ Payable Outstanding (DPO) in Chapter 9.  
  • UPDATED! Coverage of inventory and cost of goods sold in Chapter 6 has been updated using Under Armour, Inc., a company highly familiar to college students, and one whose details makes the study of inventory more interesting.
  • Ethics coverage is a vital part of accounting. Sound ethical judgment is important for every major financial decision—which is why this text provides consistent ethical reinforcement in every chapter.
    • Several sections of the text are dedicated to discussing potential ethical problems that can arise when dealing with the corresponding topic, and how they should be properly handled.
    • Additional End-of-Chapter questions allow for short open response questions and/or discussion. These End-of-Chapter questions connect back to AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct and the overall topic of ethics.
  • A self-contained section on straight-line amortization for bond premium or discount in Chapter 9 allows instructors to pick and choose what topics they want to cover.

Reinforce Learning by Using Exercises

  • UPDATED! Short exercises, exercises, and problems are more clearly labeled by learning objectives (LO). Short exercises have been condensed and simplified in this edition to explain only one learning objective each (to better cover single concepts as illustrations or class exercises) while exercises cover two or three LOs and problems cover multiple LOs.
  • A hypothetical Case Study in Chapter 4 introduces fraud concepts and how fraud can be prevented by internal control. This fictionalized case study is based on an actual company in Texas whose highly-trusted and loyal controller and his wife systematically stole $16 million over the space of 10 years by issuing company checks to pay off their personal credit card bills.
  • UPDATED! A Focus on Analysis company, Under Armour, Inc. The author team developed relevant analytical problems using Under Armour’s financial information.
  • UPDATED! Challenge Problems have been increased and added to every chapter, helping students develop higher-order critical thinking and problem-solving skills.


New Authorship

  • UPDATED! New Author, Wendy M. Tietz is an associate professor for the Department of Accounting in the College of Business Administration at Kent State University, where she has taught since 2000. Prior to Kent State University, she was on the faculty at the University of Akron. She teaches in a variety of formats, including large, small, and web-based sections. Dr. Tietz is a co-author on Pearson's Managerial Accounting title with Karen Braun, and in addition, has been teaching and using Harrison and MyAccountingLab in her course for the last 5 years, making her the perfect addition to the Harrison author team!

Also Available with MyAccountingLab®

MyAccountingLab is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue a personalized study plan that helps them better absorb course material and understand difficult concepts.

  • Accounting Cycle Tutorial. MyAccountingLab’s new interactive tutorial helps students master the Accounting Cycle for early and continued success in the Introduction to Accounting Course. The tutorial, accessed by computer, smartphone, or tablet, provides students with brief, interactive activities covering each of the accounting cycle concepts. Using embedded assessments, student performance is scored and recorded in the MyAccountingLab Gradebook.
  • Accounting in the Headlines. Spark interest and increase engagement in introductory accounting with relevant and real-life examples that speak to students. With the award-winning blog, Accounting in the Headlines, by Wendy Tietz, instructors can incorporate recent news articles featuring real companies and events into their course material to effectively illustrate introductory financial and managerial accounting concepts. Concise, tailorable, and updated on a weekly basis, these articles can be assigned through MyAccountingLab and Learning Catalytics. Instructors are provided with additional discussion questions, PowerPoint slides, and handout files, to support learning initiatives.
  • eText 2.0. The Pearson eText gives students access to their textbook anytime, anywhere. In addition to note taking, highlighting, and bookmarking, the Pearson eText offers interactive and sharing features. Rich media options let students watch lecture and example videos as they read or do their homework. Instructors can share their comments or highlights, and students can add their own, creating a tight community of learners in your class.

The Pearson eText companion app allows existing subscribers to access their titles on an iPad or Android tablet for either online or offline viewing.

eText 2.0 for © 2017 titles

  • Now available on smartphones and tablets.
  • Seamlessly integrated videos and other rich media.
  • Accessible (screen-reader ready).
  • Configurable reading settings, including resizable type and night reading mode.
  • Instructor and student note-taking, highlighting, bookmarking, and search.

1. The Financial Statements

2. Transaction Analysis

3. Accrual Accounting & Income

4. Internal Control & Cash

5. Short-Term Investments & Receivables

6. Inventory & Cost of Goods Sold

7. Plant Assets, Natural Resources, & Intangibles

8. Long-Term Investments & the Time Value of Money

9. Liabilities

10. Stockholders’ Equity

11. Evaluating Performance: Earnings Quality, the Income Statement, & the Statement of Comprehensive Income

12. The Statement of Cash Flows

13. Financial Statement Analysis


Appendix A. Apple Inc. Annual Report 2014

Appendix B. Under Armour, Inc. Annual Report 2014

Appendix C. Typical Charts of Accounts for Different Types of Businesses

Appendix D. Summary of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

Appendix E. Summary of Differences Between U.S. GAAP and IFRS Cross-Referenced to Chapter


Walter T. Harrison Jr. is professor emeritus of accounting at the Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University. He received his BBA from Baylor University, his MS from Oklahoma State University, and his PhD from Michigan State University.

Professor Harrison, recipient of numerous teaching awards from student groups as well as from university administrators, has also taught at Cleveland State Community College, Michigan State University, the University of Texas, and Stanford University.

A member of the American Accounting Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Professor Harrison has served as chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Committee of the American Accounting Association, on the Teaching/Curriculum Development Award Committee, on the Program Advisory Committee for Accounting Education and Teaching, and on the Notable Contributions to Accounting Literature Committee.

Professor Harrison has lectured in several foreign countries and published articles in numerous journals, including Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Economic Consequences of Financial Accounting Standards, Accounting Horizons, Issues in Accounting Education, and Journal of Law and Commerce.

Professor Harrison has received scholarships, fellowships, and research grants or awards from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, the Ernst & Young Foundation, and the KPMG Foundation.

Charles T. Horngren (1926–2011) was the Edmund W. Littlefield professor of accounting, emeritus, at Stanford University. A graduate of Marquette University, he received his MBA from Harvard University and his PhD from the University of Chicago. He was also the recipient of honorary doctorates from Marquette University and DePaul University.

A certified public accountant, Horngren served on the Accounting Principles Board for 6 years, the Financial Accounting Standards Board Advisory Council for 5 years, and the Council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for 3 years. For 6 years he served as a trustee of the Financial Accounting Foundation, which oversees the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Government Accounting Standards Board.

Horngren is a member of the Accounting Hall of Fame.

As a member of the American Accounting Association, Horngren was its president and its director of research. He received its first annual Outstanding Accounting Educator Award.

The California Certified Public Accountants Foundation gave Horngren its Faculty Excellence Award and its Distinguished Professor Award. He was the first person to have received both awards.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants presented its first Outstanding Educator Award to Horngren.

Horngren was named Accountant of the Year, in Education, by the national professional accounting fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi.

Professor Horngren was also a member of the Institute of Management Accountants, from whom he received its Distinguished Service Award. He was a member of the institute’s Board of Regents, which administers the Certified Management Accountant examinations.

Horngren is an author of these other accounting books published by Pearson: Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, Fifteenth Edition, 2015 (with Srikant M. Datar and Madhav V. Rajan); Introduction to Financial Accounting, Eleventh Edition, 2014 (with Gary L. Sundem, John A. Elliott, and Donna Philbrick); Introduction to Management Accounting, Sixteenth Edition, 2014 (with Gary L. Sundem, Jeff Schatzberg, and Dave Burgstahler); Horngren’s Financial & Managerial Accounting, Fifth Edition, 2016 (with Tracie L. Miller-Nobles, Brenda L. Mattison, and Ella Mae Matsumura), and Horngren’s Accounting, Eleventh Edition, 2016 (with Tracie L. Miller-Nobles, Brenda L. Mattison, and Ella Mae Matsumura).

Horngren was the consulting editor for Pearson’s Charles T. Horngren Series in Accounting.

C. William (Bill) Thomas is the J. E. Bush Professor of Accounting and a Master Teacher at Baylor University. A Baylor University alumnus, he received both his BBA and MBA there and went on to earn his PhD from The University of Texas at Austin.

With primary interests in the areas of financial accounting and auditing, Bill Thomas has served as the J. E. Bush Professor of Accounting since 1995. He has been a member of the faculty of the Accounting and Business Law Department of the Hankamer School of Business since 1971, and served as chair of the department for twelve years. He has been recognized as an Outstanding Faculty Member of Baylor University as well as a and Distinguished Professor for the Hankamer School of Business. Dr. Thomas has received many awards for outstanding teaching, including the Outstanding Professor in the Executive MBA Programs as well as designation as Master Teacher.

Thomas is the author of textbooks in auditing and financial accounting, as well as many articles in auditing, financial accounting and reporting, taxation, ethics, and accounting education. His scholarly work focuses on the subject of fraud prevention and detection, as well as ethical issues among accountants in public practice. He presently serves as the accounting and auditing editor of Today’s CPA, the journal of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, with a circulation of approximately 28,000.

Thomas is a certified public accountant in Texas. Prior to becoming a professor, Thomas was a practicing accountant with the firms of KPMG, LLP, and BDO Seidman, LLP. He is a member of the American Accounting Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Wendy M. Tietz is a professor for the Department of Accounting in the College of Business Administration at Kent State University, where she has taught since 2000. She teaches introductory financial and managerial accounting in a variety of formats, including large sections, small sections, and web-based sections. She has received numerous college and university teaching awards while at Kent State University. Most recently she was named the Beta Gamma Sigma Professor of the Year for the College of Business Administration.

Dr. Tietz is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Management Accountant, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. She is a member of the American Accounting Association (AAA), the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). She has published in Issues in Accounting Education, Accounting Education: An International Journal, and Journal of Accounting & Public Policy. She received the 2014 Bea Sanders/AICPA Innovation in Teaching Award for her accounting educator blog entitled, Accounting in the Headlines. She regularly presents at AAA regional and national meetings. Dr. Tietz is also the co-author of a managerial accounting textbook, Managerial Accounting, with Dr. Karen Braun.

Dr. Tietz received her PhD from Kent State University. She received both her MBA and BSA from the University of Akron. She worked in industry for several years, both as a controller for a financial institution and as the operations manager and controller for a recycled plastics manufacturer.

Dr. Tietz and her husband, Russ, have two grown sons. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, reading, and exploring new technology. She is passionate about using technology to expand the boundaries of the traditional classroom.

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