Author: Vinod Rai
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 9788129134615
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
Not just an accountant is an incisive, no-holds-barred account of Indias eleventh comptroller and auditor general and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Through a narrative, rich in anecdote and inside information, Rai sheds light on the major scams that shook the country. Among the case studies-chosen for the diversity of failures they highlight are - the procedural irregularities in the issuance of licenses for second generation spectrum allotment, the last minute quick-fixes in the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games, the loss of national resources while allocating coal blocks, the flouting of systems and the clear display of crony capitalism in the exploration of hydrocarbon and the tragic tale of civil aviation in India. Through these illustrations, Rai wishes to not only expose government malfeasance, but also probe the mandate of the CAG as a watchdog. Equally, he hopes to push for long-term solutions to corruption and bring home the urgent need for ethics-for the pursuit of excellence, accountability, probity and transparency within governments, the bureaucracy, corporate enterprises and public life. Interesting facts A blow-by-blow, explosive, yet thoughtful account that sheds new light on the scams that shook India - 2G, coalgate, civil aviation, the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games and hydrocarbon contracts. Explodes the myth of accountability in contemporary Indian governance. Written by the eleventh CAG of India and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Presents long-term solutions for the future, so as to contain procedural irregularities within the government and corporate enterprises. Provides a roadmap for good governance, important for the growth of the nation. Exhorts younger professionals / administrators to strive for excellence.
Not Just an Accountant
Author: Vinod Rai
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 9788129134615
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
Not just an accountant is an incisive, no-holds-barred account of Indias eleventh comptroller and auditor general and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Through a narrative, rich in anecdote and inside information, Rai sheds light on the major scams that shook the country. Among the case studies-chosen for the diversity of failures they highlight are - the procedural irregularities in the issuance of licenses for second generation spectrum allotment, the last minute quick-fixes in the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games, the loss of national resources while allocating coal blocks, the flouting of systems and the clear display of crony capitalism in the exploration of hydrocarbon and the tragic tale of civil aviation in India. Through these illustrations, Rai wishes to not only expose government malfeasance, but also probe the mandate of the CAG as a watchdog. Equally, he hopes to push for long-term solutions to corruption and bring home the urgent need for ethics-for the pursuit of excellence, accountability, probity and transparency within governments, the bureaucracy, corporate enterprises and public life. Interesting facts A blow-by-blow, explosive, yet thoughtful account that sheds new light on the scams that shook India - 2G, coalgate, civil aviation, the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games and hydrocarbon contracts. Explodes the myth of accountability in contemporary Indian governance. Written by the eleventh CAG of India and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Presents long-term solutions for the future, so as to contain procedural irregularities within the government and corporate enterprises. Provides a roadmap for good governance, important for the growth of the nation. Exhorts younger professionals / administrators to strive for excellence.
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 9788129134615
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
Not just an accountant is an incisive, no-holds-barred account of Indias eleventh comptroller and auditor general and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Through a narrative, rich in anecdote and inside information, Rai sheds light on the major scams that shook the country. Among the case studies-chosen for the diversity of failures they highlight are - the procedural irregularities in the issuance of licenses for second generation spectrum allotment, the last minute quick-fixes in the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games, the loss of national resources while allocating coal blocks, the flouting of systems and the clear display of crony capitalism in the exploration of hydrocarbon and the tragic tale of civil aviation in India. Through these illustrations, Rai wishes to not only expose government malfeasance, but also probe the mandate of the CAG as a watchdog. Equally, he hopes to push for long-term solutions to corruption and bring home the urgent need for ethics-for the pursuit of excellence, accountability, probity and transparency within governments, the bureaucracy, corporate enterprises and public life. Interesting facts A blow-by-blow, explosive, yet thoughtful account that sheds new light on the scams that shook India - 2G, coalgate, civil aviation, the conduct of the XIX commonwealth games and hydrocarbon contracts. Explodes the myth of accountability in contemporary Indian governance. Written by the eleventh CAG of India and a symbol of the anti-corruption movement, Vinod Rai. Presents long-term solutions for the future, so as to contain procedural irregularities within the government and corporate enterprises. Provides a roadmap for good governance, important for the growth of the nation. Exhorts younger professionals / administrators to strive for excellence.
Profit First
Author: Mike Michalowicz
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 073521414X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Author of cult classics The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur offers a simple, counterintuitive cash management solution that will help small businesses break out of the doom spiral and achieve instant profitability. Conventional accounting uses the logical (albeit, flawed) formula: Sales - Expenses = Profit. The problem is, businesses are run by humans, and humans aren't always logical. Serial entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz has developed a behavioral approach to accounting to flip the formula: Sales - Profit = Expenses. Just as the most effective weight loss strategy is to limit portions by using smaller plates, Michalowicz shows that by taking profit first and apportioning only what remains for expenses, entrepreneurs will transform their businesses from cash-eating monsters to profitable cash cows. Using Michalowicz's Profit First system, readers will learn that: · Following 4 simple principles can simplify accounting and make it easier to manage a profitable business by looking at bank account balances. · A small, profitable business can be worth much more than a large business surviving on its top line. · Businesses that attain early and sustained profitability have a better shot at achieving long-term growth. With dozens of case studies, practical, step-by-step advice, and his signature sense of humor, Michalowicz has the game-changing roadmap for any entrepreneur to make money they always dreamed of.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 073521414X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
Author of cult classics The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur offers a simple, counterintuitive cash management solution that will help small businesses break out of the doom spiral and achieve instant profitability. Conventional accounting uses the logical (albeit, flawed) formula: Sales - Expenses = Profit. The problem is, businesses are run by humans, and humans aren't always logical. Serial entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz has developed a behavioral approach to accounting to flip the formula: Sales - Profit = Expenses. Just as the most effective weight loss strategy is to limit portions by using smaller plates, Michalowicz shows that by taking profit first and apportioning only what remains for expenses, entrepreneurs will transform their businesses from cash-eating monsters to profitable cash cows. Using Michalowicz's Profit First system, readers will learn that: · Following 4 simple principles can simplify accounting and make it easier to manage a profitable business by looking at bank account balances. · A small, profitable business can be worth much more than a large business surviving on its top line. · Businesses that attain early and sustained profitability have a better shot at achieving long-term growth. With dozens of case studies, practical, step-by-step advice, and his signature sense of humor, Michalowicz has the game-changing roadmap for any entrepreneur to make money they always dreamed of.
A White-Collar Profession
Author: Theresa A. Hammond
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 0807874949
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Book Description
Among the major professions, certified public accountancy has the most severe underrepresentation of African Americans: less than 1 percent of CPAs are black. Theresa Hammond explores the history behind this statistic and chronicles the courage and determination of African Americans who sought to enter the field. In the process, she expands our understanding of the links between race, education, and economics. Drawing on interviews with pioneering black CPAs, among other sources, Hammond sets the stories of black CPAs against the backdrop of the rise of accountancy as a profession, the particular challenges that African Americans trying to enter the field faced, and the strategies that enabled some blacks to become CPAs. Prior to the 1960s, few white-owned accounting firms employed African Americans. Only through nationwide networks established by the first black CPAs did more African Americans gain the requisite professional experience. The civil rights era saw some progress in integrating the field, and black colleges responded by expanding their programs in business and accounting. In the 1980s, however, the backlash against affirmative action heralded the decline of African American participation in accountancy and paved the way for the astonishing lack of diversity that characterizes the field today.
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 0807874949
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Book Description
Among the major professions, certified public accountancy has the most severe underrepresentation of African Americans: less than 1 percent of CPAs are black. Theresa Hammond explores the history behind this statistic and chronicles the courage and determination of African Americans who sought to enter the field. In the process, she expands our understanding of the links between race, education, and economics. Drawing on interviews with pioneering black CPAs, among other sources, Hammond sets the stories of black CPAs against the backdrop of the rise of accountancy as a profession, the particular challenges that African Americans trying to enter the field faced, and the strategies that enabled some blacks to become CPAs. Prior to the 1960s, few white-owned accounting firms employed African Americans. Only through nationwide networks established by the first black CPAs did more African Americans gain the requisite professional experience. The civil rights era saw some progress in integrating the field, and black colleges responded by expanding their programs in business and accounting. In the 1980s, however, the backlash against affirmative action heralded the decline of African American participation in accountancy and paved the way for the astonishing lack of diversity that characterizes the field today.
Remaining Relevant
Author: Rob Nixon
Publisher: Fontaine Press Pty Ltd
ISBN: 1925209660
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
‘Remaining Relevant’ is practical and practiced advice for accountants to remain relevant in a ‘disrupted’ industry and has been described as “the most important business book that you will read this year.” Anthony S Bongiorno, The Bongiorno Group. The explosion of cloud computing and its impact on the accounting industry is the impetus for ‘Remaining Relevant’, which is all about the future of the accounting profession - essential reading in this manual for an accountant’s success. “Technology is enabling and will demand the accounting profession to transform. From the changing the engagement and service mix within a firm, to fixed fee billing and off shoring ... everything is up for review. As long-term industry insider and visionary, Rob has the unique capability to help accountants focus on what is important through his direct, and at times confronting, analysis of the profession. A must read.” Tim Reed, MYOB CEO “Rob Nixon is to accounting what Peter Drucker was to strategy: He creates new paradigms and fresh approaches to a discipline that would be headed for the doldrums without him.” Alan Weiss, PhD, Author, Million Dollar Consulting Rhode Island, USA “The accounting game is changing forever. Any partner who doesn’t acknowledge this is kidding themselves. The age of the dinosaur firm is coming to an end, and this book is a must for any accountant who wants to remain relevant in the 21st Century.” Chris Hooper, CEO, Accodex Adelaide, Australia
Publisher: Fontaine Press Pty Ltd
ISBN: 1925209660
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 222
Book Description
‘Remaining Relevant’ is practical and practiced advice for accountants to remain relevant in a ‘disrupted’ industry and has been described as “the most important business book that you will read this year.” Anthony S Bongiorno, The Bongiorno Group. The explosion of cloud computing and its impact on the accounting industry is the impetus for ‘Remaining Relevant’, which is all about the future of the accounting profession - essential reading in this manual for an accountant’s success. “Technology is enabling and will demand the accounting profession to transform. From the changing the engagement and service mix within a firm, to fixed fee billing and off shoring ... everything is up for review. As long-term industry insider and visionary, Rob has the unique capability to help accountants focus on what is important through his direct, and at times confronting, analysis of the profession. A must read.” Tim Reed, MYOB CEO “Rob Nixon is to accounting what Peter Drucker was to strategy: He creates new paradigms and fresh approaches to a discipline that would be headed for the doldrums without him.” Alan Weiss, PhD, Author, Million Dollar Consulting Rhode Island, USA “The accounting game is changing forever. Any partner who doesn’t acknowledge this is kidding themselves. The age of the dinosaur firm is coming to an end, and this book is a must for any accountant who wants to remain relevant in the 21st Century.” Chris Hooper, CEO, Accodex Adelaide, Australia
Profitable Expectations: An Accountant Rising to the Challenge
Author: Douglas T. Hicks
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781735679600
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 308
Book Description
THE CEO WANTED A CONTROLLER TO BE MORE THAN JUST AN ACCOUNTANT. WOULD SHE BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS? After three years on the job, Marcella was comfortable and confident in her role as controller of PlumbCo, a $20 million manufacturer and distributor of plumbing products. That all changed, however, when a new CEO arrived and she found that his view of a financial executive's role was dramatically different than that of her previous boss. He expected her to not only be a highly effective accountant, but also a dynamic, value-adding member of PlumbCo's management team. Could she move beyond the "controller" stereotype and become a true management accountant, not just a "bean counter?" Her financial accounting background had not prepared her for such a role, but a chance meeting with an elderly, one-armed mentor, known simply as "the Major," helped her escape conventional thinking and embark on an adventure that took her into all aspects of PlumbCo's business. What obstacles will she face? What solutions will she develop? Will she see above and beyond an accountant's conventional thinking, rise to the occasion, and meet the CEO's expectations? And what will it take for her to make this transformation?
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781735679600
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 308
Book Description
THE CEO WANTED A CONTROLLER TO BE MORE THAN JUST AN ACCOUNTANT. WOULD SHE BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS? After three years on the job, Marcella was comfortable and confident in her role as controller of PlumbCo, a $20 million manufacturer and distributor of plumbing products. That all changed, however, when a new CEO arrived and she found that his view of a financial executive's role was dramatically different than that of her previous boss. He expected her to not only be a highly effective accountant, but also a dynamic, value-adding member of PlumbCo's management team. Could she move beyond the "controller" stereotype and become a true management accountant, not just a "bean counter?" Her financial accounting background had not prepared her for such a role, but a chance meeting with an elderly, one-armed mentor, known simply as "the Major," helped her escape conventional thinking and embark on an adventure that took her into all aspects of PlumbCo's business. What obstacles will she face? What solutions will she develop? Will she see above and beyond an accountant's conventional thinking, rise to the occasion, and meet the CEO's expectations? And what will it take for her to make this transformation?
Accounting Comes Alive
Author: Mark Robilliard
Publisher: Accounting Comes Alive
ISBN: 1450769624
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 64
Book Description
Publisher: Accounting Comes Alive
ISBN: 1450769624
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 64
Book Description
Strategic Cost Transformation
Author: Reginald Tomas Lee
Publisher: Business Expert Press
ISBN: 1631578804
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 213
Book Description
Strategic Cost Transformation offers a new framework, business domain management, which creates a comprehensive picture of your organization for improved cash based decision-making. Your product costs $2.86 to make. What does the number tell you about your operations, how effectively they were run, demand, or how much money you spent on capacity? Nothing. Shouldn’t you know? Accounting information creates a limited picture of operations and true cash performance. Strategic Cost Transformation offers a new framework, business domain management, which creates a comprehensive picture of your organization for improved cash based decision-making.
Publisher: Business Expert Press
ISBN: 1631578804
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 213
Book Description
Strategic Cost Transformation offers a new framework, business domain management, which creates a comprehensive picture of your organization for improved cash based decision-making. Your product costs $2.86 to make. What does the number tell you about your operations, how effectively they were run, demand, or how much money you spent on capacity? Nothing. Shouldn’t you know? Accounting information creates a limited picture of operations and true cash performance. Strategic Cost Transformation offers a new framework, business domain management, which creates a comprehensive picture of your organization for improved cash based decision-making.
The End of Accounting and the Path Forward for Investors and Managers
Author: Baruch Lev
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119191084
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 268
Book Description
An innovative new valuation framework with truly useful economic indicators The End of Accounting and the Path Forward for Investors and Managers shows how the ubiquitous financial reports have become useless in capital market decisions and lays out an actionable alternative. Based on a comprehensive, large-sample empirical analysis, this book reports financial documents' continuous deterioration in relevance to investors' decisions. An enlightening discussion details the reasons why accounting is losing relevance in today's market, backed by numerous examples with real-world impact. Beyond simply identifying the problem, this report offers a solution—the Value Creation Report—and demonstrates its utility in key industries. New indicators focus on strategy and execution to identify and evaluate a company's true value-creating resources for a more up-to-date approach to critical investment decision-making. While entire industries have come to rely on financial reports for vital information, these documents are flawed and insufficient when it comes to the way investors and lenders work in the current economic climate. This book demonstrates an alternative, giving you a new framework for more informed decision making. Discover a new, comprehensive system of economic indicators Focus on strategic, value-creating resources in company valuation Learn how traditional financial documents are quickly losing their utility Find a path forward with actionable, up-to-date information Major corporate decisions, such as restructuring and M&A, are predicated on financial indicators of profitability and asset/liabilities values. These documents move mountains, so what happens if they're based on faulty indicators that fail to show the true value of the company? The End of Accounting and the Path Forward for Investors and Managers shows you the reality and offers a new blueprint for more accurate valuation.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119191084
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 268
Book Description
An innovative new valuation framework with truly useful economic indicators The End of Accounting and the Path Forward for Investors and Managers shows how the ubiquitous financial reports have become useless in capital market decisions and lays out an actionable alternative. Based on a comprehensive, large-sample empirical analysis, this book reports financial documents' continuous deterioration in relevance to investors' decisions. An enlightening discussion details the reasons why accounting is losing relevance in today's market, backed by numerous examples with real-world impact. Beyond simply identifying the problem, this report offers a solution—the Value Creation Report—and demonstrates its utility in key industries. New indicators focus on strategy and execution to identify and evaluate a company's true value-creating resources for a more up-to-date approach to critical investment decision-making. While entire industries have come to rely on financial reports for vital information, these documents are flawed and insufficient when it comes to the way investors and lenders work in the current economic climate. This book demonstrates an alternative, giving you a new framework for more informed decision making. Discover a new, comprehensive system of economic indicators Focus on strategic, value-creating resources in company valuation Learn how traditional financial documents are quickly losing their utility Find a path forward with actionable, up-to-date information Major corporate decisions, such as restructuring and M&A, are predicated on financial indicators of profitability and asset/liabilities values. These documents move mountains, so what happens if they're based on faulty indicators that fail to show the true value of the company? The End of Accounting and the Path Forward for Investors and Managers shows you the reality and offers a new blueprint for more accurate valuation.
The Accountant's Story
Author: Roberto Escobar
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0446543691
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
"I have many scars. Some of them are physical, but many more are scars on my soul. A bomb sent to kill me while I was in a maximum security prison has made me blind, yet now I see the world more clearly than I have ever seen it before. I have lived an incredible adventure. I watched as my brother, Pablo Escobar, became the most successful criminal in history, but also a hero to many of the people of Colombia. My brother was loved and he was feared. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in his funeral procession, and certainly as many people celebrated his death." These are the words of Roberto Escobar-the top accountant for the notorious and deadly Medellen Cartel, and brother of Pablo Escobar, the most famous drug lord in history. At the height of his reign, Pablo's multibillion-dollar operation smuggled tons of cocaine each week into countries all over the world. Roberto and his ten accountants kept track of all the money. Only Pablo and Roberto knew where it was stashed-and what it bought. And the amounts of money were simply staggering. According to Roberto, it cost $2,500 every month just to purchase the rubber bands needed to wrap the stacks of cash. The biggest problem was finding a place to store it: from secret compartments in walls and beneath swimming pools to banks and warehouses everywhere. There was so much money that Roberto would sometimes write off ten percent as "spoilage," meaning either rats had chewed up the bills or dampness had ruined the cash. Roberto writes about the incredible violence of the cartel, but he also writes of the humanitarian side of his brother. Pablo built entire towns, gave away thousands of houses, paid people's medical expenses, and built schools and hospitals. Yet he was responsible for the horrible deaths of thousands of people. In short, this is the story of a world of riches almost beyond mortal imagination, and in his own words, Roberto Escobar tells all: building a magnificent zoo at Pablo's opulent home, the brothers' many escapes into the jungles of Colombia, devising ingenious methods to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States, bribing officials with literally millions of dollars-and building a personal army to protect the Escobar family against an array of enemies sworn to kill them. Few men in history have been more beloved-or despised-than Pablo Escobar. Now, for the first time, his story is told by the man who knew him best: his brother, Roberto.
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0446543691
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
"I have many scars. Some of them are physical, but many more are scars on my soul. A bomb sent to kill me while I was in a maximum security prison has made me blind, yet now I see the world more clearly than I have ever seen it before. I have lived an incredible adventure. I watched as my brother, Pablo Escobar, became the most successful criminal in history, but also a hero to many of the people of Colombia. My brother was loved and he was feared. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in his funeral procession, and certainly as many people celebrated his death." These are the words of Roberto Escobar-the top accountant for the notorious and deadly Medellen Cartel, and brother of Pablo Escobar, the most famous drug lord in history. At the height of his reign, Pablo's multibillion-dollar operation smuggled tons of cocaine each week into countries all over the world. Roberto and his ten accountants kept track of all the money. Only Pablo and Roberto knew where it was stashed-and what it bought. And the amounts of money were simply staggering. According to Roberto, it cost $2,500 every month just to purchase the rubber bands needed to wrap the stacks of cash. The biggest problem was finding a place to store it: from secret compartments in walls and beneath swimming pools to banks and warehouses everywhere. There was so much money that Roberto would sometimes write off ten percent as "spoilage," meaning either rats had chewed up the bills or dampness had ruined the cash. Roberto writes about the incredible violence of the cartel, but he also writes of the humanitarian side of his brother. Pablo built entire towns, gave away thousands of houses, paid people's medical expenses, and built schools and hospitals. Yet he was responsible for the horrible deaths of thousands of people. In short, this is the story of a world of riches almost beyond mortal imagination, and in his own words, Roberto Escobar tells all: building a magnificent zoo at Pablo's opulent home, the brothers' many escapes into the jungles of Colombia, devising ingenious methods to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States, bribing officials with literally millions of dollars-and building a personal army to protect the Escobar family against an array of enemies sworn to kill them. Few men in history have been more beloved-or despised-than Pablo Escobar. Now, for the first time, his story is told by the man who knew him best: his brother, Roberto.
The First Book of Fashion
Author: Ulinka Rublack
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1474249906
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 421
Book Description
This captivating book reproduces arguably the most extraordinary primary source documents in fashion history. Providing a revealing window onto the Renaissance, they chronicle how style-conscious accountant Matthäus Schwarz and his son Veit Konrad experienced life through clothes, and climbed the social ladder through fastidious management of self-image. These bourgeois dandies' agenda resonates as powerfully today as it did in the sixteenth century: one has to dress to impress, and dress to impress they did. The Schwarzes recorded their sartorial triumphs as well as failures in life in a series of portraits by illuminists over 60 years, which have been comprehensively reproduced in full color for the first time. These exquisite illustrations are accompanied by the Schwarzes' fashion-focussed yet at times deeply personal captions, which render the pair the world's first fashion bloggers and pioneers of everyday portraiture. The First Book of Fashion demonstrates how dress – seemingly both ephemeral and trivial – is a potent tool in the right hands. Beyond this, it colorfully recaptures the experience of Renaissance life and reveals the importance of clothing to the aesthetics and every day culture of the period. Historians Ulinka Rublack's and Maria Hayward's insightful commentaries create an unparalleled portrait of sixteenth-century dress that is both strikingly modern and thorough in its description of a true Renaissance fashionista's wardrobe. This first English translation also includes a bespoke pattern by TONY award-winning costume designer and dress historian Jenny Tiramani, from which readers can recreate one of Schwarz's most elaborate and politically significant outfits.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1474249906
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 421
Book Description
This captivating book reproduces arguably the most extraordinary primary source documents in fashion history. Providing a revealing window onto the Renaissance, they chronicle how style-conscious accountant Matthäus Schwarz and his son Veit Konrad experienced life through clothes, and climbed the social ladder through fastidious management of self-image. These bourgeois dandies' agenda resonates as powerfully today as it did in the sixteenth century: one has to dress to impress, and dress to impress they did. The Schwarzes recorded their sartorial triumphs as well as failures in life in a series of portraits by illuminists over 60 years, which have been comprehensively reproduced in full color for the first time. These exquisite illustrations are accompanied by the Schwarzes' fashion-focussed yet at times deeply personal captions, which render the pair the world's first fashion bloggers and pioneers of everyday portraiture. The First Book of Fashion demonstrates how dress – seemingly both ephemeral and trivial – is a potent tool in the right hands. Beyond this, it colorfully recaptures the experience of Renaissance life and reveals the importance of clothing to the aesthetics and every day culture of the period. Historians Ulinka Rublack's and Maria Hayward's insightful commentaries create an unparalleled portrait of sixteenth-century dress that is both strikingly modern and thorough in its description of a true Renaissance fashionista's wardrobe. This first English translation also includes a bespoke pattern by TONY award-winning costume designer and dress historian Jenny Tiramani, from which readers can recreate one of Schwarz's most elaborate and politically significant outfits.