Reviews the book "Essentials of Accounting," by William A. Paton and Robert L. Dixon.

The article focuses on the organization of an accounting program in the U.S. According to the author, the accountant of the future, because of his specialty in quantitative controls, will be expected to have a more thorough grounding in numerical analysis, mathematical statistics, and courses involving operations-research, than perhaps any of the other specialties in the management group. He must have an educational background which is as broad as the background of prospective manager. Any steps which have the effect of pulling accounting education away from the business framework in which it has its origin, are steps in the wrong direction. the "ideal" educational program for professional accountants, would consist of an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, a two-year program in business, followed by whatever professional accounting work might be considered appropriate for the university to offer. Additional work in accounting at the professional level is a long-run problem which should be the joint responsibility of university accounting faculties and professional development programs.

Reviews the book "Essentials of Accounting," by William A. Paton.

Recent development which promises to have considerable effect on future accounting practice is the application of statistical sampling techniques to accounting. Sufficient experimentation has already taken place in both public and private accounting to indicate that sampling will shortly become an indispensable accounting tool. This raises challenging problems to accounting educators that can hardly be ignored any longer. The authors, in this article, are directing questions on the best way of teaching advanced sampling method to the accounting students and in developing competence in this area. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has recognized its increasing importance to auditors by establishing a committee to deal with the problem. The Institute of Internal Auditors has created a similar committee. Statistical sampling not only can produce equivalent or greater accuracy than a complete investigation, but it can also accomplish this in less time and at less cost.

Reviews the book "Accounting Theory," by Kenneth S. Most.

Reviews the book "Accounting and Society," edited by Ralph W. Estes.

Reviews the book "Accounting Theory," by Eldon S. Hendriksen.

Reviews the book "Auditing," by Roy T. Culey and Royal D.M. Bauer.

As indicated above, the increasing demands on CPAs and the ever-widening scope of their activities calls for a professional development program which is a combination of university education, self-study and research, and an organized program of courses directed to the professional accountant. The responsibility of each professional accountant to strive to improve his own capabilities through continued study is paramount. A mature profession likewise assumes a responsibility to develop a program to provide the means by which individuals within the profession can continue to develop in a professional manner throughout their careers. In the accounting profession this responsibility falls largely upon the national organizations of professional accountants.

Discusses the report of the Committee on Accounting for Social Performance of the American Accounting Association which explored the state of social accounting in the United States in 1975. Analysis of the practices in accounting and the reporting of corporate social performance; Investigation of corporate charitable contributions; Issues concerning the place of social accounting in accounting education.