The answer is yes. But you might be asking, “Who is Mike Piper?” Mike writes at a great blog called, Oblivious Investor. He’s written nearly a dozen books on accounting, taxes, and business entities that are generally less than 100 pages.
Who Are Mike’s Books For?
As a long-time CFO, I own two of his books. They are short and to the point. Are they for us, seasoned financial professionals with many years of accounting experience under our belts? No. But these are great books for non-accountants in finance departments. Even CEOs who find accounting fascinating would value from Mike’s books.
The Top Five
Providing the top books from an author or on any topic is difficult and subjective. In case you want to test the waters or buy copies for a staff member or CEO, here are the titles that should be on your radar:
Accounting Made Simple
This is one of the books I own. This is the book that every non-accountant should read who works in a finance department. For CEOs who like accounting, I’d suggest this title for them too. If they like it, they should follow up with Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements by Mary Buffett.
Taxes Made Simple
I do not have this Taxes Made Simple, but I bet every tax partner of the Big 10 firms in America would give this the thumbs up. Most might even say, “I wish I would have written this.” Please note this is geared toward the individual taxpayer.
LLC vs. S-Corp vs. C-Corp
Bob Jennings is the best tax speaker in the country. I once heard him say that tax professionals are sued the most over tax entity selection. I always found that insight intriguing. While Mike does not address the risks inherent in selecting one entity over the other, he explains the differences in plain, simple language. The perfect audience for this book? CEOs. New or newer tax professionals will find this book validating based on the CPE that covers this material.
Investing Made Simple
I’ve not read Investing Made Simple but based on Mike’s blog writing, I’m 100% certain the tenor of this book is about long-term investing and index funds. If that’s the case, asset allocation is probably addressed in this book too. I’ve interviewed Guy Spier, one of my favorite value investors. I know he’d be nodding in approval if he read this book.
Independent Contractor, Sole Propietor, and LLC Taxes
In this gig economy made up of thousands and thousands of Dan Pink free agents, I’m surprised this book does not have more reviews. Here’s betting the most misunderstood deduction for independent contractors is the standard mileage rate and how recapture works when a vehicle is sold when opting for this method.
I’m not sure if Mike would agree with my five above. For now, let’s call this a sampler. And yes, Mike Piper should be on your (reading) radar.
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