My intention in starting this book was to write a second edition of an earlier book I wrote, Consolidated Financial Statements: Concepts, Issues and Techniques (Paul Chapman Publishing, 1987). It soon became apparent that the area had changed so radically in the last eight years that a complete rewrite was necessary, and hence this new book has been born (or rather quarried!). It has the same objectives as the previous one, 'to facilitate an understanding of the technical processes underlying consolidation and group financial reporting within the context of contemporary accounting theory and practice'. Consolidated financial reporting is often viewed as a mere technical exercise. It is.
