Book review;

              Bulletin HASKINS & SELLS 95
Book Review
Pacioli, Lucas. A Treatise on Double-entry
Bookkeeping. Translated by Pietro
Crivelli, F.C.R.A. (Harper & Brothers,
New York, 1925. 125 p.)
Harper & Brothers have performed an
educational and meritorious service in
bringing to this country an English repro­duction
of Pacioli's Double-entry Book­keeping.
Pacioli, usually credited with
having invented double-entry bookkeeping,
whether or not entitled to that credit, is
the first one known to have written about
the subject, having brought out his book
at Venice, Italy, in 1494. The book was
translated into English from Italian, by
Pietro Crivelli, for the Institute of Book­keepers,
Limited, London, and has been
reproduced by Harper & Brothers.
The book is of interest to the accoun­tancy
profession, notwithstanding its di­dactic
character, because it shows the
origin of some of the theory on which
modern bookkeeping methods are based.
It is a book with which to sit down and
spend an hour or two of enjoyment, as
well as one from which profit may be de­rived.
Pacioli's style is quaint but clear, and
there is a note of drollery here and there
which is somewhat fascinating. For ex­ample:
"If you should desire you may include
with these household expenses all extraor­dinary
expenses, which you do not usu­ally
take notice of, that is, when you spend
money in playing various kinds of games,
or money or things which you might lose,
or may be stolen from you, or lost at sea
or through fires, etc., for all are intended
to be extraordinary expenses, which, if you
desire you may keep separately, as many
persons do, in order to know clearly at
the end of the year how much they have
spent as extraordinary expenses, and in
which should also be included gifts and
presents that you may make to anyone for
any reason."
Without presumption, it may be said
that the book should find a place in the
personal library of every accountant.