a good book...not for beginners...requires good fundamental understanding and appreciation of corporate finance.
Positives - good explanations of concepts; detailed examples; very good presentation
Deltas - cost;

This book is exactly what it is titled. It is written for the equity analyst, to educate on how to analyze sophisticated financial statements. It is not written for an average investor or anyone not in this line of work. It is a textbook, not a paperback "how to invest" publication. Students with minimal accounting and finance experience should stay away. If, however, you are a finance professional looking to improve your ability to interpret (not create) financial statements, this book is the best available that I have seen. It segregates analysis into areas such as short-term liquidity, cash flow (using FAS 95), capital structure, return on investment, asset utilization, operating performance, etc., -and- how to meld these areas of analysis to uncover strengths and red flags. Again, this book is not for amateurs or even accountants. It is for current or aspiring professional analysts.

Detailed, comprehensive review of basic and more advanced topics in accounting and finance. Best suited for graduate level studies, and for students completed the beginner-level classes in financial accounting.
This book is not self-explanatory and induces students to think analytically. It is not aimed at those who simply want to know, but those who try to understand, those who try to get to the root of the issues.
If you don't mind to read the same chapter a few times, and willing to spend long hours working on problems you will find this book very rewarding. It will not only provide you with current developments in accounting, but it will teach you to think like financial analyst.
I won't recommend using this book without an instructor, or at very least a solution's manual.