Belkaoui offers a critical analysis of accounting and the societal problems the profession faces. The roles played by accountants and auditors, the standard-setting and oversight processes, the history, function, and current status of the discipline itself--all are treated systematically and with candor. Clarifying our understanding of what is wrong and what is right with accounting in the context of public interest, the author probes questions of public policy and shows where correction, standardization, and legislation are needed. He reviews solutions advanced by the courts, the Internal Revenue Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and researchers in other fields, then offers his own constructive suggestions.