The theme of this text is the relevance of accounting to an understanding of business. It provides insights into how business activity and accounting information are interlinked through the medium of a series of fictitious case scenarios within which a wide range of operational functions are explored. The scenarios cover a variety of business "settings" - for example, manufacturing industry, financial services, regulated business and the public sector. The functional perspective of the book generates insights which have implications for the development of accounting. This text can be used flexibly in a range of teaching situations where an integrative and interpretative emphasis is required, and is suitable for tutorial work. It is aimed at students on MBA, DMS and BABS courses, particularly those with an international emphasis, first-year accounting undergraduates and accounting specialists in the university and business school sector, and it may also be of use on HND courses. The text is not rooted in UK accounting standards or practice and can therefore be used to understand financial analysis in an international context.