For thousands of years, those who controlled and monitored societys financesaccountantswere often the most powerful, respected, and influential members of the community From the collectors at communal granaries in the ancient Middle East to the scribes who monitored Queen Victorias Exchequer, the accountants role has been to ожйуц preserve the integrity of financial systems In the United States, twentieth-century accountants played a vital role in shaping the transparencyof U S capital markets, counseling the Allies on financial matters in both world wars, advising Congress on the creation of the federal income tax, and inventing the concept of the gross national product Yet by 2003, the reputation of the publicaccountant was in tatters How did the accounting profession in America squander its legacy of public service? What happened to the accountants that presidents, senators, and captains of industry turned to for advice? Why did auditors stop looking for fraud? How did this once revered profession find itself in this unlikely and humiliating state?.  DHChipaISBN 0471423629.