I get queries which books to follow for MAFA/Strategic Management.
I have already covered it in a couple of postings before.
Here is an elaborate list and my recos next to it.
1. Choice #1: Padhukas material: This one is quite comprehensive and works well for both old and new syllabus.The advantage is that it has all RTPs,Old exam questions,step-wise solved solutions,easy english,exam-oriented approach,etc.It is also quite comprehensive and totally in a question-answer format.
If you have this and the Study material, it is more than enough.
(Only defect:some errors here and there in final answers,more can be done on paper quality and unwanted decorations on the coverpage.It sort of acts as turn-off for some students.But man, these are small defects, when compared to the stuff inside.It should always be substance over style)
2. Pattabhi and Bala(Snowwhite publications):This one is good to hold and carry,nice layout and lucid english, to the point and exam oriented,explains theory concepts well,examples are apt and doesnot beat around the bush.
However, this lacks comprehensiveness like Padhukas and this can be coupled with Prime Academy coaching or some other form of coaching.(However, I also know some who have done self-study purely by this book and passed out.Atleast that is what they claim.)
3.Sridharan book:This one is good for new syllabus.Old syllabus is average.However, the content is more of problem oriented.
Theory is lacking here woefully, but at places is good in this area also.
One can pass with this book.
4. Prasanna Chandra books: He is good but got to buy one more for portfolio and the main problem is that one gets sopoforic(sleepy) while reading the texts.The english is antiquated and a drag.
The layout has a lot to improve.However, one can pass with this book.
5. Khan and Jain: This one is good, I used this and Horngren personally(Apart from attending class).During my time there was no Padhukas!(else I would have been the firts to grab, you guys are lucky to have Padhukas!)
One can definitely pass with this alone but one has to supplement with something additional.
6.Sreeram Coaching point book by L.Muralidharan--Its ok.I wont say it is great.His coaching is good.However, one defect is, he concentrates on "unique solution" for each problem and there are no step-wise universal solutions(which is tweakable).
Also,the guy is very egoistic, which makes it difficult for students to approach him and ask.{(Incidentally Saravana Prasath studied under him but after gettig his first rank branched out and started Gurukripa coaching centre(which publishes the Padhukas books).Apparently, he(Saravana prasath) could not tolerate the guy!}Now, I might be totally wrong, I dont intend to be personal on anyone and this is based on information got from many friends and wellwishers.
The guy is no doubt very intelligent but he sets the problems all tough from foreign authors in his study material and classes and bamboozles the students and make them think the course or subject is tough(though he never mentions anything to that effect anywhere)
One thing MAFA theory can be read from his book.Thats about it.
7. Book by Sankara Coaching point--Never mind.Has lot to improve.
8. Ashish Kalra--Worst book--You dont pass purely by this book alone.Maybe you gotta attend his class.But after reading his book, I would not dare to attend his class.Some students swear by his class(I would term them his 'chamchas').Again, nothing personal against him, I dont even know how he looks, just seeing the book, I could guess.
9.SN Maheshwari: Good but tedious on the eyes and presentation makes one sick with fever! But if one is upto it, one can pass the exam easily.
10. Vanhorne--This one is a great book but obviously.I also used this for my MBA while doing it in USA.But for CA exam, I sometimes think it is an overkill.But it is good to have it in shelf because whenever one gets bored reading a single reference text, one can just casually pore over the pages to get inspired.
11. Colin Drury--This has more of costing relevance than MAFA/Strategic Management but then it also contains some nice inputs.The book without solutions manual would be frustrating.
12. Brearly and Meyers--This one is fantastic.However the point 10 which I said supra holds for this also.Dont waste too much time on these books.(One of them is enough)
13. Rajesh Makkar--Book is ok but one should take up classes.My sardarji friend in Delhi swears by Mr.Makkar.He says he is good.But got to see as he is giving the exam this time.
All this is apart from Study Material,RTP and Compilers(This I dont need to say again and again I guess).
There are many other books too in the market, but they are all passable.I have seen almost all of them.There might some coaching material being circulated in Northindia which I might have missed.Im a Southindian from Chennai and my ambit is Southindia and Mumbai to an extent.
The above books give you some reasonable knowledge and also great chance of passing the exam is all I can say.
If you want to try any book other than the books I mentioned above, you may give it a shot but before that make a comparitive study in the book shop itself a bit and see if all topics have been adequately covered.
Bury fear for this subject and this subject is your slave, else it is your master.
Best of Luck!
CAclubindia
