This is an older book (1996), another of the "it's been on my shelf a long time and it's about time I read it" volumes.  Maskell is the guru of lean accounting and metrics.  This book is primarily addressed to those of you (not me) who already have a grounding in manufacturing and cost accounting. 

The book is a general overview of the subject; it comes across as a set of essays on the topics it covers.  It's a fairly easy read, even for those of us who don't know a lot about traditional or lean cost accounting.

If I have a problem with the book, it's that it's too general.  If you know lean but want to learn more about lean accounting, Maskell (and others) have better books that address that need.  If you want to know about lean, this isn't the place to start. 

It's not that Maskell doesn't make the attempt to provide direction.  Chapter Four, for example, provides a four stage approach to simplification of accounting systems.  In Stage One, Maskell tells us to "Eliminate Labor Reporting".  OK so far.  But Maskell doesn't actually tell us how to go about it, he simply provides an argument for the benefits of doing it.  Mind you, this isn't a bad thing but one might be forgiven for expecting more "how to" than one gets from this book.

I'd recommend this book, but only to a fairly narrow audience: accounting folks who know a bit about lean and are looking for an introduction to some of the arguments in favor of making changes to their company's cost accounting systems.