Hot Commodities: How Anyone Can Invest Profitably in the World's Best Market » (Reprint)

Jim Rogers cofounded the Quantum Fund and retired at age thirty-seven. Since then, he has served as a some time professor of finance at Columbia University’s business school, and as a media commentator worldwide. He is the author of Adventure Capitalist and Investment Biker. He lives in New York City.

The next bull market is here. It’s not in stocks. It’s not in bonds. It’s in commodities –and some smart investors will be riding that bull to record returns in the next decade.

Before Jim Rogers hit the road to write his bestselling books Investment Biker and Adventure Capitalist, he was one of the world’s most successful investors. He cofounded the Quantum Fund and made so much money that he never needed to work again. Yet despite his success, Rogers has never written a book of practical investment advice–until now.

In Hot Commodities, Rogers offers the lowdown on the most lucrative markets for today and tomorrow. In 1998, gliding under the radar, a bull market in commodities began. Rogers thinks it’s going to continue for at least fifteen years–and he’s put his money where his mouth is: In 1998, he started his own commodities index fund. It’s up 165% since then, with more than $200 million invested, and it’s the single-best performing index fund in the world in any asset class. Less risky than stocks and less sluggish than bonds,, commodities are where the money is–and will be in the years ahead. Rogers’s strategies are simple and straightforward. You can start small–a few thousand dollars will suffice. It’s all about putting your money into stuff you understand, the basic materials of everyday life, like coal, sugar, cotton, corn, or crude oil. Once you recognize the cyclical and historical trading patterns outlined here, you’ll be on your way.

In language that is both colorful and accessible, but Rogers explains why the world of commodity investing can be one of the simplest of all–and how commodities are the bases by which investors can value companies, markets, and whole economies. To be a truly great investor is to know something about commodities.

For small investors and high rollers alike, Hot Commodities is as good as gold . . . or lead, or aluminum, which are some of the commodities Rogers says could be as rewarding for investors.

Library Journal

The founder of the Rogers International Commodities Index (RICI) has written a book to remind the world that there are investment opportunities beyond stocks and bonds. All too often, commodities are referred to as either a cautionary tale of people losing their shirt or else as a joke (pork bellies, anyone?). They are indeed big business, however, with a larger volume of sales than the stock exchanges, but they still remain relatively unknown. This book seeks to remedy that by providing necessary information to get investors started, which ranges from what commodities are to margin requirements and futures contracts. Needless to say, the RICI is touted as a smart way to invest, but there is plenty of advice for those who want to go it alone. There is also a section on China as the world's largest market, as well as chapters covering individual commodities including gold, oil, and sugar. Overall, a readable book that seeks to demystify an often overlooked investing option. Purchase where there is interest.-Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. of Ohio Libs., Oxford Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Introduction     vii
The Next New Thing Is-Things     3
"But..."     32
Stepping Up to Commodities     42
Stepping into the Commodities Markets     61
Notes from the Wild, Wild East     95
Goodbye, Cheap Oil     120
Gold-Mystique vs. Fundamentals     154
A Heavy Metal with the Potential to Be a High Flier     168
Searching for the Next Sugar High     178
Can Coffee Perk Up?     195
Conclusion     208
Appendix     215
Index     248