Courses Infomation

A Handbook o Primary Commodities in the Global Economy by Marian Radetzki

Forex Trading – Foreign Exchange Course

You want to learn about Forex?

Foreign exchange, or forex, is the conversion of one country’s currency into another.
In a free economy, a country’s currency is valued according to the laws of supply and demand.
In other words, a currency’s value can be pegged to another country’s currency, such as the U.S. dollar, or even to a basket of currencies.
A country’s currency value may also be set by the country’s government.
However, most countries float their currencies freely against those of other countries, which keeps them in constant fluctuation.

The world is going through an exceptional commodity boom triggered by a global demand shock largely caused by the sudden emergence of China and India as sizeable raw material importers. Prices of numerous commodities tripled between 2003 and 2006, resulting in huge windfalls for producers and a financial squeeze on consumers. A Handbook of Primary Commodities in the Global Economy is a guide to the ins and outs of this increasingly crucial part of the world economy. Assuming nothing more from readers than a basic understanding of economics, Marian Radetzki introduces and explains pertinent issues surrounding international commodity markets such as the global geography of raw materials, price formation, price trends, the role of commodity exchanges, the threat of depletion, cartel action, state ownership and the commodity nationalism.

Review

Review of the hardback: ‘Professor Radetzki has produced a magisterial account of primary commodities and their persistent and critical importance in the world economy. This timely, well-written, and accessible handbook covers the history and geography of the subject as well as the economics, institutions, and controversies involved, and deserves wide readership in industry and government offices as well as in academia.’ Thorvaldur Gylfason, University of Iceland

Review of the hardback: ‘A treasure chest of information based on 40 years of research and experience. An essential resource for understanding how commodity markets behave and why.’ John E. Tilton , Colorado School of Mines

Review of the hardback: ‘Markets have short memories. At a time when commodities are being heavily promoted to investors as a new asset class, Radetzki’s book brings a balanced and readable perspective to the analysis of what remain the workhorses of our industrial civilisation.’ David Humphreys, Chief Economist, Norilsk Nickel

Review of the hardback: ‘This book is essential reading for all those involved in any way with primary commodities. It provides a good perspective in which to place today’s preoccupations, and demonstrates that the underlying issues never change although their relative importance varies over time.’ The Ringsider

Review of the hardback: ‘It provides a very nice overview of a huge field, i.e., a worldwide scope and a focus on a large number of commodities. The most important strengths of the book include a solid economic analysis of commodity markets but with the avoidance of technical jargon, as well as the author’s ability to pedagogically address a mix of economic, political and historical factors shaping these markets.’ Resources, Conservation and Recycling

Review of the hardback: ‘Provides several valuable contributions related to primary commodities in international markets. … The book comes at an opportune point in time, provides a wealth of information, and is useful as a guide to really understanding the themes addressed.’ Resources, Conservation and Recycling

Review of the hardback: ‘A very timely and wide-ranging book.’ Journal of Economic Literature

Review of the hardback: ‘Wonderfully comprehensive.’ Resources Policy

Book Description

The world is going through an exceptional commodity boom. This book is a guide to the ins and outs of this increasingly crucial part of the world economy. Assuming nothing more from readers than a basic understanding of economics, Marian Radetzki introduces and explains pertinent issues surrounding international commodity markets.

Salepage : A Handbook o Primary Commodities in the Global Economy by Marian Radetzki

About Author

Marian Radetzki

Marian Radetzki is professor of economics at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. He has held visiting professorships at the Colorado School of Mines, USA, and at the Catholic University, Santiago, Chile. His research has since decades focused on issues related to the international markets for minerals and energy. Radetzki’s non-academic professional experiences comprise the positions as chief economist at CIPEC, the international copper cartel, as president of SNS Energy, a research institute focusing on international energy markets, and a plethora of consulting assignments for governments, multinational corporations and international organizations. Radetzki has an extended publication record in the field of his specialization. One of his most recent books, A Handbook of Primary Commodities in the Global Economy, was published in 2008 by Cambridge University Press, and subsequently Swedish and Spanish translations have appeared.