A Trader's First Book on Commodities

Helena Travaka of the Library Journal had this to say:

 

Garner (Commodity Options), a market analyst and commodities broker, has written an easy-to-understand beginner's guide to commodities trading, commodities being bulk goods traded on a financial exchange, everything from coffee to cocoa, gold, platinum, and currency. She covers the history of commodities trading, the lingo (Chapter 14 does a nice job of defining "Futures Slang and Terminology"), how to choose a brokerage firm, as well as how to find a broker who will work well with your particular needs. In this commodity trading book, her coverage is international in scope, showing her extensive knowledge, although she is relatively new to the vocation. There is up-to-date information on what to look for when considering commodities trading--from margin calls to stock indexes to maintaining a balanced outlook in the face of possible fear, greed, frustration, or loss. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in exploring the world of commodities trading, whether to do some trading or simply to get a better understanding of this area of finance.--Helena Travka, Cleveland P.L.

 

Leslie Masonson wrote in Futures Magazine:

 

Garner provides a realistic and candid view of the commodity markets based on her experience as a senior market analyst and broker. She continually points out the pitfalls and potential hardships for new traders to warn them of the potential risks involved in commodity trading. She recommends that a combination of technical, seasonal, and fundamental factors be used to form an educated opinion of a commodity’s price action. Furthermore, Garner says that “you should approach every trade with modesty and with the understanding that you could be wrong.”

Garner tackles a multifaceted subject and distills it into easily understandable chapters. Her straight forward and logical approach also helps readers absorb the critical information with ease. Newbie futures traders will find the material presented to be a valuable and worthwhile introduction to the subject.

 

Steve Burns, Author of "New Trader, Rich Trader" had this to say:

 

Carley Garner has written a high quality beginners book for commodities trading and she does a very good job explaining the basics you'll need to know in order to get started trading in these markets. You will learn the history of commodity futures and how they came to exist and why. The book explains that all commodity brokerage accounts are also margin accounts while showing both the advantages to leverage and the risks involved in using margin.

She includes fascinating chart examples from history showing what would have been won or lost during potential irregular trading periods, which is what traders refer to as volatility within the markets.