"Hot Commodities" by Jim Rogers - Book Review

I'm starting to clear through some of the backlog on the books that were recently read that are worthy of posting about. "Hot Commodities: How Anyone Can Invest Profitability In The World's Best Market" by Jim Rogers published in 2003 by Random House picks up where Jim left off in his previous two books "Investment Biker" and "Adventure Capitalist". In earlier books, he hinted at being bullish on commodities but this book lays out for the average investor his thesis and rationale behind a focus on commodities.

True to form, Rogers covers the world of commodities investing in his own unique style describing the basics of investing in commodities and the cyclical nature of these markets.
He covers a range of commodities markets including: Gold, Steel, Nickel/Base Metals, Sugar, and Coffee. In each of these areas he provides his own macro view of supply and demand and makes the case for the respective commodity. Many of his comments highlight the increase in demand from BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations which a particular focus on China as a major driver of commodity demand over the coming decades. He also provides an interesting review of facts relating to the lack of supply and under investment in sustaining the supply capability for various commodities.

Overall, Jim Rogers is a highly entertaining author and talented investor that offers some useful insights to investors in terms of the unconventional way in which he approaches investing opportunities. Mr. Rogers is truly a pioneer of what is now termed "global macro" investing although he himself admits that he doesn't think of it in those terms. Rather, he focuses on finding solid investment ideas anywhere in the world, regardless of asset class. He is supposed to be releasing an upcoming book detailing his investment view towards China according to Amazon titled "A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World's Greatest Market" scheduled for release in December this year.

http://www.jimrogers.com/ Mr. Rogers' website provides further details regarding his previous books (Highly Recommended) and his part round the world adventures.

Bottom line = This is a great book that leverages Jim Rogers easy reading style and covers the opportunities in investing in commodities. Views are interesting while the data points are somewhat dated given the 2003 publication date. If you're into investing and want to get a take on commodities or even an interesting perspective on the impact that they have on other asset classes give this book a read.