The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth's Resources
About
Shortlisted for the Financial Times McKinsey Business Book of the Year AwardAn Economist Book of the YearThe modern world is built on commodities - from the oil that fuels our cars to the metals that power our smartphones.We rarely stop to consider where they have come from. But we should.The World for Sale lifts the lid on one of the least scrutinized corners of the world economy: the billionaire commodity traders who buy, hoard, and sell the earths resources. It is the story of how a handful of swashbuckling businessmen became indispensable cogs in global markets, enabling an enormous expansion in international trade and connecting resource-rich countries - no matter how corrupt or war-torn - with the worlds financial centers. The result is an eye-opening tour through the wildest frontiers of the global economy, as well as a revelatory guide to how capitalism really works.
Why it’s great
Behind the oil, metals, and grain that power modern life sits a secretive world of commodity traders who buy, hoard, and sell the Earth's resources. This award-shortlisted book throws open the doors on those billionaire dealmakers and the outsized role they play in global markets. For a high-schooler eyeing agribusiness, it's a gripping education in how raw goods, including food, become some of the most valuable commodities on the planet.
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