Book excerpt: The Single Most Comprehensive Source of Commodity and Futures Market Information Available Since 1939, professional traders, commercial hedgers, portfolio managers, and speculators have come to regard The CRB Commodity Yearbook as the "bible" of the industry. Here is a wealth of authoritative data, gathered from government reports, private industry, and trade and industry associations, all compiled by the Commodity Research Bureau, the organization of record for the entire commodity industry. The Yearbook is absolutely essential for identifying changing trends in supply and demand and for projecting important price movements. It gives investors: Worldwide supply/demand and production/consumption data for all the basic commodities and futures markets-from A(luminum) to Z(inc), including all the major markets in interest rates, currencies, energy, and stock index futures Over 900 tables, graphs, and price charts of historical data, many of which show price history dating back to 1900 Fact-filled CD-ROM provides readers with valuable commodity information in an easy-to-use electronic format Concise introductory articles describe the salient features of each commodity and help put the quantitative information in perspective Articles on key markets and important issues concerning the commodity industry. The 2007 Yearbook features articles by CRB Chief Economist, Richard W. Asplund, including: Commodity Prices Extend 2001-06 Bull Market to New Highs Fed Engineers a Soft-Landing for the U.S. Economy in 2006 World Economic Expansion Continues Through 2006 U.S. Housing Bubble Bursts and Faces Long Recovery Road Strong Ethanol Demand Drives Corn Prices to 10-Year Highs For anyone dealing in commodities, The CRB Commodity Yearbook 2007 offers an abundance of valuable information and indispensable guidance for decision making.