Book excerpt: Many investors learn how to trade equity options, but many are unfamiliar with futures. As headlines about commodity prices proliferate, active, self-directed investors are turning their attention to futures. The Complete Guide to Futures Trading is a comprehensive introductory handbook to investing with commodity futures, including the increasingly popular mini(r) stock index futures and the new singles stock futures contracts. It offers how-to advice from finding a broker to opening an account to making a trade, and provides advice based on years of experience to help new traders get started in commodity futures.