Stripping away the mystique from the world of investment and finance, How to Read the Financial Pages is a layman's guide to reading and understanding the financial press and the markets and events it covers. Assuming no financial knowledge, Michael Brett provides a valuable explanation of the workings of the financial world - from money markets to commodity markets, investment ratios to takeover bids. With an extensive glossary of financial terms, this book will help you through the financial columns to a better understanding of the language of markets and money. For ten years How to Read the Financial Pages has been an outstanding first-choice buy for everyone who wants a thorough - but friendly - grounding in finance and investment. What are stock markets, currency markets, commodities markets? How do they operate? What are derivatives? Could they cause the financial system to crash? What is meant by insider dealing? Why is it illegal? Who are the main players in the world of money? What do stock brokers, market makers, merchant bankers and underwriters actually do? How has the Internet affected private investors? What are the new opportunities?