If you are just getting into precious metals, then this is the book for you. The first two things this Dummies book covers are the benefits and the risks of precious metals. Then, it covers the basics from investing, speculating, or trading. Mladjenovic's given you tips and hints that will help you understand what to do, even if you don't even know a thing about finance. (Because, I for one hardly knew anything about investing until after I read this book!) Not only does it include the basics on your gold and silver, but it also includes a chapter on uranium and base metals (e.g. copper). Mladjenovic does a great job of telling you how and why the market works. Plus, this book is a good buy anyway since precious metals are always highly valued in the world; they are a finite resource, and they are never worth zero!

I did not read the chapters on mining stocks, futures, and options. They're a bit too risky for me at the moment, but the bullion and the numismatics sections gave excellent examples and covered the basics very well. The main disappointment I had was the chapter on platinum and palladium. Compared to gold, silver, and uranium, there simply was not enough information that covered the basis of both elements. Only a few words on past market performance were mentioned. I was expecting a little more on platinum because it is the rarest metal on Earth. The websites given were also okay --good enough to point you in a certain direction but sometimes too vague.

This work by Paul Mladjenovic is an excellent contribution to the Dummies series. Rather than trying to entertain the reader which some Dummies authors try to do, the author writes in a serious yet comprehensible style. True to the title, the author gives dozens and dozens of websites helpful in educating oneself and in determining where to invest. The twenty-four chapters, Diversifying with Metals, The Beauty and Benefits of Metals, Discovering the Secret of Silver, Buying Metals Direct, etc. all add another dimension to the world of investing by oneself in precious metals. The work is slow-reading due to all the details but never boring or cumbersome.

What I was really hoping for was more detailed than this book could deliver. However, as far as the history of mineral commodities and an overview, this is a great place to start. I strongly recommend this book for its basic historical perspective. So, what is missing? How about a forecast of things to come?

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This is one of the best and most complete books on precious metals investing that I've read. It is great for the new investor with little or no knowledge on the subject or the more seasoned investor who has at least some limited experience. It's certainly not for the very experienced investor in precious metals. It's not that advanced. As it says, it's "A reference for the rest of us."

The book covers all sorts of PM investing, including mutual funds, ETFs, options, futures and physical holding. It gives the advantages and disadvantages of each and makes suggestions for several types of investors.

It also talks about the reporting of each type of bullion and touches on the IRS rulings and your responsibility when selling. It talks about the privacy issue and what type of bullion to buy to provide you with the greatest privacy.

There are also a number of wonderful resources listed in several chapters. I found a number of these resources extremely useful.

The author is a professional. He has no vested interest in selling gold or silver or other metals. It also talks to you about selling --- something many books fail to do. The author also discusses technical analysis and other ways to analyze a PM investment.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in investing in precious metals at any level. It talks about all forms of metals, not just gold.

-Susanna K. Hutcheson