It's the oil, stupid.

For the last thirty years, the price of oil has been the single most important determinant of the world economy. But now most geologists concur that the planet's supply of cheaply extractable oil, the traditional fuel that powers growth, will shortly be overtaken by demand. In the coming global turbulence, oil prices will top $100 a barrel, helping push inflation well into double digits and even posing a risk of intermittent deflation. The result will be an economy more rocky and a stock market more volatile than ever before.

Fortunately, experts Stephen Leeb and Donna Leeb provide a road map that will guide you through the worst of it-and point the way to financial success. With the help of their "all season" Oil Indicator, they'll show you how to choose the right investments for any market environment, guiding you toward portfolios that prize real assets. Among the crucial lessons you'll learn:

• Why oil and natural gas stocks should be core holdings in every investor's portfolio

• Why a cautious buy-and-hold strategy is a sure money loser and why conventional "safe" stocks are really the riskiest

• Why gold may be on the verge of a historic bull run

• How the global oil wars make defense stocks a premium buy

• Where to find the surest bets in the burgeoning field of alternative energy

• How to profit from real estate without actually owning any. With its hands-on advice and savvy stock recommendations, which offer an alternative to staying in pre-inflation-era positions and risking portfolio meltdown, THE OIL FACTOR promises to be the indispensable financial advice guide of the decade.
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