ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the price manipulation over the centuries has been conducted through several stratagems, which because of their complexity and scope, are confusing to the uninitiated. The following is a brief primer that is intended as a guide in understanding how stock and commodity market price manipulations have been carried out historically and how traders seek to profit from such operations. For example, a particularly popular tool for carrying out commodity price manipulations is the futures contract, which is a derivative contract traded on licensed contract markets, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The parties to a futures contract agree to make and take delivery on a particular date in the future. Concerns over commodity price manipulations appeared early in American history.
