Two journalists expose one of the least scrutinized corners of the world economy: the workings of the billionaire commodity traders who buy, hoard and sell the earth's resources. It is the story of how a handful of swashbuckling businessmen became indispensable cogs in global markets, enabling an enormous expansion in international trade, and connecting resource-rich countries--no matter how corrupt or war-torn--with the world's financial centers. It is also the story of how some traders acquired political power, under the noses of western regulators and politicians, helping Saddam Hussein to sell his oil, fueling the Libyan rebel army during the Arab Spring, and funneling cash to Vladimir Putin's Kremlin in spite of western sanctions. A tour through the wildest frontiers of the global economy, as well as a guide to how capitalism really works.