I've rated this book five stars but can only recommend it to those who will honestly look at themselves and listen to what the author is saying. This book is NOT primarily about commodities trading although traders (especially "part-timers") should read it. It's an autobiography that starts with the author's means of livelihood but then moves into a far more important aspect of his life - something few have the honesty to think about, and of which fewer still are willing to write about publicly.
After trading a small account (and losing) for a year I ran across this book. I was excited and encouraged by the author's successes but chose to ignore or downplay his failures and warnings. "Surely that wouldn't happen to me, a Christian...after all, my motives are of the highest order [or are they?] and I would gladly donate half of what I make to good causes" [as long as it's half of a million]. In short, I didn't fully understand the subject which comes out as the main focus of this book, and because of this, I didn't heed the warning to us over-confident part-timers. Nevertheless, after near-bankruptcy three years later, I have a much better understanding of the more important things Mark Ritchie attempts to convey.
On second thought, based on the main focus of the book, I FULLY recommend it to all who can get their hands on it! Better to expose underlying bankruptcy and hypocrisy now, thus creating desire for a cure, rather than later when the remedy is no longer offered. I dare you to read it with an open and honest mind, but be especially careful, and read some of the primary source material cited. If this doesn't stir up your thinking you probably can't be stirred!