Getting started in alternative investments / Matthew Dearth, Swee Yong Ku.

Includes index.

"Ask someone on the street about investing and the answer will likely refer to stocks or maybe bonds. Together with cash, these constitute the "traditional" financial assets and are accessible to individuals through direct purchase (buying shares of stock) or through funds (i.e., mutual funds in the US, unit trusts in Europe). Any investment that is not stocks, bonds, or cash is considered an alternative investment. In this book, IPOs (initial public offering) and SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) are considered specialized examples of stocks, as are nearly all ETFs (exchange traded funds). Although some alternative investment strategies trade in exchange-listed public assets --hedge funds being one example-- many alternative asset classes involve investments in entities that are not traded on an exchange ("unlisted"); these are often referred to as belonging to the "private markets". Private markets assets include ownership stakes in private companies (most commonly Venture Capital and Private Equity), some Real Estate and Infrastructure investments, and Impact Funds as examples. Beyond these investments in companies and projects, alternative investments also include commodities, collectibles, and a wide range of other assets that are not stocks, bonds, or cash"--