This is a comprehensive guide that examines how alternative asset classes can be incorporated into a diversified portfolio. Written by financial expert Mark J. P. Anson, this fully updated and revised Second Edition of the "Handbook of Alternative Assets" examines the five major classes of alternative assets - hedge funds, private equity, commodity futures, managed futures, and credit derivatives and outlines strategies for utilizing these assets to create a diversified portfolio. It also recommends complementary matches between alternative assets and various investment goals. This comprehensive handbook merges data and strategies, scattered in numerous volumes, into one handy reference guide for the serious investor. Mark J. P. Anson, PhD, CFA (Granite Bay, CA) is CEO of Hermes Pension Management Ltd. in London, which has over $60 billion in assets under management. He is the former CIO of CalPERS, where he oversaw the growth of assets from $127 billion to $201 billion. He has more than 20 years of investment management experience in the private sector and is a former portfolio manager at Oppenheimer Funds, Inc.