The global financial market has undergone tremendous growth during the thirty years from 1980 to 2009. This period can be described as one of the most memorable in the history of financial markets. The growth of leading economies - in combination with the unparalleled bounce in the emerging economies - pushed global financial markets to new dimensions during this period. This development provided us with new investment products that changed the landscape of traditional investment methodology. However, the achievement has not been an easy one. During this span of time, we witnessed several political, economic, and technological developments that changed the course of financial history. I convey my understanding of those developments in the context of my own vast experience in the global financial market. This book will be a good reference guide for students of finance and professionals (mainly due to an array of market data and a summary of lessons learnt from various market events). Finally, I bring together reasonable market scenarios that will likely manifest in the near term.