Includes bibliographical references and index.

Agricultural production : crops -- Agricultural production : livestock -- Aquaculture -- Fishing, commercial -- Forestry -- Adhesives and sealants -- Biotechnology -- Chemicals, agricultural -- Chemicals, industrial inorganic -- Chemicals, industrial organic -- Medicinal and botanical products -- Paints and coatings -- Pharmaceuticals -- Soaps and detergents -- Toiletries and cosmetics -- Computers -- Data processing services -- Information technology services -- Asphalt paving and roofing materials -- Bridge, tunnel, and elevated highway construction -- Cement, hydraulic -- Concrete, gypsum, and plaster products -- Construction, nonresidential building -- Construction, residential building -- Logging -- Appliances, household -- Audio and video equipment, household -- Electric lighting and wiring equipment -- Electronic components -- Motors and generators -- Photographic equipment and supplies -- Semiconductors -- Watches and Clocks -- Amusement parks -- Gaming and gambling establishments -- Hotels and other lodging places -- Motion picture and video production and distribution -- Sports clubs and promoters -- Toys and sporting goods -- Video tape rental and retail -- Banking and insurance -- Commodity and futures trading -- Credit and debit card issuers -- Real estate -- Alcoholic beverages -- Cereal products -- Coffee, roasted -- Fats and oils -- Flour and other grain mill products -- Soft drinks and bottled water -- Tobacco products -- Furniture, household -- Furniture, office -- Glass containers and glassware -- Plastics materials and resins -- Rubber products, fabricated -- Tires and inner tubes -- Elevators and moving stairways -- Engines and turbines -- Machinery and equipment, agricultural -- Machinery and equipment, general industrial -- Machinery, refrigeration and service industry -- Office machines -- Book publishing -- Cable and other pay-television services -- Information retrieval services -- Internet services -- Newspaper publishing -- Periodical publishing -- Prepackaged software -- Printing, commercial -- Radio broadcasting -- Telecommunications equipment -- Telecommunications services -- Television broadcasting stations -- Hospitals -- Ophthalmic goods -- Surgical and medical equipment -- Hand tools and hardware -- Irons and steel foundries -- Jewelry, silverware, and plated ware -- Metal cans -- Metal, fabricated structural -- Metals, primary nonferrous -- Steel mills -- Mining, coal -- Mining, gemstone -- Mining, metal -- Paper mills -- Paperboard containers and boxes -- Paperboard mills -- Pulp mills -- Lubricating oils and greases -- Petroleum and natural gas, crude -- Petroleum refining -- Accounting, auditing, and bookkeeping services -- Advertising agencies -- Engineering services -- Legal services -- Management consulting services -- Personnel services -- Automobile dealers -- Catalog and mail-order services -- Grocery stores -- Passenger car rental -- Restaurants -- Retail department stores, variety stores, and general merchandise stores -- Wholesalers -- Apparel -- Leather goods and accessories -- Textile mills -- Aircraft -- Defense and armaments -- Motor vehicle parts and accessories -- Motor vehicles -- Shipbuilding and repair -- Train equipment -- Air transportation -- Postal services -- Rail transportation -- Trucking and courier services -- Water transportation -- Elementary and secondary schools -- Energy.

Chronicles the history, development and current status of the world's most lucrative and high profile industries. Each entry covers size and economic/social impact of the industry; its organization and structure; its history and development; major countries and companies involved (including rankings); size and nature of the work force; and research.