Sneak Preview: Stocks With Growing Power

Editor's note: This is a special sneak preview of Jim Cramer's just-released book, Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer). Look for more sneak previews every day, and get your free copy with your annual subscription to Action Alerts PLUS; click here for details. Catch Cramer in person at his last book signing event: Saturday, Jan. 12, at 1 p.m. in Westbury, Long Island's Costco.

Missed the first sneak previews? Read the book intro and the rules of getting and staying rich: Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4 and Rule 5. Know what pros do right and amateurs do wrong: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5. Learn the five mini-bull markets that will stampede for years, starting with aerospace and defense, agriculture, oil and oil service, minerals and mining and infrastructure.

Agriculture

Energy independence is a goal of both American political parties. The farm states have tremendous political power. That combination has produced one of the most amazing booms that our nation has ever seen: the agricultural boom, which is still in its infancy.

You may not be filling up with ethanol yet -- you may not even believe in renewable resources -- but the commitment's been made, and being a farmer in this country is going to be lucrative for years to come. Throw in the fact that the federal government has proven to be completely incapable of reining in farm subsidies and you can see why "farm" replaces "pharma" in this generation's raging bull markets.

Most people on Wall Street are skeptical of this group. They view it as a boom-bust sector, a cyclical sector with good times and bad. They fail to realize that the commitment to domestic fuels that don't destroy the environment (hence no coal) is irreversible and growing.

Cramer on Stocks vs. Mutual Funds

I like to look at the stocks in the ag bull market as secular growers, immune to the economy's vicissitudes. They should be viewed not as companies that help bring food to market but as companies that are the new oil-service companies, suppliers of energy at less and less cost each year, as the companies improve their products.