Game Theory and Strategy
"Game Theory and Strategy" is an elegant, crystal-clear expository work. Philip Straffin presents the key ideas behind finite games in strategic and coalitional form, and provides many simple and intuitively appealing examples of applications to business, politics, economics, social psychology, philosophy, and evolutionary biology. Key concepts are emphasized and clearly explained. Here is a book for interested lay people, undergraduates or graduates with little knowledge of mathematics: even high-school seniors might appreciate it. -- Nature
Exercises at the end of each chapter (with answers provided in the back) and a list of references invite the reader to get actively involved. Special care has been taken in presenting interesting and diverse applications: among other things, Newcomb's problem and free will as an application to philosophy. The author has succeeded in producing an outstanding introductory textbook on game theory for an interdisciplinary audience at the college level. The reviewer has enjoyed reading it. -- Mathematical Reviews
Straffin's "Game Theory" book inspires the reader to learn more and indeed teach more about game theory. If the reader is a college professor, then she is inclined to beg to teach an introductory course on game theory just to have an excuse to use this book. On the other hand, if the reader is a student, he might just go and beg for that course to be offered. The level of most of this book is perfect for a freshman- or sophomore-level college course with students who are not afraid of basic algebra and geometry. Higher-level mathematics courses are not needed, but it helps if the reader is prepared to think mathematically and rigorously. -- The UMAP Journal
Saturday, January 9, 2010
