Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust: How Game Theory, Strategy and Probability Rule Our Lives
“One of the best decision making and game theory books of all time.”  —Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn founder

GAME THEORY 101: An accessible, light-hearted exploration of game theory—what it is, why it’s important, and how it can help us in our daily lives.

 
Game theory is the mathematical formalization of interactive decision-making—it assumes that each player’s goal is to maximize his/her benefit, whatever it may be. Players may be friends, foes, political parties, states, or any entity that behaves interactively, whether collectively or individually. But it’s very hard to know what would benefit the other players—and some of us are not even clear about our own goals or what might benefit us.
 
In Gladiators, Pirates, and Games of Trust, Haim Shapira shares humorous anecdotes and insightful examples to explain how Game theory affects our daily lives, and how the different interactions between decision-makers can play out. In this book, you will:

   • Meet Nobel Laureate John F. Nash and familiarize yourself with Nash equilibrium
   • Learn the basic ideas of the art of negotiation
   • Visit the gladiators’ ring and apply for a coaching position
   • Build an airport and divide inheritance
   • Issue ultimatums and learn to trust
   • Review every aspect of the prisoner’s dilemma and learn about the importance of cooperation
   • Learn how statistics bolster lies
   • And much more!
 
Not since Avinash Dixit’s The Art of Strategy has an author attempted to teach a general audience the deeply practical and intriguing truths about game theory.
1124063962
Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust: How Game Theory, Strategy and Probability Rule Our Lives
“One of the best decision making and game theory books of all time.”  —Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn founder

GAME THEORY 101: An accessible, light-hearted exploration of game theory—what it is, why it’s important, and how it can help us in our daily lives.

 
Game theory is the mathematical formalization of interactive decision-making—it assumes that each player’s goal is to maximize his/her benefit, whatever it may be. Players may be friends, foes, political parties, states, or any entity that behaves interactively, whether collectively or individually. But it’s very hard to know what would benefit the other players—and some of us are not even clear about our own goals or what might benefit us.
 
In Gladiators, Pirates, and Games of Trust, Haim Shapira shares humorous anecdotes and insightful examples to explain how Game theory affects our daily lives, and how the different interactions between decision-makers can play out. In this book, you will:

   • Meet Nobel Laureate John F. Nash and familiarize yourself with Nash equilibrium
   • Learn the basic ideas of the art of negotiation
   • Visit the gladiators’ ring and apply for a coaching position
   • Build an airport and divide inheritance
   • Issue ultimatums and learn to trust
   • Review every aspect of the prisoner’s dilemma and learn about the importance of cooperation
   • Learn how statistics bolster lies
   • And much more!
 
Not since Avinash Dixit’s The Art of Strategy has an author attempted to teach a general audience the deeply practical and intriguing truths about game theory.
14.95 In Stock
Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust: How Game Theory, Strategy and Probability Rule Our Lives

Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust: How Game Theory, Strategy and Probability Rule Our Lives

by Haim Shapira
Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust: How Game Theory, Strategy and Probability Rule Our Lives

Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust: How Game Theory, Strategy and Probability Rule Our Lives

by Haim Shapira

Paperback

$14.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Ships in 6-10 days
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

“One of the best decision making and game theory books of all time.”  —Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn founder

GAME THEORY 101: An accessible, light-hearted exploration of game theory—what it is, why it’s important, and how it can help us in our daily lives.

 
Game theory is the mathematical formalization of interactive decision-making—it assumes that each player’s goal is to maximize his/her benefit, whatever it may be. Players may be friends, foes, political parties, states, or any entity that behaves interactively, whether collectively or individually. But it’s very hard to know what would benefit the other players—and some of us are not even clear about our own goals or what might benefit us.
 
In Gladiators, Pirates, and Games of Trust, Haim Shapira shares humorous anecdotes and insightful examples to explain how Game theory affects our daily lives, and how the different interactions between decision-makers can play out. In this book, you will:

   • Meet Nobel Laureate John F. Nash and familiarize yourself with Nash equilibrium
   • Learn the basic ideas of the art of negotiation
   • Visit the gladiators’ ring and apply for a coaching position
   • Build an airport and divide inheritance
   • Issue ultimatums and learn to trust
   • Review every aspect of the prisoner’s dilemma and learn about the importance of cooperation
   • Learn how statistics bolster lies
   • And much more!
 
Not since Avinash Dixit’s The Art of Strategy has an author attempted to teach a general audience the deeply practical and intriguing truths about game theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781786780102
Publisher: Watkins Media
Publication date: 02/14/2017
Pages: 176
Sales rank: 660,516
Product dimensions: 5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Haim Shapira was born in Lithuania in 1962 and immigrated to Israel in 1977, where he earned a PhD in mathematical genetics for his dissertation on Game Theory and another PhD for his research about the mathematical and philosophical approaches to Infinity. He teaches mathematics, psychology, philosophy, and literature. Haim is an author of seven best-selling books. Shapira is not trying to make his readers agree with him, but simply encourages them to enjoy thinking. He is one of Israel's most popular and in-demand speakers and gives lectures on creativity and strategic thinking, existential philosophy and philosophy in children's literature, happiness and optimism, nonsense and insanity, imagination and the meaning of meaning, as well as friendship and love. He is also an accomplished pianist and an avid collector of anything beautiful.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Diner's Dilemma: (How to Lose Many Friends Really Fast) 3

Chapter 2 The Blackmailer's Paradox 8

Chapter 3 The Ultimatum Game 15

Chapter 4 Games People Play 26

Spotlight The Keynesian Beauty Contest 48

Chapter 5 The Marriage Broker: (A Little on the Connections between the Nash Equilibrium, Buffaloes, Matchmaking and the Nobel Prize) 52

Intermezzo The Gladiators Game 76

Chapter 6 The Godfather and the Prisoner's Dilemma 78

Chapter 7 Penguin Mathematics 93

Intermezzo The Raven Paradox 104

Chapter 8 Going, Going … Gone!: (A Brief Introduction to Auction Theory) 107

Intermezzo The Newcomb Paradox 118

Chapter 9 The Chicken Game and the Cuban Missile Crisis 120

Chapter 10 Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics 131

Chapter 11 Against All Odds 147

Chapter 12 On Fairly Sharing a Burden 156

Chapter 13 Trust Games 162

Chapter 14 How to Gamble If You Must 169

Conclusion Game Theory Guidelines 173

Reference Notes 177

Bibliography 181

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews