» Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction

Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Hit and miss
Comment: The chapter on Zero-Sum game is excellent. However, when it comes to non-zero-sum games, it becomes very confusing. The examples, and the characters in the examples are inconsistent and confusing.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Hubby is learning lots
Comment: Got this for hubby for his b-day off his wish list and well he loves it. Says he is learning a lot! Did tell me it was a tough read but still learning from it.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Optimax solution (for me)
Comment: This is my "Goldilocks/Babybear" game theory book. Not too hard, not to soft, just right.

Without calculus, Davis provides a complete introduction to an arcane but useful mathematical discipline. The Compleat Strategyst: Being a Primer on the Theory of Games of Strategy by Williams was too soft. It used the simplest possible methods to address the concepts being discussed, and barely acknowledged some of the most interesting topics in game theory. Games and Decisions: Introduction and Critical Survey by Luce and Raiffa was good, up until you hit the calculus (pretty quickly in each chapter), after which I have no basis to form an opinion.

Davis hits all the important concepts of game theory without resorting to sigma notation or even more occult symbols (unlike Luce and Raiffa). He does, however, require a fairly solid understanding of algebra, (unlike Williams). With this fairly humble prerequisite knowledge, Davis takes the non-mathematician where he or she needs to go, and provides a fairly complete level of understanding.

I would recommend this one as a perfect sequel to Williams, should the reader not be challenged, or as a stand-alone for the marginally mathematically literate (such as myself) who need a practical understanding of mathematically grounded decision making.

E. M. Van Court

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Customer Rating:
Summary: great
Comment: it was received in ample time for school and in great condition
a pleasure to work with
thanks so much

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Entry point. Well Written.
Comment: The book is very well written, and surprisingly easy to read, considering how dry the subject matter can be at times. Gives a very nice introduction to the topic, and finishes off with a more formal discussion of some advanced topics.

If you are a mathematician, this book is probably excruciatingly easy for you, and probably has little academic value. But, if you are a layman, with an interest in systems and games, it really gives you a lot to think about, and a new way to think about it. It introduces a method of determining possible outcomes, as well as giving a nice overview of more sophisticated concepts, should you decide to explore the topic more fully.

Each chapter begins with some questions to consider while reading, and detailed answers to help at the back of each chapter. The only real issue I found with the book is that the questions are missing from chapter one, yet the answers are there. Odd.

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