Gladiators, Pirates and Games of Trust

Book excerpt: "One of the best Decision Making and Game Theory books of all time." —Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn founder) and Nassim Nicholas Taleb (author of Black Swan), BookAuthority 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. One of the problems with game analysis is the fact that, as a player, it’s very hard to know what would benefit each of the other players. Some of us are not even clear about our own goals or what might actually benefit us. In Gladiators, Pirates, and Games of Trust, Haim Shapira shares humorous anecdotes and insightful examples to explain Game Theory, how it 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