Customer Reviews

Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the name implies, this is a non-technical introduction to a very complex and technical subject. As such, the writer walks a very fine line between making the subject matter understandable to the lay-person and providing scientific support for his arguments. He is able to do this with a mixed level of success.

The first few chapters of the book deal with relatively simple subject matter, two person zero sum games. In these chapters, the author is easily able to explain the concepts and solutions without getting technical. However, as the book progresses, the author grapples with ever more complex problems, such as two person non-zero-sum games and with n-person games. As the problems become more complex, the author's explanations become less well organized and clear. It is obvious that behind the arguments stand solid mathematical reasoning, however since the book tries to avoid mathematics as much as possible, many of the explanations and assumptions remain vague.

Although I was familiar with many of the concepts in the book, this is the first book I have read on game theory. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Although I would have liked to receive more in-depth explanations in many cases, I felt that the book opened a window for me into this fascinating world. I was especially pleased with the many real world examples the author uses to illustrate the wide-ranging applications of game theory. These examples include an application of game theory to the evolution of species; and the use of game theory to determine who holds the power in a political system. More well known concepts, such as the Prisoners' Dilemma, are also comprehensively discussed.

Bottom line, this is a really enjoyable book that covers a very challenging subject. If a non-technical introduction to game theory is what you want, this is the book for you. However, if you are more mathematically inclined or have already read a book or two on the subject, you will probably want to pick up a more advanced book.

Davis' book suffers from its very nature -- it attempts to explain a highly technical, that is, mathematical, subject without using mathematics. Davis is only partially successful in avoiding the use of mathematics; given the almost impossible nature ot the task, he does quite a good a job at explaining game theory.

The chapters on zero sum games hold together nicely and manage to leave the reader with an understanding of their nature as well as how to arrive at a Pareto-optimal solution. (Small rant: It drives me absolutely bonkers when I hear business school grads tossing around the word "Pareto" as if they had any idea of what they spoke!) When non-zero sum games are introduced, however, Davis simply cannot overcome the complexity of trying to explain multi-variable solutions with mere words. He resorts to quasi-mathematical explanations or makes assumptions that would not be at all obvious to the lay reader.

This book is an excellent refresher in game theory, or a good primer for those with some knowledge of the topic and some intuitive mathematics.

This is an extremely well written book. It strikes a good balance between a mere book of giving skin deep introductory knowledge of game theory, and a book with too much technical stuff (esp. mathematical proof). The author made a good job almost like Stephen Hawking and Richard Feyman to explain difficult thing with an easy and friendly way. What's more, the author included also many varies paradoxes, theroms from many great leaders in the game theory's field. In beginning of each chapter, the author listed some questions for the reader to think about, before moving forward. I must say this is a very good book for those who are not very sophisticated and advance in mathematics, or as a very first entry for anyone who wants to pursuit and learn game theory.

I found this book at a used book store and while I generally need little prodding to purchase a math book, in this case a quick glance through the first few pages convinced me to purchase it. Although human emotions are powerful forces in our lives, many of our decisions are still made based on rational thought and perceived benefit. This is the realm of game theory, which is an analysis of decision-making based on the interpretation of rewards and punishment.
The first games examined in this book are the standard ones of two-person zero-sum games, first with and then without equilibrium points. A two-person zero-sum game is one where the winnings of one player must match the losses of the other. In other words, the sum total of value held by the two players is a constant. This is followed by an examination of utility theory, which is a determination of the true value of the rewards and punishments. It is here where emotions and personal preference are the strongest. Something as simple as bragging rights can often have more value than large monetary payments. The next chapter deals with two-person non-zero-sum games, where the total value held by the two players is not a constant. The last chapter deals with n-person games, which are difficult to analyze, but are the most interesting because they are closest to life. Success in n-person games almost always requires the formation of a cooperative, in the sense that there is the potential for a coalition that can dominate everyone else.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was the examples and the problems. At the start of the chapters, there is a set of questions that introduce the material, and they are answered at the end of the chapter. In between, the explanations are clear, with a minimum of formulas. I also enjoyed the sections on the various "games" of voting, such as how does a body of legislators decides how to fund projects when each has their pet project that they want to acquire the funding for. It explains some of the labyrinthine features of the congressional process and why it is possible for a deadlock state to develop.
This is one of the best general introductions to game theory that I have seen, the worked problems take you through the features of the games in a step-by-step manner that is very easy to understand.

Published in the recreational mathematics e-mail newsletter, reprinted with permission.

The book covers the most interesting concepts and examples from Game Theory which are usually covered in first couple of chapters in a more serious book. However, this book is intended mostly for casual audience which might be even seeing "The Prisoner Dilemma" for the first time. The book was actually very useful for me since I had to find some book to do a quick recall of basic things because I had to give a simple lecture and I had left the research in the field for couple of years... If you want to see if you (or someone else) might be interested in game theory, start with this book. If you are already working in the field, you might skip it completely.

Morton D. Davis' 'Game Theory - A Nontechnical Introduction' brilliantly achieves the author's objective of presenting the reader with a concise introduction to game theory, a branch of applied mathematics that deals with decision-making and return maximization. The text is pleasant to read and provides clear, intuitive explanations as well as plenty of examples from several non-related fields such as evolutionary biology, philosophy, military strategy, political science and marketing.

Davis starts the book with very simple 2-person, zero-sum games with equilibrium points and progresses to games without equilibrium points, non-zero-sum games, and n-person games. He provides factual examples of game theory in social interactions and political strategy, describes (conceptually, almost without any formula) Nash's bargaining model, Pareto optimization, symmetric games, Rapoport's `Tit-for-Tat' solution to the prisoner's dilemma and ends the book with the von Neumann-Morgenstern and Aumann-Maschler solutions to n-person games and the Shapley-Shubik index of power. What is special about this book is that Davis effectively communicates complex models to non-technical readers in an enjoyable manner.

As an improvement from the first edition (1969/1970, with foreword by Oskar Morgenstern) the author now introduces a set of real-life problems at the start of each chapter, and provides the reader with an opportunity to apply intuitive thinking and try to solve them. After being presented with new concepts and models, the reader can compare the new results with the ones found before - this makes the book even friendlier and provides insights on how apparently simple problems can deceive our common sense.

Morton D. Davis also wrote `The Art of Decision Making' (ISBN: 038796228X, 1986), `The Math of Money' (ISBN: 0387950788, 2001) and a research paper called `One Equation to Rule Them All' (RAND Corporation research memorandum) about the application of recursive function theory to Hilbert's tenth problem.

For persons new to game theory, but curious or interested in learning more about it, start with this book. It is truly non-technical and written for the non-mathematician. It can provide the foundation for learning the mathematics (if you so desire, but many people only use the logic). This book will reveal what experts know about game theory. Moreover, it can be used to understand the world, including human behavior, economics, international relations, and more recently advances in understanding evolutionary biology. Game theory literally rules the academic world. It also is used by shrewd humans to win at life, the ultimate game.

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

My brother and I have both read the book and both of us enjoyed it. I know little about game theory, but I have found it to be one of the most interesting subjects I have read. This book gives many examples that are related to real life experiences which helps to get across the major points. I also enjoyed the many references to experiments. I highly recommend learning about the subject and this book is a good beginning.

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.