Games and Information: An Introduction to Game Theory Third Edition [Hardcover]

Eric Rasmusen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0631210954 | ISBN-13: 978-0631210955 | Edition: 3rd

Written in a crisp and approachable style, Games and Information uses simple modelling techniques and straightforward explanations to provide students with an understanding of game theory and information economics. The third edition brings the text totally up-to-date. New topics include price discrimination, mechanism design,' and value uncertainty in auctions. Other chapters have been extensively reorganized or rewritten.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Rasmusen's Games and Information provides a wonderful coverage of the basics of game theory and information economics. His consistent style of presenting the theoretical structures lucidly unifies his text's wide and well-chosen range of applications. I wish that all my students could take a course based on this book, and envy them the opportunity." Maxwell B. Stinchcombe, University of Texas at Austin

Book Description

The first edition of Games and Information was published in 1989, when the topic of game theory was just starting to come to the attention of mainstream economists. Fifteen years later, interest in game theory has exploded, as have the number of textbooks written to introduce this material to students. Now entering its fourth edition, Rasmusen's book continues to hold its place as a relevant, advanced-level introduction to this fast-moving field. Written in a crisp and approachable style, Games and Information uses simple modeling techniques and straightforward explanations to provide students with an understanding of game theory and information economics. The fourth edition brings this material totally up-to-date, and includes new end-of-chapter problems and classroom games, a math appendix, and is accompanied by a comprehensive website featuring solutions to problems and teaching notes. With its emphasis on applications of game theory and information economics to a vast array of disciplines, Games and Information, 4e will prove an indispensible tool for undergraduates studying advanced microeconomics as well as for graduate students in economics, business, mathematics and political science. Praise for the 3rd edition: "Rasmusen's Games and Information provides a wonderful coverage of the basics of game theory and information economics. His consistent style of presenting the theoretical structures lucidly unifies his text's wide and well-chosen range of applications. I wish that all my students could take a course based on this book, and envy them the opportunity." Maxwell B. Stinchcombe, University of Texas at Austin ldquo;This is a terrific book bringing together two strands in the recent literature on economic theory, namely game theory and the economics of asymmetric information. The style is brisk, the arguments are rigorous and it seems to be pitched at exactly the right level.rdquo; Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 445 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 3rd edition (March 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631210954
• ISBN-13: 978-0631210955
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,407,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction, December 30, 2009

By 

Timothy Michael Vock - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Games and Information: An Introduction to Game Theory (Hardcover)

This textbook was required in the game theory class I took in economics graduate school. For a grad text, it's simple and easy, but that's the beauty of it. I read it cover-to-cover, enjoying each page, and coming away with a deeper understanding and wanting to continue learning and applying the concepts. I guarantee I couldn't do this with the books used in most of my other classes. It helped me do exceedingly well in class and impress my department chair.

The author explains concepts in a step-by-step approach, so I never felt overwhelmed. They always returned to examples that were as simple as possible to illustrate the concepts, then built on them as you learn more through the chapters. Applications ranged from war games to business competition to downright silly anecdotes.

I see uses for the understanding of game theory I first acquired in this book all the time. People around me become interested and ask me where to get a good primer on the subject. I always recommend this book and lend it out so much that, in honesty, I should just buy another copy.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction for game theory students, October 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Games and Information (Hardcover)

This is a good text for game theory students. Concise and well structured, it gives sufficient details to provide a good understanding of the subject. The math is easy to follow although the choice of words may sometimes be inappropriate resulting in a logical jump, but that is well compensated by the content. There are some typo mistakes which should be corrected by the next edition. The author tries to moderate the math with logical explanantions and does it with reasonable success although some sections can still be improved. The section on bargaining, for example, is poorly explained. Overall, a good text for teaching.

2 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wanna Make a Game?, December 2, 2003

By 

Peter Corless (Mountain View, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Games and Information: An Introduction to Game Theory Third Edition (Hardcover)

Are you familiar with the PAPI model? (Players, Actions, Payoffs and Information, by the way.) Do you understand what equilibrium means to a game design?

This book is a good introduction to those who are looking for a background in game theory, as well as those interested in problem-solving domains of applied logic.