There is a HUGE mistake that many of the people who pride themselves on being the most realistic and sophisticated in the world often make. It is exemplified by the first speaker in this quote
“Because there really are only two choices. We win and they lose – or else, they win and we lose.”
“There’s a third possibility.”
“What?” he demanded aggressively.
“We all lose.”
-- Patriots, David Frum
It is also possible for everyone to win! It may be true, as they say in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, that "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.", but all of economics is built on the principle that there are cheap lunches all around -- lunches whose cost is less than their value.
I have lost count of the number of people, both impecunious students and millionaires, who looked on me condescendingly when I suggested that there might be deals that would benefit both students and millionaires. "So naive!" But it is not naive. What is naive is to believe that every dollar taken from one person benefits another, or that each dollar given to one person must be taken from someone other person. Lose-lose and win-win are not new ideas. They are fundamental both to Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and David Ricardo's concept of Comparative Advantage.
The mathematical field of Game Theory was invented by John von Neumann, reportedly inspired by the poker games he played at Los Alamos during the development of the atomic bomb. It is what Thomas C. Schelling means by his title The Strategy of Conflict. After developing game theory, von Neumann showed that zero-sum games, i.e. games in which every gain of one player is balanced by a loss from another, are mathematically uninteresting. It was left to later researchers, for instance John Nash (he of the biography and movie A Beautiful Mind) to show that nonzero sum games -- games in which everyone can win or everyone can lose -- are mathematically more interesting.
Schelling was a pioneer in applying these ideas to real-world situations, economics, nuclear deterrence, and convincing ones children to behave. He was particularly concerned with conflicts whose participants have incomplete information, for instance because of a real asymmetry (as for instance between parents and children) or because of communication difficulties, such as lack of trust between the USA and USSR during the cold war.
The Strategy of Conflict is a collection of his classic papers on the subject. There is very little math, and what there is is simple. I found it readable and interesting, and still relevant, even 60 years after its publication.
Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Flip to back Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
| Price | New from | Used from |
|
Kindle
"Please retry" |
—
| — | — |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| $7.95 with discounted Audible membership | |
|
Mass Market Paperback
"Please retry" |
—
| $109.77 | $57.10 |
|
MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged
"Please retry" | $11.44 | — |
Frequently bought together
$33.81
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 27
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
What do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
This edition is an absolute mess; it’s a bound collection of pictures of some other edition, with an additional 3/4” margin on top of the original margin.
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 27, 2023
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 20, 2009
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 22, 2019
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 15, 2019
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 30, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
yz
Delivered timely and with a good quality
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on October 21, 2020
Anindya Bhattacharjee
A great read for Strategy/Game Theory enthusiasts
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on January 15, 2014
