Learn Game Theory: A Primer to Strategic Thinking and Advanced Decision-Making. (Game Theory Series) Paperback – March 27, 2021

I have been hearing more references to 'game theory' in podcasts and articles. I mistakenly thought it had something to do with Xbox or other video games - maybe suggestions on how to play and win. It could be applied to playing video games but it actually has to do with the interactions and responses of people in situations. Whether it is in a 1:1 situation, a group, an organization or even at the country level. It references options, choices and potential outcomes. I selected this book because it looked like a good introductory book for me. I am a director of nursing in a skilled nursing facility and what I learned in this book has given me a little deeper insight into the various interpersonal experiences in everyday life; whether it is with staff, families, vendors or regulatory personnel. I especially recommend this for those who like to learn and expand their minds.

author did a good job presenting game theory in this book. there many real life examples and details that will help you understand it even better. I would definitely recommend it to people who are interested in improving decision making skills.

Learn Game Theory is the most understandable presentation I’ve encountered. I found the example and explanation well thought out and easy to apply. I’m looking forward it’s sequel.

There are many “errors” especially with examples. For instance a “jail time” variable used to explain the prisoner’s dilemma was originally expressed as “-1”, but subsequently expressed as “1” instead of “1 year”. This can easily confuse the uninitiated reader. Overall, I think the author has done very well explaining very challenging topics to those new to the subject.

The book is a mixture of everyday applications of game theory to large-scale applications, and having both of these is extremely helpful. The math gives the reader a sense of how calculations are made, again broken down step by step.Learn game theory presents classic examples such as the prisoner's dilemma and stag hunt but it also dives deep into other, less-known examples. It's heavily focused on the utility of the Nash equilibrium, illustrating it through pure and mixed strategies. I like that he is consistent with the players, Jim and Tim. This way I knew that Jim always has the horizontal and Tim the vertical position.Great primer for strategic thinking!

This book is a primer on game theory. One may wonder the difference between Game Theory and strategic thinking? Game theory uses mathematical formulas to guide decision-making. If you have good date on probabilities of different courses of action or a reasonably bounded problem, game theory is extremely helpful. It's a great, interesting read with very well explained mathematical formula. I'm by no means a math genius but felt a lot of pride for following the author's equation description. He does a great job keeping you up with how and what happens in the game in question.

This was so cool! Very well-researched and insightful. The language was accessible and made me develop a deeper interest in Game Theory! Recommend!

Game theory is for everyone. We all make decisions and many of them are based on the decisions of others. This book on game theory will sharpen your decision-making skills in many areas of your life.Strategic thinking often focuses on the adversarial act of beating a competitor, while being aware that the competitor is trying to beat you too. But often we develop strategic choices that omit the necessary awareness of the possible behavior of our competition.Game theory starts with the assumption that you are “playing” against a competitor who is trying as hard as us are to beat him. Not every scenario has to be competitive, in the game one option is to cooperate. Game theorists say that there are basic principles that can lead to a more scientific approach to strategy. Game theory will never achieve the status of a science because we are always dealing with individuals, driven by different values, aspirations, and more, rather than by a set of universal rules. This is a relatively young discipline, but has already gathered many useful insights for decision-making and practical strategy.This book presents the most well-known example of game theory, the Prisoners’ Dilemma, among other less known but equally insightful games. Two prisoners kept separately, are offered the opportunity to confess their crime they are accused, in return for a shorter sentence. They both doubt there is hard evidence against them. If neither confesses they are likely to get just a fraction of what they’d get if they confessed. BUT if either one confesses he/she can walk freely while the other will be severely sentenced. Since they cannot confer, what would be the most best course of action for each “player”?The principles behind this game are very similar to decisions a cafe owner might have to make regarding coffee pricing. If coffee price is high, there will be a greater margin of profit. If, however, the competitor lowers their coffee price, the first cafe owner will see his customers defecting. If the first cafe owner lowers his price and the competitor retains a high price, he will benefit greatly. If they both lower prices, both will gain lower profit.

It is said that "we don't know what we don't know". For most of us, without some sort of mentor, it takes a long time to realize what that actually means. However, I think most people, at some point, have a Wizard of Oz moment, or an "awakening" of sorts in their life, where you realize that the world isn't what it seems to be. I had mine a lot of years ago. Without any direction I've circled the literary world trying to find answers. Being a critical thinker is key, because there is a lot of deception. There is also a tremendous amount of really good stuff out there. I wasn't fond of Mr. Rutherford's writing style in other books, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I wouldn't consider it the be all end all for Game Theory books, but I don't think he would either. That said, this is a great book to start with and I would consider it a foundational principle in understanding certain things in life. If you're trying to find answers, this is a good topic to understand, and this book is a good starting point. As I'm sure Mr. Rutherford would agree, don't stop here, keep searching.