After 15 years of teaching game theory, I’ve learned a
lot about what is comprehensible and what is befuddling, what
excites students and what allows them to catch up on their sleep.
These experiences (though humbling at times) provided the material
I needed to write Games, Strategies, and Decision Making.
Let me describe how this book tackles the two challenges of
achieving comprehension and creating enthusiasm
for a college-wide audience.
First, I develop concepts incrementally with a minimum of
mathematics. Each chapter typically begins with a specific
strategic situation that motivates a key concept. I informally
introduce the concept needed to solve a particular situation,
then follow that introduction with a more systematic treatment
that gradually builds the concept. Finally, I provide an extensive
series of examples that serve to solidify, enhance, and stimulate
students' understanding. Although the mathematics is simple
(nothing more than high school algebra), the content is not
compromised; this book is not Game Theory for Dummies
or The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategy.
Included are extensive treatments of games of imperfect information
(two chapters); games of incomplete information with signaling,
including cheap talk games (three chapters); and repeated
games that explore various forms of punishment, quid pro quo
arrangements, and cooperation in groups with overlapping generations
or many players (three chapters).
Second, the presentation is driven by a rich and diverse collection
of strategic scenarios. Because many students are likely to
be majoring in economics/business or political science/international
relations, these areas provide many of the examples. For a complete
list of the strategic situations, click here.
To further charge up students’ enthusiasm, examples come
with rich context, which can be in the form of anecdotes (some
serious, some amusing), intriguing asides, empirical evidence,
and experimental findings. Interesting context establishes the
relevance of the theoretical exercise and adds real-world meat
to the skeleton of theory. In this book, students do not just
learn a clever answer to a puzzle but acquire genuine insights
into human behavior.
Though I would never admit it to my editors, this book was
a delight to write. What better way to spend time than to
immerse one’s self in the world of strategy while equipped
with the tools of game theory? I hope you enjoy Games,
Strategies, and Decision Making, and I would be delighted
to receive any feedback you might have on it.
Best wishes for an exciting course,
Joe Harrington
Johns Hopkins University
joe.harrington@jhu.edu
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