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Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction
Fascinating, accessible introduction to enormously important intellectual system with numerous applications to social, economic, political problems. Newly revised edition offers overview of game theory, then lucid coverage of the two-person zero-sum game with equilibrium points; the general, two-person zero-sum game; utility theory; other topics. Problems at start of each chapter.
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First published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 4, 2016
Hard science is the study of measurable, quantifiable, predictable results. A falling object will accelerate at the same calculable rate every time, and given quantities of oxygen and hydrogen will combust to form an exact amount of water every time. Soft science deals with ingredients that do not always react the same way no matter how hard you try to keep the situation uniform. The difference between these ingredients and those studied by hard science is that the loose cannons are life forms. Put five cats, two dogs, and a ten-year-old boy in a room, and you have no idea what’s going to happen. And if you put the same bunch in the same room again (assuming they all survived the first time), something different will happen.
Game theory started as a mathematical study of how certain types of games play out. But the math only worked in theory because it assumed that each player would play predictably—for his or her own maximum benefit in the most efficient way. However, human beings often, even usually, don’t play that way. Whim, stupidity, vengefulness, other emotions and motives, carelessness, and the whole range of human complication play a role in games large and small.
When hard math didn’t fit real life, game theory became more of a soft science that probed, with experiments, how people played games. There’s plenty of math involved, and astute game players of all kinds—military strategists, politicians, businesspeople, lawyers, spouses, lovers, parents, criminals—can improve their odds by studying it. This isn’t a math that says two plus two always equals four and parallel lines never meet. It’s a math that penetrates the house of mirrors that springs up when people in negotiation and competition second-, third-, and fourth-guess one another’s motives and plans. It describes what might happen, what should happen but probably won’t, how to avoid worst outcomes if not always how to attain the best, and how to plot the likeliest strategies—but rarely about what predictably will happen in any particular game.
We’re all used to the unpredictability of real life. I found it fascinating that there is, however, an underlying math that can be methodically applied to life games to improve the odds of success, reduce those of failure, and for the spectator, to understand better why people do what they do.
Davis generally writes clearly and organizes the material logically. I suppose by necessity for nontechnical readers, he didn’t explain what lay behind some of the calculations, and by the end it got rather complicated, but still, it was a short, engrossing read. One of his most interesting approaches was to begin each chapter with a set of real-world problems designed to get readers thinking and speculating. Often in the middle of the chapter I’d suddenly see what I had missed in my first stab at a problem. At the end of the chapter, he explains the solutions, and it was refreshing, in a math book, that sometimes there was no clear-cut answer but just guidelines to possibilities.
Game theory is no dry, arcane math but a realistic study of what people are likely to do in certain situations and how to predict and deal with their range of possible reactions.
Game theory started as a mathematical study of how certain types of games play out. But the math only worked in theory because it assumed that each player would play predictably—for his or her own maximum benefit in the most efficient way. However, human beings often, even usually, don’t play that way. Whim, stupidity, vengefulness, other emotions and motives, carelessness, and the whole range of human complication play a role in games large and small.
When hard math didn’t fit real life, game theory became more of a soft science that probed, with experiments, how people played games. There’s plenty of math involved, and astute game players of all kinds—military strategists, politicians, businesspeople, lawyers, spouses, lovers, parents, criminals—can improve their odds by studying it. This isn’t a math that says two plus two always equals four and parallel lines never meet. It’s a math that penetrates the house of mirrors that springs up when people in negotiation and competition second-, third-, and fourth-guess one another’s motives and plans. It describes what might happen, what should happen but probably won’t, how to avoid worst outcomes if not always how to attain the best, and how to plot the likeliest strategies—but rarely about what predictably will happen in any particular game.
We’re all used to the unpredictability of real life. I found it fascinating that there is, however, an underlying math that can be methodically applied to life games to improve the odds of success, reduce those of failure, and for the spectator, to understand better why people do what they do.
Davis generally writes clearly and organizes the material logically. I suppose by necessity for nontechnical readers, he didn’t explain what lay behind some of the calculations, and by the end it got rather complicated, but still, it was a short, engrossing read. One of his most interesting approaches was to begin each chapter with a set of real-world problems designed to get readers thinking and speculating. Often in the middle of the chapter I’d suddenly see what I had missed in my first stab at a problem. At the end of the chapter, he explains the solutions, and it was refreshing, in a math book, that sometimes there was no clear-cut answer but just guidelines to possibilities.
Game theory is no dry, arcane math but a realistic study of what people are likely to do in certain situations and how to predict and deal with their range of possible reactions.
July 28, 2009
It certainly achieves its goal of giving a basic overview of game theory. At some points, though, I wish Davis had gone into more of the math. He also occasionally makes the error of confusing simplicity with brevity. If you read this, you won't be able to "do" game theory (if that's the word), but you will get a pretty good sense of what it's all about.
October 28, 2020
If this is a non-technical book I would hate to see a technical book. I was hoping for a more generalized overview of game theory and its foundations. This book was riddled with a ton of equations. Reading equation after equation makes for a very difficult read. If you don't understand game theory and would like to, this isn't the book for you. If you understand game theory already, this book isn't for you either. It isn't that it is a bad read, it is just too technical to be called non-technical.
November 4, 2019
Miss leading. Mario sonic halo qnd dante from devil may fry were not in this book. All there was was wad a dumb math. Math is gay (i mean happy pls no ban(). I hope this book yeets and deletes. I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS FOR GAMERS. They talk aboot bomb and military army sometimes but thats cool so 1.1 stars for that. Rest is cunfuzing math stuff. GAEMERS DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!! NO GAMING STUFF HERE NOT EVEM MINECRAFT SKIP THIS BOOK OVER AT THE BOOKSALE
April 16, 2015
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.
This review also appears on Amazon
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.
This review also appears on Amazon
March 10, 2014
Interesting reading, but I lost my ability to read about maths, even in its simplest form. And then, ebook format is not the most appropriate for mathematics...
March 12, 2024
Take aways for me:
know the type of game to base your strategy
Utility theory: assigning value to something intrinsic such as a decision or motive.
Minimax theory: know your losing scenarios and pick one with lowest loss to you
Is it a zero sum or a cooperative game?
Being good pays off more than being evil on the long run (Tit for tat)
Book is technical as opposed to what the title says, and writing could have been better.
know the type of game to base your strategy
Utility theory: assigning value to something intrinsic such as a decision or motive.
Minimax theory: know your losing scenarios and pick one with lowest loss to you
Is it a zero sum or a cooperative game?
Being good pays off more than being evil on the long run (Tit for tat)
Book is technical as opposed to what the title says, and writing could have been better.
November 30, 2023
After reading Game Changers: Stories of the Revolutionary Minds behind Game Theory, I was looking for more on the topic without getting lost in a jumble of equations. The full title of the book (Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction) suggested that it would be a good place to start. The book is incredibly informative and explains concepts rather than summarizing them in equations. I found there to be brief moments when it felt like the author had to gloss over how certain numbers or ideas were arrived at, just writing as if they had always existed and that there would be no interest in learning how they got there. But, these moments were thankfully few and far between enough that it wasn't difficult to get over not knowing. It appears that there have been later editions of this book written by different authors (Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction to the Analysis of Strategy) and I am curious to read those to see how they compare.
October 16, 2024
I never pictured myself being into math, but this book flipped that script. Game theory, it turns out, isn’t about cold numbers or rigid equations. It’s more like a dance of decisions, a way to understand the push and pull of human behavior—why we make the choices we do, and how those choices shape everything around us.
The beauty of it lies in its unpredictability. This isn’t math that always gives you the same answer. Instead, it’s about reading the room, figuring out motives, and anticipating moves—whether in boardrooms, battlefields, or even just conversations with the people closest to us. It’s about seeing the patterns beneath the surface, helping you sidestep bad outcomes and, if you’re lucky, land somewhere good.
The way the author breaks it down, game theory feels less like a hard science and more like a tool you can use to navigate the randomness of life. It doesn’t promise you’ll always win, but it shows you how to play the odds, to make smarter choices, and to see what might be coming next.
In the end, this book didn’t just change how I see math—it made me realize there’s a kind of rhythm to life that’s worth paying attention to. And that’s a lesson I didn’t know I was looking for.
The beauty of it lies in its unpredictability. This isn’t math that always gives you the same answer. Instead, it’s about reading the room, figuring out motives, and anticipating moves—whether in boardrooms, battlefields, or even just conversations with the people closest to us. It’s about seeing the patterns beneath the surface, helping you sidestep bad outcomes and, if you’re lucky, land somewhere good.
The way the author breaks it down, game theory feels less like a hard science and more like a tool you can use to navigate the randomness of life. It doesn’t promise you’ll always win, but it shows you how to play the odds, to make smarter choices, and to see what might be coming next.
In the end, this book didn’t just change how I see math—it made me realize there’s a kind of rhythm to life that’s worth paying attention to. And that’s a lesson I didn’t know I was looking for.
January 23, 2018
Pretty much as advertised. Nontechnical in the sense that there is very little math. Written in 1970 with a 1983 revision, so a more recent text might be preferred. Davis covers introductory topics in game theory, including two-person zero-sum games, two-person non-zero-sum games, n-person games, and applications of game theory to biology and voting. The examples are good for the most part, and while the writing does not sparkle, it’s a reasonable introduction to the topic.
September 25, 2018
Good intro to game theory (though a bit dry). The last chapter on n-person games got a bit technical in my opinion, but that could just be because there's no other way to do it. I would like to see something like an updated version of this. I'm sure there have been new ideas and new research in the years since 1973. Good read if you're at all interested in game theory though.
February 22, 2019
I picked this book at the library with the hope of I introducing myself to game theory. I stopped reading at three quarters because it was much harder than I thought. Very dense and slow reading with unobvious leaps in reasoning assumed by the writer. Not the "nontechnical" introduction the book claims to be. Did not like it.
January 23, 2018
I was hoping to read this with the kids as an introduction for myself and for them. It couldn’t satisfy this purpose. It introduced some concepts and ideas but is not sufficiently clear or complete to provide a good introduction into the subject.
July 24, 2024
Enlightening introduction to game theory with just enough math and problems to stay engaged but not too much to make it feel like a textbook. A great explainer book that would help students access the denser game theory concepts using plain language and realistic examples.
February 2, 2018
Not much to learn from but it has the basics
January 9, 2021
Very practical book on game theory. It comes with a lot of examples from different branches and takes you trough the basic principles of game theory
August 12, 2022
This book was a fun. An easy read, but the math is deceptively difficult at times.
September 10, 2023
Only really interesting as a history of game theory case study.
July 4, 2025
difficult read but one of the best books I read all year
February 17, 2016
When I read that Douglas R. Hofstadter called this work a “lucid and penetrating development of game theory that will appeal to the intuition,” I knew I wanted to read this overview of "the study of mathematical models of conflict and cooperation between intelligent rational decision-makers”, as Roger B. Myerson defined game theory. Published originally in 1970, the reprinted classic looks back to the foundations of game theory laid by John von Neumann. Von Neumann’s basic minimax theorem, proved in 1928, is core to Chapter 2 on two-person, zero-sum games. Being a nontechnical introduction, proof and a good detail of mathematical mechanics are foregone to get a high-level view of the properties of this technique as an applied art and its many applications to social, economic, and political problems...
[Look for my entire review up at MAA Reviews]
[Look for my entire review up at MAA Reviews]
November 30, 2013
Well, as this book's title suggests, it is a fairly "nontechnical" introduction to game theory, which normally includes lots of math. I'm not a mathy person and I didn't know how much of it usually is in game theory when I signed up for my (elective) Thomas Edison State College course "Games People Play." It included recorded lectures as the primary teaching, so this book was supplemental. Thankfully the course wasn't too mathy either, and neither was this book. It does have good explanations of interesting situations in game theory. It has problems at the beginning of each chapter, and then explains the concepts that help solve them; solutions are included. If this is your first introduction to game theory, or if you're not enthusiastic about math, you might need to go to the Internet for extra help in understanding concepts (I did), but it is a good book.
September 14, 2020
This book includes interesting and thought-provoking ideas as promised in a nontechnical way. However, the main problem with it is the huge number of examples used to explain the same point. It takes a lot of mental effort to repeatedly understand new games and scenarios. I'd say the vast majority of these were completely unnecessary and this flaw made the book very boring to read. It became quite a task getting through each chapter.
Certainly not an easy read for that reason
Certainly not an easy read for that reason
June 16, 2010
A decent introduction to game theory that does not require a ton of math. Good for those just trying to get a feel for what exactly game theory "is", but don't expect to be overly excited by this book. It's fairly old and almost outdated in some of its references. If possible, I recommend finding a newer introduction to game theory.
February 25, 2009
i read this in the waiting room while my friend had surgery in some cambridge hospital. not really a good day for anyone.
this is too nontechnical to be of interest to anyone with more than a passing interest in game theory, and it's too boring to be of interest to anyone else. a useless book.
this is too nontechnical to be of interest to anyone with more than a passing interest in game theory, and it's too boring to be of interest to anyone else. a useless book.
May 7, 2010
The word "nontechnical" in the title shouldn't be confused with "basic". This is still an involved book, and a somewhat dated one at that. But for those with a developed interest in game theory it's insightful.
August 11, 2009
This book does an excellent job of outlining the basics of game theory. The job is sufficient to allow someone with a grasp of algebra to do real analysis of games.
February 26, 2013
This book is like a good TED talk. Except it takes more then 18 minutes to read it, so I will probably be keeping it in chunks of 18 minutes for a long time :)
Read
August 20, 2012nice book
September 24, 2012
Roll the dice
August 13, 2014
A little dated
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews