In the quarter of a century since three mathematicians and game theorists collaborated to create Winning Ways for Your Mathematical Plays, the book has become the definitive work on the subject of mathematical games. Now carefully revised and broken down into four volumes to accommodate new developments, the Second Edition retains the original's wealth of wit and wisdom. The authors' insightful strategies, blended with their witty and irreverent style, make reading a profitable pleasure. In Volume 4, the authors present a Diamond of a find, covering one-player games such as Solitaire.
Elwyn Ralph Berlekamp was a professor emeritus of mathematics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He was known for his work in information theory and combinatorial game theory.
This volume is probably the most accessible of the four. It captures authors Berlekamp, Conway, and Guy's early enthusiasm for recreational combinatorics and search, but without feeling dated. Love all the hand-drawn analysis (hand drawn, due to the book's original 1982 publication date). Expensive, but worth it.