David M. Kreps

This is a beautiful graduate level microeconomic textbook. Among the graduate textbooks, this is the most suited for self study - though not as comprehensive in coverage as [b:Microeconomic Theory|735963|Microeconomic Theory|Andreu Mas-Colell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177847625s/735963.jpg|722145], this text guides the reader through the hard core material in an easy and engaging style - of course, the treatment is rigorous and mathematical, but Kreps prose flows and it feels more show more like a set of lecture notes than a textbook. The chapters on game theory are particularly good. show less

This book collects a series of lectures David Kreps delivered as part of the Clarendon Lecture series at Oxford University. They are a concise and beautiful introduction to game theory: you will not find an equation, yet the treatment is very rigorous. Uncompromising, but very readable, it tackles deep and complex concepts with great agility.

In grad school the professor who required this text remarked that some students whined about the details Kreps includes. But you have to include the details, or you're not giving people the straight dope. Kreps actually includes most of the qualifications, exceptions, and cautions in clearly marked passages so you can skip all that and read for the general idea if you like. That seems like a good way to straddle the issue of coverage.
Bonus: An appendix that presents a "recipe" for solving show more Kuhn-Tucker problems. show less

Not the most comprehensive book to use as a reference, but outstanding as a text!