John Davis Williams (1909–1964)

This book is alright. It isn't great, but it isn't bad. With a witty down home style of prose, J. D. Williams relates some aspects of Game Theory as it was in the infancy of the discipline. Using simple mathematics and cartoon illustrations, this book is a good introduction to Game Theory, but I am not really sure how far it has come, since I am not a mathematician.

The book is quite short. It starts with a short history of Game Theory with John von Neumann. It goes on to describe different show more varieties of games, with the zero-sum games being the ones that are followed since the non-zero-sum games add in a number of other factors and might not end neatly. It gives some simple calculations to determine the value of the game and some other things. All of the problems are related with a breezy style and a droll sense of humor.

At the end of the book is a table of random numbers and a list of solutions to the problems. show less

This delightful book was my introduction to the field of game theory when I discovered it in the local library as a lad (in the late 70s, if memory serves). While the field has advanced considerably since then, it may still serve as an entertaining diversion for the professional or the lay reader.

A dated but entertaining and informative introduction to Game Theory. One of the first books published on the subject I believe. This book is well worth looking for. If you can't find a copy, there is a PDF version at:

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/commercial_books/2007/RAND_CB113-1.pd...