6/29/2004
Game Theory
I've been reading Prisoner's Dilemma: John Von Neumann, Game Theory and the Puzzle of the Bomb by William Poundstone which is a pretty good book about game theory in its early days. Its early days were in the begining of the cold war (1950's) and there's a lot of good stuff in there about the polotics of preventative war, the Soviet reponse, etc. Plus there are some really good example of game theory that really illustrate the point without getting into the deep mathematics of it (which is nice since I'm taking a break this summer from school).
On page 170 there is a really great quote that sums up a lot about game theory (or any theory for that matter), regular games, and life in general:
Game theory is a kaleidoscope that can only reflect the value systems of those who apply it.
I really like that quote, I think it is something to remember when dealing with people who seem to be irrational. When they look at a situation (a board game, an ethical choice, etc.) how they look at it might be different than how you look at it because of their value system.
Also, that its important to make sure you are objective when evaluating things (like football stats).
On page 170 there is a really great quote that sums up a lot about game theory (or any theory for that matter), regular games, and life in general:
Game theory is a kaleidoscope that can only reflect the value systems of those who apply it.
I really like that quote, I think it is something to remember when dealing with people who seem to be irrational. When they look at a situation (a board game, an ethical choice, etc.) how they look at it might be different than how you look at it because of their value system.
Also, that its important to make sure you are objective when evaluating things (like football stats).
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