Name: Prisoner's dilemma
ISBN: 9780385415804

Prisoner's dilemma

Watching players bluff in a poker game inspired John von Neumann--father of the modern computer and one of the sharpest minds of the century--to construct game theory, a mathematical study of conflict and deception. Game theory was embraced at the RAND Corporation, the think tank charged with formulating military strategy for the atomic age, and in 1950 two RAND scientists discovered the "prisoner's dilemma"--A disturbing game where two or more people may betray the common good for individual gain. The prisoner's dilemma quickly became a popular allegory of the nuclear arms race. Game theory developed into a controversial tool of public policy--alternately accused of justifying arms races and touted as the only hope of preventing them. Biographer Poundstone weaves together a biography of the brilliant and tragic von Neumann, a history of pivotal phases of the cold war, and an investigation of game theory's far-reaching influence.--From publisher description.

What Hacker News says

jgmmoNov 2021

I have had this great book for 10+ years, and still find it fascinating it's called "Prisoner's Dilemma: John von Neumann, Game Theory, and the Puzzle of the Bomb". I try to re-read it on occasion. It's half John von Neumann biography and half subject matter history.

Call him an unhinged lunatic if you want photochemsyn; but I consider him a super genius.

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29506.Prisoner_s_Dilemma

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kryptisktSep 2021

There's a fairly old book by William Poundstone "Prisoner's Dilemma: John von Neumann, Game Theory, and the Puzzle of the Bomb". I can't vouch for it, as I read it long ago and don't remember just how much of a biography it was. It's very readable though.

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n_tNov 2019

You might like "Prisoner's Dilemma: John von Neumann, Game Theory, and the Puzzle of the Bomb" (https://www.amazon.com/Prisoners-Dilemma-Neumann-Theory-Puzz...)

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dsr_Jul 2017

You might want The Prisoner's Dilemma, by William Poundstone, and if that intrigues you, Games of Strategy by Dixit and Skeath is a well-known textbook.

Game theory has important effects on economics and marketing, as well as the obvious politics.

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jonbaerMar 2017

Prisoners of Geography - Tim Marshall

The Revenge of Geography - Robert D. Kaplan

Prisoner's Dilemma - William Poundstone

The Master Algorithm - Pedro Domingos

Zero-Sum Future - Gideon Rachman

The End of History and the Last Man - Francis Fukuyama

Entanglement - Amir Aczel

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jnazarioAug 2014

John von Neumann was an absolutely amazing human and scientist. truly a genius, a polymath, and evidently quite an interesting party guest. the book Prisoner's Dilemma is ostensibly about game theory but it's set within the context of von Neumann's life. really quite fascinating, one of my favorite people to study.

http://www.amazon.com/Prisoners-Dilemma-William-Poundstone/d...

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