This pathbreaking and provocative book provides a bold answer to one of the oldest and most important questions human beings face: How can cooperation emerge among self-seeking individuals when there is no central authority to police their actions? - from book jacket

My head is spinning. I can't think of another non-fiction book I've enjoyed more lately. ( )

I found this book interesting not so much for the ideas - I am fairly familiar with basic game theory - but for the way it explained how the ideas might be applied. I have always thought game theory is overrated as a discipline, but now I think that's because much of it has forgotten what its purpose is. I think it's most interesting when it is used to delineate the limits of possibility in an interesting strategic situation rather than when it is used to make questionable predictions or unconvincing explanations. These days much of economic game theory seems to have no relation to any strategic situation whatsoever, but just provides an extension of someone else's equally barren idea. This book has certainly inspired me to read more game theory, so I'll have the chance to be proven wrong about that opinion.

As with most non-fiction books, the second half was a bit repetitive and I skimmed through much of it, but the first four chapters were entertaining and engaging. ( )

http://pro-libertate.net/20090114/47-read-evolution-cooperation ( )

Seminal on iterated Prisoner's Dilemma and Tit For Tat. ( )