Prisoner's Dilemma
john von neumann, game theory and the puzzle of the bomb
$37.21
- Paperback
320 pages
- Release Date
1 January 1993
Summary
The Cold Equations: John von Neumann and the Prisoner’s Dilemma
Poundstone’s work explores game theory, sketching the life of its inventor, John von Neumann, and his role in Cold War policy. It details Neumann’s childhood in pre-WWII Hungary and his early conversion to Catholicism.
Neumann shaped Cold War discourse with terms like “MAD” and “first strike.” This book is both frightening and essential for scholars of the Cold War, showcasing a wayward, arrogant, mathematical genius.
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780385415804 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 038541580X |
| Author: | William Poundstone |
| Publisher: | Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc |
| Imprint: | Anchor Books |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 320 |
| Release Date: | 1 January 1993 |
| Weight: | 266g |
| Dimensions: | 159mm x 385mm x 207mm |
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Critics Review
“Both a fascinating biography of von Neumann, the Hungarian exile whose mathematical theories were building blocks for the A-bomb and the digital computer, and a brilliant social history of game theory and its role in the Cold War and nuclear arms race.” —San Francisco Chronicle
About The Author
William Poundstone
WILLIAM POUNDSTONE studied physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of The Recursive Universe, about information theory and physics, and Labyrinths of Reason, an exploration of paradox in science. He is also known as the author of such popular books as Big Secrets, The Ultimate, and Prisoner’s Dilemma. He has written for Esquire, Harper’s, SPY, and other periodicals. He lives in Los Angeles.
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