Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life (A Book Review)

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life (A Book Review)

            Curiosity is a human nature as well as the desire to win. When these two human natures come together, this book could be the key to satisfy those. We are curious on how to play a game and the tactics and strategies to win. Wanting to win and learning how to do it is another thing. Well, they say that those who are good in math are the ones who win such game. They mention about patterns and application of mathematical theories. Such theories include set theory, Bayesian probability among others.

            Rock, paper and scissors of Len Fisher is one book that gives insights and shares ideas about game theory. He had showed several examples of games that, in a way, torment the players especially with their choices. Most players when losing get angry or frustrated. Preventing this feeling outburst is one of the goals game theory. The ideas you get in game theory goes beyond the aspect of sole playing and entertainment. It can also be applied to day-to-day situations since the strategies you learn might be useful when dealing with real life situations.

            The first chapter, Trapped in the Matrix, is about a prisoner having a problem and in here Nash equilibrium was viewed as a logical trap. The second chapter is all about the concepts of minimax and fair division. In here, he shared about his experience as kid while shooting fireworks and he related it with fair division and minimax principle. On the third chapter, he tackled the seven most interesting game theory problems. He even dubbed it as the seven deadly dilemmas. He incorporated the free rider issue as well as the game of chicken while in his summary of the problems.

Chapter four is my bias. It is my favourite. Well, I guess everyone can relate because I am certain that everyone had played rock, paper and scissors. I was not surprised to have read that it can used in conflict resolution since here in the Philippines it is used to choose of who would have the first go on reporting or who would have the first go in another games. Well neither party could not really accuse cheating on each other since they themselves are the ones making the play and as a matter of fact it is their hands that are involved. They just have to have hands! No more, no less. There is no pure strategy at all.

Chapter five to eight emphasize cooperation and how trust, bargaining and changing of game results from it. It says there that if you know to cooperate, all other things will follow and you will be able o avoid the trap just like the prisoners dilemma and other unwanted outcomes.

Once again, it is another book that could have had a negative impression at first from nonMath lovers. Non-math lovers would have the impression that this book would be all about patterns and numbers. It isn’t. It is good that the author presented it in a informal way. In that way, his book would not look as if it was published just for the people who are mathematicians or geeks. He made it look like inviting to all people. He even attached the notes section where he had written random trivias and jokes. However, apart from being humorous he did not set aside the greater things we can get from it and that is to tell us the importance of game theory in dealing with daily situations.