Evolution and the Theory of Games

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Summary: Games
Review: All you want to know about theory of games

Rating:
Summary: Classic Book on Evolutionary Survival Strategies
Review: This book is a classic. It introduced the concept of Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS), and applied it to many important biological problems. Discussed are sex ratios, sex dimorphism, conflicts between sexes and generations, the role of bluffing in animal contests, and much, much more. Most of the ideas popularized in Dawkins 'The Selfish Gene' were introduced in this book. To his credit, Dawkins recognizes his debt to John Maynard Smith (probably the greatest evolutionary theorist of the last half century). Most people, however, don't read this book and rely on Dawkins popular account, which is designed more to shock than to enlighten. This is unforgivable for professionals in any evolutionary research field. While it definitely does not read like a novel, this book is not too hard and has many examples. All the really difficult math is in appendixes, which professionals in biological or behavioral sciences can (and should) avoid.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic and Still Great and Readable Book
Review: With this book, John Maynard Smith initiated a major strand of modern theoretical biology! The book does not require sophisticated mathematical preparation, but it operates on a consistently high level of analytical rigor. It is also very nicely written, with lots of biological examples.