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Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life (Paperback)
by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff
| Category:
Strategy, Game theory, Competition |
| Market price: ¥ 208.00
MSL price:
¥ 178.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
An excellent reference on Game Theory and competitive strategies with many case studies but little math. |
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Author: Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Reissue edition
Pub. in: April, 1993
ISBN: 0393310353
Pages: 408
Measurements: 8.7 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00505
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- Awards & Credential -
International Bestseller |
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- MSL Picks -
Strategic thinking is the art and science of determining how you should act in a competitive environment, that is one in which you are playing a "game" with other players and your actions influence their actions and vice versa. The core of strategic thinking is game theory and it applies to a very wide range of situations, from classic examples like chess to far more practical business, sports, and relationship examples.
This book provides a very fair introduction to strategic thinking. It is easily accessible, but at the cost of being sometimes overly simplified and perhaps sacrificing too much of the theory. It is also a little drawn out sometimes, being a bit long for such a simplified introduction.
After reading this book I felt like I had a grasp of the basics of strategic thinking, and that I would be able to analyze perhaps the simplest of competitive situations to determine how to improve my odds of achieving whatever my objective is. However I wouldn't dream of applying strategic thinking very far beyond the most simplistic situations, especially not in any modern business / entreprenurial context. There was too little theory or overaching tying together of themes. Some of the examples stretched so far for pedagogical purposes that any connection to reality really was lost. I think the best value of this book would be to ease the reader into the realm of strategic thinking so that they would be better able to absorb the concepts of a more coherent, more thorough presentation of competitive strategy and how to apply it to the real world.
The by-line of this book is "don't compete without it." Well, I would add "don't compete with just it." It does a good job of getting you halfway to being able to apply strategic thinking to the real world. (From quoting Dianne Roberts, USA)
Target readers:
General readers
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| View all 10 comments |
Washington Post (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
A fascinating new book that can be read with real pleasure… The problem is, of course, that if Dixit and Nalebuff can improve your strategic IQ, they can improve your competitor's as well. |
Publishers Weekly (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
Most books on game theory either focus on specialized applications (cardplaying, business, nuclear war) or bore with mathematics and jargon. Free of formulas and argot, this refreshing exception distills the principles, concepts, tools and techniques - brinkmanship, bargaining, unconditional moves, vicious circles, etc. - with an astonishing diversity of illustrative examples drawn from political campaigns, baseball, neighborhood dynamics of segregation, the military draft, speed limits, childrearing and so forth. In helping strategists anticipate rivals' responses and win the game, economics professors Dixit and Nalebuff (who teach game theory at Princeton and Yale, respectively) provide managers, negotiators, athletes, parents and other game-players with a formidable weapon. |
Palazzo (MSL quote), Brazil
<2007-01-10 00:00>
Great reading if you want to better understand the principles of the game theory. Authors offer the exact mix of theory and practice. Examples are a bit old fashioned though. A reviewed edition would be welcome. Foreign readers may also find it difficult to understand examples related to American football and baseball, as well as those of the American senate day by day. But don't mind them. Concepts are still up to date and it's a pleasureful reading. |
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-10 00:00>
Interesting game theory book without the math. Too much stuff about labor strikes. A bit too theoretical to be applied directly, but definitely some interesting things to think about. One interesting theoretical proposition, in a 2 person race the leader should mimick all of the moves of the follower, that way the follower will never gain any ground. Best part of book is cited to some journal.
"In 1890 there were three ways to power automobiles - steam, gasoline, and electricity - and one of these was patently inferior to the other two: gasoline... A turning point for gasoline was a 1895 horseless carriage competition sponsored by the Chicago TimesHerald. This was won by a gasoline-powered Duryea - one of only two cars to finish out of six starters - and has been cited as the possible inspiration for R.E. Olds <Oldsmobile> to patent in 1896 a gasoline powered source, which he subsequently mass produced. Gasoline thus overcame it's slow start. Steam continued viable as a power source until 1914, when there was an outbreak of hoof-and- mouth disease in North America. This led to the withdrawl of horse troughs - which is where steam cars could fill with water. It took the Stanley brothers about three years to develop a condenser and boiler system that did not need to be filled every thirty of fourty miles. But by then it was too late. The steam engine hasn't recovered. "
"While there is little doubt that today's gasoline technology is better than steam, that's not the right comparison. How good would steam have been if it had the benefit of seventy-five years of research and development? " |
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