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Best Game Theory

A Beautiful Mind
In this powerful and dramatic biography Sylvia Nasar vividly recreates the life of a mathematical genius whose career was cut short by schizophrenia and who, after three decades of devastating mental illness, miraculously recovered and was honored with a Nobel Prize. Or the "Phantom of Fine Hall," a figure many students had seen shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building wearing purple sneakers and writing numerology treatises on the blackboards. Born in West Virginia, the flamboyant mathematical wizard rubbed elbows at Princeton and MIT with Einstein, John von Neumann and Norbert Wiener. He compartmentalized his secret personal life, shows Nasar, hiding his homosexual affairs with colleagues from his mistress, a nurse who bore him a son out of wedlock, while he also courted Alicia Larde, an MIT physics student whom he married in 1957. Nasar, an economics correspondent for the New York Times, is equally adept at probing the puzzle of schizophrenia and giving a nontechnical context for Nash's mathematical and scientific ideas.
Reviews
"Mirroring the arc of Nash’s own life, Nassar splits the book into several parts: the first part covers Nash’s early life and mathematical blossoming; the second part elucidates his burgeoning relationships and the importance of connections to the outside world, as well as his growing star and significant mathematical contributions. The third section delves into some of the roots of his coming mental illness, both in terms of mathematical failures and turmoil within his personal life, as well as the first acute symptoms and subsequent hospitalization. The fourth part dives deeply into his downfall and plunge into mental illness, with the psychological reasoning and process behind it."
"Nasar does a good job of telling the story without bogging down in mathematical terms."
"I appreciated this book for the depth of historical perspective it offered about mathematics, John Nash's struggle with schizophrenia, and the politics involved in the Nobel prizes."
"John Nash, the heralded math genius who would be around 83 years old now, fathered a son with the same illness."
"After watching the movie, I admired Josh Nash, but I after reading this book my admiration has triple."
"I purchased this book in order to learn about John Nash, Jr.'s life. Instead I found a book that rambled on about all sorts of others, but frequently it took pages and pages to get to John Nash, Jr.'s name or anything that related to him."
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The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life
Using a diverse array of rich case studies—from pop culture, TV, movies, sports, politics, and history—the authors show how nearly every business and personal interaction has a game-theory component to it. John Burns, The Times Higher Education "Unlike most of the ranks of management advice books which pad out bookshop business sections, here is one which is rigorous, fun and extremely useful all at the same time."
Reviews
"I found this book was really good when thinking through decisions a coach or manager would make in sports, such as when to go for two-points instead of one, how to decide which way to kick on a penalty kick. Even if you're better kicking to the right, if the goalkeeper knows ahead of time which way you will kick, your chances of scoring a goal will decrease. You can increase your chance of scoring by randomly deciding to kick to the left some percentage (here is where the math kicks in) even through you aren't as good kicking to the left."
"Awesome book."
"The math is pretty easy to follow, one chapter I had to look back at old text books to figure out what was going on but I do believe this is a book everybody should read."
"Detailed, thorough, engaging, and readable."
"Such a great well-written book."
"The Art of Strategy provides an interesting mindset in the art of anticipating moves."
"There is absolutely no need to read this book if you've read Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life. I enjoyed Thinking Strategically and looked forward to reading this one."
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Game Theory 101: The Complete Textbook
Game Theory 101: The Complete Textbook is a no-nonsense, games-centered introduction to strategic form (matrix) and extensive form (game tree) games. People often ask me to recommend a book that gives an introduction to game theory.
Reviews
"I have recommended it to friends already, because it does a very good job at introducing difficult concepts to beginners *without* using a lot of math. Equations are also bloated and written with many redundant parenthesized expressions, which makes for some hard time trying to absorb them in your head quickly. I could go on ranting about presentation details like this, but I'll stop here because book's content is worth the purchase and I don't want you clicking away and not getting it."
"It is not devoid of mathematics, however, as the field is quantitative by nature, but the author does a superior job of making the ideas tangible by providing several fairly simple examples to demonstrate the important mechanics."
"This is a great introductory text (with accompanying videos) to build a solid foundation of knowledge to apply to international relations, in my case, or to whatever discipline you choose."
"If you are delving into this subject matter, I highly recommend that you pick up this book as an additional resource, and watch his videos when you're looking for a little more instruction."
"This is a great textbook/practice reference to complete W. Spaniel's online videos."
"What is nice is that once I bought it, Amazon has an app that let's me download it again (for free) to my iPod Touch. Perfect level for short seminar that I may give soon to retired folks as a supplement."
"This textbook is helping me learn Game Theory in a way that is efficient and fun."
"While it is a beautifully written guide to strategic thinking,It also requires some strong mathematics prerequisites, like calculus, statistics and probability."
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Best Graph Theory

Introduction to Graph Theory (Dover Books on Mathematics)
Aimed at "the mathematically traumatized," this text offers nontechnical coverage of graph theory, with exercises.
Reviews
"Clear, yet not because of that lacks in rigor."
"Richard J. Trudeau provides a good introduction to Graph Theory."
"just not sure where to download code snippets."
"Great book and it shipped fast.v."
"Great introduction for those who study as a mathematicians... And besides, the Dover outlines math books are really helping!!"
"Well written!"
"Some basic math understanding required but still well-written."
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Best Computer Mathematics

Differential Equations with Mathematica
The text covers topics on differential equations such as first-order ordinary differential equations, higher order differential equations, power series solutions of ordinary differential equations, the Laplace Transform, systems of ordinary differential equations, and Fourier Series and applications to partial differential equations. I am tempted to make this. the sole, required text for that course". March 2003 Integrates new applications from a variety of fields, especially biology, physics, and engineering, and is a perfect introduction for Mathematica beginners.
Reviews
"If you're taking a course in ODEs and your primary text doesn't have some kind of Mathematica supplement, then this book might help you learn to solve differential equations with Mathematica."
"In Chap 2, for instance, I have found a couple of places were the examples using Mathematica and those worked out on paper do not follow each other."
"If you're interested in differential equations and numerical calculations using Mathematica this book offers a good guide through the main different topics of these kind of problems."
"Abell and Braselton strike a nice balance between the analytical solution of differential equations by hand, and numerical solution by computer."
"No outdated firmware, great battery life, works in hot and cold environments."
"What a great book!"
"This book explains differential equations in a mathematical context rather than simply a "plug and chug" approach."
"Unless you are a complete novice in the field of differential equations, don't buy this book!"
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Best Vector Analysis

Vector Calculus
The new edition offers a contemporary design, an increased number of practice exercises, and content changes based on reviewer feedback, giving this classic text a modern appeal. Marsden, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.
Reviews
"I use Geogebras 3D graphing calculator on my phone to visualize some of the concepts so lab keys or octave/matlab have been entirely unnecessary."
"The book is really helpful."
"Later when the book talks about limits, differentiation, and integration, the definitions and theorems become almost impossible to interpret without getting a concept wrong."
"RECEIVED THE BOOK IN EXCELLENT CONDITION; SO FAR THE BOOK MEETS MY EXPECTATIONS AND I EXPECT IT TO CONTINUE!"
"Very difficult to understand."
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Best Linear Programming

Python: Python Programming: A Complete Practical Guide For Beginners To Master Python Programming Language
If You Are New To Python Programming And Want To Start From A Solid Foundation.. 'Python Programming: A Complete Guide For Beginners To Master And Become An Expert In Python Programming Language' is a complete guide, covering all the basic concepts and takes you to the expert level with simple to understand, follow and learn examples and explanations. ------------------. Tags: Python, Python programing, Python exercise, Python reference, Python, Python course, Python book, Python Kindle, Python Beginners, learning Python, Python language, Python examples, Python tutorials, Python programming language, Python coding, Python programming for beginners, Python for Dummies, python machine learning, python beginners guide.
Reviews
"Are you searching for something good stuff for learning all the basics of python programming?"
"Python programming contain multiple benefits that we can get if we choose accurate guide book and this book is one of them."
"Like in this book very much that, as mentioned in title, it's a practical book."
"Covers benefits of the language, basic commands, statements, functions."
"This book gives a good tour of the language, in an interesting way, by working through multiple video game programs."
"I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in learning python."
"Python, being a programming language with a pretty much universally useful is instructed quickly yet in an extremely composed way."
"I suspect that the first three 5-star reviews are fake -- particularly as their grammar/sentence structure is extremely similar to that presented within the book. For example: "As a result, it gained the power and performance that it has within itself but in a secret nutshell come to the industry." Unfortunately, since the author apparently decided to pick and choose random sentences and paragraphs from different websites (including the tutorial information available for free from Python), the information is rarely complete and often doesn't make much sense. Neither of those examples here has complete instructions, but you can find them online for free in multiple places! 6) It was also apparently originally an eBook, and they didn't bother changing the language to reflect the print version. ON page 20, it begins with, "in this part of the eBook..." It also indicates on multiple occasions that the reader should copy and paste some of the text into Python."
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Best Differential Equations

Freakonomics Rev Ed: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a great deal of complexity and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and—if the right questions are asked—is even more intriguing than we think. Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.Bonus material added to the revised and expanded 2006 edition.The original New York Times Magazine article about Steven D. Levitt by Stephen J. Dubner, which led to the creation of this book.Seven “Freakonomics” columns written for the New York Times Magazine, published between August 2005 and April 2006. “Levitt dissects complex real-world phenomena, e.g. baby-naming patterns and Sumo wrestling, with an economist’s laser.” (San Diego Union-Tribune). This is bracing fun of the highest order.” (Kurt Andersen, host of public radio's Studio 360 and author of Turn of the Century). “Freakonomics challenges conventional wisdom and makes for fun reading.” (Book Sense Picks and Notables). Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, given to the most influential American economist under forty. Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning journalist and radio and TV personality, has worked for the New York Times and published three non- Freakonomics books.
Reviews
"Indeed, the most common reaction I get from people when telling them that I am an economist is that they have read Freakonomics, which implies that they have at least seen some work similar to what I do at aguanomics. All I remember was a lot of math and curves.” This depressing outcome results from lecturers who merely reproduce problems and equations on the blackboard, without helping students understand either why those theories are used or how they came to be so popular with economists. Third, there are books like mine [pdf] that try to explain how to improve failing policies using basic economic insights and incentives. This book with a memorable (but useless) name provides readers with just-so stories that are good for cocktail conversations but not for understanding economics. What struck me is their ongoing attempts to hold onto at least some elements in the original claim in later blog posts in what I’d call a “my-ladydoth-protest-too-much” manner. Looking over their other chapters (on cheating sumo wrestlers, drug dealers who live with their moms, the KKK as a multilevel marketing organization, etc. ), I agree that the chapters are interesting and thought provoking, but they do not provide “lessons on the hidden side of everything.” Instead, they read like a series of magazine articles whose quirky “insights” might contribute to your next cocktail conversation. [7] I didn’t detect any reliable technique (except perhaps to collect a neat dataset and call Steve Levitt), and that’s where I was disappointed. In this case, street dealers are (a) NOT condemned to death, (b) not able to find other work with their experience, and (c) not aware of their statistical mortality as much as their potential wealth. Dubner and Levitt present interesting puzzles worthy of cocktail conversation, but they overstate their contributions and accuracy (“numbers don’t lie” but theory can be incomplete or just wrong). He's a fine person and excellent economist, but this book is too “pop” in its oversimplification of his work and hagiographic treatment of his insights. Yes, he brings interesting statistical tools to“freaky” questions, but he’s not a “rogue economist exploring the hidden side of everything.” He’s just a guy with a dataset and empirical theory who finds some strong correlations. (8) My years of experience traveling in 100+ countries leads me to respect the diversity of beliefs and institutions that result in a variety of outcomes. As another example, take Dubner on page 199, who writes “that paper [on police officer counts and crime] was later disputed… a gradate student found an obvious mathematical mistake in it — but Levitt’s ingenuity was obvious.” I’m not sure I’d say the same about someone whose claims rested on logic with “obvious mathematical mistakes”!"
"LOVE THIS BOOK!"
"I enjoyed the many hidden causal connections that no one without the proper research could ever have put together."
"This book is absolutely brilliant."
"You may or may not agree with everything in here, but that is not the point."
"It takes an engaging and unique look at the world through the lens of an economist and the results are quite compelling."
"I thought this book was both thought provoking and interesting."
"Really a great book."
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Best Probability & Statistics

Freakonomics Rev Ed: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a great deal of complexity and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and—if the right questions are asked—is even more intriguing than we think. Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.Bonus material added to the revised and expanded 2006 edition.The original New York Times Magazine article about Steven D. Levitt by Stephen J. Dubner, which led to the creation of this book.Seven “Freakonomics” columns written for the New York Times Magazine, published between August 2005 and April 2006. “Levitt dissects complex real-world phenomena, e.g. baby-naming patterns and Sumo wrestling, with an economist’s laser.” (San Diego Union-Tribune). This is bracing fun of the highest order.” (Kurt Andersen, host of public radio's Studio 360 and author of Turn of the Century). “Freakonomics challenges conventional wisdom and makes for fun reading.” (Book Sense Picks and Notables). Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, given to the most influential American economist under forty. Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning journalist and radio and TV personality, has worked for the New York Times and published three non- Freakonomics books.
Reviews
"Indeed, the most common reaction I get from people when telling them that I am an economist is that they have read Freakonomics, which implies that they have at least seen some work similar to what I do at aguanomics. All I remember was a lot of math and curves.” This depressing outcome results from lecturers who merely reproduce problems and equations on the blackboard, without helping students understand either why those theories are used or how they came to be so popular with economists. Third, there are books like mine [pdf] that try to explain how to improve failing policies using basic economic insights and incentives. This book with a memorable (but useless) name provides readers with just-so stories that are good for cocktail conversations but not for understanding economics. What struck me is their ongoing attempts to hold onto at least some elements in the original claim in later blog posts in what I’d call a “my-ladydoth-protest-too-much” manner. Looking over their other chapters (on cheating sumo wrestlers, drug dealers who live with their moms, the KKK as a multilevel marketing organization, etc. ), I agree that the chapters are interesting and thought provoking, but they do not provide “lessons on the hidden side of everything.” Instead, they read like a series of magazine articles whose quirky “insights” might contribute to your next cocktail conversation. [7] I didn’t detect any reliable technique (except perhaps to collect a neat dataset and call Steve Levitt), and that’s where I was disappointed. In this case, street dealers are (a) NOT condemned to death, (b) not able to find other work with their experience, and (c) not aware of their statistical mortality as much as their potential wealth. Dubner and Levitt present interesting puzzles worthy of cocktail conversation, but they overstate their contributions and accuracy (“numbers don’t lie” but theory can be incomplete or just wrong). He's a fine person and excellent economist, but this book is too “pop” in its oversimplification of his work and hagiographic treatment of his insights. Yes, he brings interesting statistical tools to“freaky” questions, but he’s not a “rogue economist exploring the hidden side of everything.” He’s just a guy with a dataset and empirical theory who finds some strong correlations. (8) My years of experience traveling in 100+ countries leads me to respect the diversity of beliefs and institutions that result in a variety of outcomes. As another example, take Dubner on page 199, who writes “that paper [on police officer counts and crime] was later disputed… a gradate student found an obvious mathematical mistake in it — but Levitt’s ingenuity was obvious.” I’m not sure I’d say the same about someone whose claims rested on logic with “obvious mathematical mistakes”!"
"I enjoyed the many hidden causal connections that no one without the proper research could ever have put together."
"This book is absolutely brilliant."
"You may or may not agree with everything in here, but that is not the point."
"I thought this book was both thought provoking and interesting."
"Really a great book."
"Here's my verdict: if you want a fun, engaging read, and have a lot of time, don't read non-fiction a lot, etc., this would be a lot of fun."
"Only gripe I have with this particular edition (really of no fault to the book or its authors) is that I thought it was much longer (311 pages) than the actual book (192 pages) is."
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