"Polished, organized, and well-documented, this book demonstrates the existence of well-defined game theory in historical texts. Jane Austen, in particular, develops a clear model of strategic thinking in her novels. Michael Chwe shows the efficacy and pitfalls of such thinking in her characters' actions, and in their perceptions and understanding of the actions of others. An enjoyable read."
—Susan Skeath, coauthor of Games of StrategyThis is such a fabulous book--carefully written, thoughtful and insightful.
Chwe makes an argument for Austen as a founder of decision science in this 2013 book that boasts an impressive array of diagrams and hard-nosed textual analysis.---Evelyn Crowley, Vogue.com
Well researched and with an excellent index, the book will appeal to Austen fans who can see her characters in another light.
Chwe's volume is a valuable first step toward a more interdisciplinary and much more inclusive field of decision sciences.---Mary Flanagan, American Journal of Play
This is insightful literary analysis at its most accessible and enjoyable.---Kate Hutchings, Huffington Post Books
"Jane Austen, game theorist?! You will cry, how absurd! But you will be wrong. Michael Chwe's beautifully written and argued book makes the case, crushingly, that Our Jane was fascinated by human prudent interaction—what the game theorists call strategy. Based on deep familiarity with the novels and their scholarly literature, his book will instruct and delight both literary critics and economists. Combining the humanities and social sciences for mutual illumination, Chwe practices a 'humanomics' masterfully."—Deirdre N. McCloskey, University of Illinois, Chicago
[B]lends two very different subjects--game theory and literature--delightfully.---Siddarth Singh, Mint
[A] convincing case for how mathematical models and fictional narratives can work towards reciprocal illustration.---Jonathan Sachs, Times Literary Supplement
"It would be useful for everyone to understand a little bit more about strategic thinking. Jane Austen seems not only to get this, but to explore it obsessively. Looking at Austen and other works, this persuasive book shows that the game theory in historical sources is not inherently opposed to humanistic thinking, but embedded within it."—Laura J. Rosenthal, University of Maryland
"Whether you're an intelligent strategic thinker or a clueless bureaucrat, this book will teach and delight you. The merger of game theory and Jane Austen, with extended examples from African American folklore and U.S. foreign policy, provides the best study I know of motive and cluelessness. Michael Chwe, a rare breed of political scientist, has raised the game of two disciplines. This is a genuinely interdisciplinary work that avoids the reductionism of much game theory and the provincialism of many Austen admirers."—Regenia Gagnier, author of The Insatiability of Human Wants: Economics and Aesthetics in Market Society
Jane Austen, Game Theorist should join the list of strategic classics like The Art of War . . . on the shelf of everybody who wants to be effective in life.---Diane Coyle, Enlightenment Economics
When an intelligent, knowledgeable reader with a new distinctive viewpoint engages intensely with a great work of literature, the results are usually worthy of attention. There is much that is valuable in Chwe's book.---Ernest Davis, SIAM News
"Michael Chwe shows that Jane Austen is a strategic analyst—a game theorist whose characters exercise strategic thinking. Game theorists usually study war, business, crime and punishment, diplomacy, politics, and one-upmanship. Jane Austen studies social advancement, romantic relationships, and even gamesmanship. Game theorists will enjoy this venture into unfamiliar territory, while Jane Austen fans will enjoy being illuminated about their favorite author's strategic acumen—and learn a little game theory besides."—Thomas C. Schelling, Nobel Laureate in Economics
Chwe's book is already a success among academics with a taste for rational choice theory and among Austen fans. It is highly recommended for students of game theory who would like to place the theory within different contexts, as well as students of political economy who would like to understand the extent to which a unique context influences individual objectives in strategic thinking.---Aurelie Charles, Eastern Economic Journal
"Jane Austen's novels provide wonderful examples of strategic thinking in the lives of ordinary people. In Jane Austen, Game Theorist, Michael Chwe brilliantly brings out these strategies, and Austen's intuitive game-theoretic analysis of these situations and actions. This book will transform the way you read literature."—Avinash Dixit, coauthor of The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life
Jane Austen, Game Theorist . . . is more than the larky scholarly equivalent of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.'. . . Mr. Chwe argues that Austen isn't merely fodder for game-theoretical analysis, but an unacknowledged founder of the discipline itself: a kind of Empire-waisted version of the mathematician and cold war thinker John von Neumann, ruthlessly breaking down the stratagems of 18th-century social warfare.---Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times
The book is in more of a social science vein than a technical one. The general reader should have no trouble following the author's arguments.---Mary Long, Mathematical Reviews Clippings
