Source Text: Introducing Game Theory: A Graphic Guide by Ivan Pastine, Tuvana Pastine, and Tom Humberstone

An extremely short and light read, Game Theory provides a useful introduction to its namesake field in a surprisingly approachable form. The illustrations serve only to reinforce the written examples, and to provide some visual ‘breathing room’ where readers can imagine the scenarios described within.

As the authors admit toward the end of the book, Game Theory deliberately avoids mathematical discussions, touching on only the slightest amounts of algebra and statistics when these fields are needed to explain a cost/benefit determination. This avoidance limits the amount of detail which can be expressed when imagining the various case studies, but also serves to focus the text and increase its approachability.

In most of my reading, I found myself thinking that this book would be a strong introduction to game theory for a middle grade reader, but some of the algebraic concepts used may mean that an early high school reader would find more enjoyment and utility in the text. Of course, readers are all different, and it’s likely that a genuine interest in learning about the subject would be the most important prerequisite attribute for a potential reader of any age.