Copyright: 2000
Publisher: Pantheon Books
ISBN: 0679442529
I came across this book in a reference to former President Clinton. Apparently towards the end of his time in office this book came to his attention and upon reading it he began urging those around him to read the book. Robert Wright asserts that all of human history can be understood in terms of game theory. He builds on two very high level concepts from game theory: zero sum and non-zero sum games. His primary assertion is that throughout history, human interaction has by nature become more and more complex and the advances we have made as humans come from non-zero sum interactions. Zero sum interactions tend to be regressive and therefore humanity has tended towards the non-zero sum kinds. The first 200 pages of this book are a fascinating and whirl-wind tour of the history of humanity in light of these two types of interactions.
What the difference?
In a nutshell (and with due apologies to von Neumann et al.) zero sum games are ones in which one person loses if the other wins. For instance if you and I make a bet on the over and under of the Michigan vs. Ohio State game next year (yes... I am still a Michigan fan even in the lean years!) one of us must lose if the other wins.
In a non-zero sum game it is possible for both of us to win or for both of us to lose. The most famous of these is the classic Prisoner's Dilemma. Essentially it's a contived situation in which cooperation between two individuals results in a better final sum than if either of the players acts strictly in his or her own interest.
Game theorists and behavioral economists use non-zero sum games to explain some seemingly irrational behavior in human interactions. Robert Wright uses them to explain how groups of people in various societies throughout history have been able to advance relatively quickly by using cooperation and engaging in non-zero sum activities.
Random Notes and Thoughts
A particularly poignant quote that supports the notion of cooperation among people is "The best place for an Eskimo to store his surplus is in someone else's stomach." The idea of course is that if I try to save all of my surplus it will likely spoil. If I feed my fellow Eskimo, the next time I have a run of bad luck and his is good, he will remember and reciprocate. This is a classic example where seemingly altruistic behavior actually has its roots in self preservation.
"If two societies are in contact for a length of time, they will either trade or fight."
"If you add literacy to Attila the Hun, you don't get Plato, you get Genghis Khan."
Studying Chinese history shows that the Chi'n laws of standardization led to great increases in productivity. They even standardized on the width of a wagon's wheels so that all the ruts in the kingdom would be the same width to ease travel. This has shades of the economic impact of Herbert Hoover's efforts to standardize American industry as Commerce Secretary under President's Harding and Coolidge.
"Algorithm"'s etymology points to an Islamic mathematician in the 9th Century named Al-Khwārizmī.
A "one world government" is seen by Wright as an inevitability given that in 1500 B.C. there were some 600,000 political entities. Currently there are somewhere less than 200 in the world. As humans become more interconnected and information flows freer, there becomes less need for sovereign, localized government. Interesting concept!
Robert Wright returns over and over to the trend of human history to improve both the transport and the processing of:
- Matter
- Energy
- Information
While we live in the "information age" it is clear throughout history that trading in information has been the largest and most profitable non-zero sum game.
Conclusion
The historical perspective of this book makes for a fascinating read. In Parts 2 and 3 of the book, Wright lost my attention as he dove into the realms of molecular biology and philosophy and religion. I enjoyed the read but I wasn't as impressed as President Clinton apparently was. All in all though it was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who is a history buff and wants a new perspective on some old topics.