Robert Axelrod Books

The autobiography highlights Robert Axelrod's remarkable journey through a distinguished career in science and interdisciplinary collaboration. Recognized early on for his potential, Axelrod engaged with diverse fields, earning accolades including the National Medal of Science. His narrative not only chronicles his achievements but also candidly addresses his challenges and triumphs in fostering cooperation. Through encounters with global leaders and insights from his research, Axelrod illustrates the vast potential for collaboration across disciplines, emphasizing the importance of understanding and achieving cooperative relationships.

The Evolution of Cooperation provides valuable insights into the age-old question of whether unforced cooperation is ever possible. Widely praised and much-discussed, this classic book explores how cooperation can emerge in a world of self-seeking egoists-whether superpowers, businesses, or individuals-when there is no central authority to police their actions. The problem of cooperation is central to many different fields. Robert Axelrod recounts the famous computer tournaments in which the "cooperative" program Tit for Tat recorded its stunning victories, explains its application to a broad spectrum of subjects, and suggests how readers can both apply cooperative principles to their own lives and teach cooperative principles to others.

How can co-operation emerge in a world of self-seeking egoists - whether superpowers, businesses, or individuals - when there is no central authority to police their actions? This title explores this question, and its implications in this age of nuclear weapons and arms talks.

Focusing on the intersection of complexity theory and social science, this collection features seven essays by Robert Axelrod, a pioneer in game theory. Serving as a sequel to his influential work, it includes a comprehensive introduction, updated prefaces, and a valuable appendix of resources. Axelrod's clear and engaging writing style makes this volume both an accessible introduction to complexity theory and a current overview of advancements in the field, making it an essential read for those interested in social science modeling.