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The Prisoner's Dilemma: Why Cooperation Fails (Even When It Should Work)
Paperback
Series: Game Theory, Book 2
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Mar 22 2026
Pages: 118
Weight: 0.34
Height: 0.30 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Why do people fail to cooperate even when cooperation is clearly better for everyone?
The Prisoner's Dilemma is one of the most powerful ideas in game theory because it explains a brutal truth about human behaviour: people often create worse outcomes not because they want them, but because they are afraid of being the only one who plays fair.
In this practical and readable book, Gordon J. MacKenzie explores why trust breaks down, why fear drives defection, why silence can make bad systems worse, and why repeated interactions can either deepen mistrust or build stronger cooperation over time.
Using clear language and real-world examples, this book shows how the Prisoner's Dilemma applies far beyond economics or academic theory. It appears in workplaces, relationships, leadership, teams, politics, negotiations, and everyday life.
Inside, you'll learn:
- why cooperation so often fails
- why people defect even when they know better
- how fear and asymmetry distort decision-making
- why silence often strengthens bad games
- how repeated interactions shape trust and reputation
- when punishment and reward improve cooperation
- how to recognise and escape destructive patterns
This is not a technical textbook. It is a clear guide to one of the most useful strategic ideas ever developed, written for readers who want to understand people better and make stronger decisions in difficult environments.
If you want to understand why people protect themselves, why systems drift into worse outcomes, and how better cooperation can be built, this book gives you the framework.
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