The Evolution of Cooperation
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Summary
Editor's review
For contemporary readers, the book's value extends far beyond the era of its publication. In today's world of deepening globalization and the rise of networked societies, the environments we face are closer than ever to the "repeated game" model in the book. Whether in international relations, business competition, team management, or everyday interpersonal interactions, understanding the evolutionary logic of cooperation is crucial. The book offers not moral preaching but an analyzable, predictable behavioral framework. It tells us that kindness (choosing cooperation first), provocability (retaliating against defection), forgiveness (returning to cooperation after retaliation), and clarity (simple, understandable behavior patterns) are the cornerstones of building sustainable cooperative relationships. Reading this book, you will gain a thinking tool that cuts through complex appearances to the essence of interaction.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in game theory, behavioral economics, or complex systems science who want to understand the underlying logic of social cooperation
- Professionals in policy research, international relations, business management, or organizational behavior who need theory to guide practice
- Readers who enjoy interdisciplinary thinking and appreciate simple mathematical models that reveal profound social phenomena
- Those who feel confused in interpersonal or team interactions and seek more constructive principles of engagement
Not a good fit for
- Pure literary readers expecting a story full of twists and turns or a biography
- Readers who want an immediately usable, step-by-step "cooperation skills" manual and lack patience for theoretical derivation
Reading tips
- Start with the preface and Chapter 1 to understand the background and core questions of the tournaments and to build basic concepts of the Prisoner's Dilemma and repeated games.
- While reading, connect the ideas to real-world cases—such as long-term business contracts, compliance with international treaties, or rule formation in online communities—to deepen understanding.
- The concluding section's four recommendations for cooperation (kindness, provocability, forgiveness, clarity) are the essence; revisit them and reflect on them in light of your own experience.
About the publisher
Shanghai People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher whose list focuses on academic monographs and general-interest titles in philosophy, social sciences, politics and law, economics and management, and history. Among its books are Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties History in the Chinese Dynastic History series; The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in foreign literature; the Wenjing Classical Translation Illustrated Edition of The Complete Greek Tragedies of Euripides; and works of social theory such as Max Weber's Economy and Society and Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. Its authors include Wang Zhongluo, J.R.R. Tolkien, Luo Niansheng, and Zhou Zuoren.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序
- 中文版前言
- 英文版前言
- 第一部分 导论
- 第一章 合作的问题
- 第二部分 合作的出现
- 第二章 “一报还一报”在计算机竞赛中的胜利
- 第三章 合作的建立
- 第三部分 没有友谊和预见的合作
- 第四章 第一次世界大战堑壕战中的“自己活也让别人活”的系统
- 第五章 生物系统中的合作进化
- 第四部分 对参与者和改革者的建议
- 第六章 如何有效地选择
- 第七章 如何促进合作
- 第五部分 结论
- 第八章 合作的社会结构
- 第九章 回报的鲁棒性
- 附录A 竞赛结果
- 附录B 理论命题的证明
- 参考文献
- 译后记
FAQ
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About the author
Robert Axelrod is an author known for work at the intersection of game theory and the social sciences. Publicly available information about him is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background remain unclear. Only one of his works is held in this collection, The Evolution of Cooperation, which falls under the social sciences. The book addresses how cooperation can arise and be sustained among self-interested individuals, using game-theoretic models and strategy analysis; its style is centered on argumentation and model-based reasoning, and it is aimed at readers interested in the social sciences and game theory. The book has had a notable influence in its field and is often used to discuss cooperation, trust, and strategic choice. Because confirmable biographical information is scarce, this introduction relies mainly on the subject matter and writing orientation of his work and does not speculate about his personal history.
Wu Jianzhong is an author about whom relatively limited public information is available. At present, only one work by this author is included in the database, namely The Evolution of Cooperation, commonly classified under social sciences. Because details such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and educational background are not clearly recorded, his personal history is difficult to describe in detail. Judging from the available work, Wu Jianzhong's writing touches on topics such as cooperative mechanisms and social evolution, falling within the scope of translation or writing in the social sciences. The title The Evolution of Cooperation points to a discussion of how cooperative behavior forms and is sustained, usually associated with interdisciplinary debates in game theory, evolutionary biology, and the social sciences. Based on currently visible material, Wu Jianzhong's writing style tends toward academic review and conceptual explanation, aimed at readers concerned with issues of social cooperation. Overall, the number of works is limited, and the scope of influence awaits confirmation from more public information; readers may learn more about his focus by consulting the specific contents of the book.
