Stratefic thinking: From von Neumann to Nash

Strategic Thinking and the Art of Cooperation

By Henry Hoang Pham

Twenty-four short stories about sharing, promises, fairness and cooperation. Follow sisters Mai and An through everyday choices that introduce the central questions of game theory, with room for younger readers and adults to think together.

What makes a fair share? Why can two sensible decisions leave everyone worse off? And when is keeping a friend more valuable than winning one more game? In 24 short tales, Henry Hoang Pham follows sisters Mai and An and their neighbours as they divide cakes, play marbles, borrow scissors, run a fair and share a well during the dry season. Small disagreements open onto larger questions about incentives, trust, bargaining and cooperation. The stories give younger readers familiar situations to explore while leaving adults room to consider work, relationships and the rules we live by. Each chapter ends with a question that invites conversation. A brief historical afterword and an accessible glossary connect the tales with game theory, including zero-sum games, mixed strategies, minimax, Nash equilibrium and the challenges of managing shared resources. From von Neumann to Nash can be read a chapter at a time or shared aloud. Its recurring question is simple: how can we choose well when other people are choosing too? Published by Infinity Press in 2026. Dedicated to the author's daughter, Suri.