The game theorist's guide to parenting : how the science of strategic thinking can help you deal with the toughest negotiators you know{u2014} your kids

“I absolutely loved this book, both as a parent and as a nerd.” —Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure Delightfully witty, refreshingly irreverent, and just a bit Machiavellian, The Game Theorist’s Guide to Parenting looks past the fads to offer advice you can put into action today. As every parent knows, kids are surprisingly clever negotiators. But how can we avoid those all-too-familiar wails of “That’s not fair!” and “You can’t make me!”? In The Game Theorist’s Guide to Parenting , the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn and the game theorist Kevin Zollman pair up to highlight tactics from the worlds of economics and business that can help parents break the endless cycle of quarrels and ineffective solutions. Raeburn and Zollman show that some of the same strategies successfully applied to big business deals and politics—such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma and the Ultimatum Game—can be used to solve such titanic, age-old parenting problems as dividing up toys, keeping the peace on long car rides, and sticking to homework routines. Raeburn and Zollman open each chapter with a common parenting dilemma. Then they show how carefully concocted schemes involving bargains and fair incentives can save the day. Through smart case studies of game theory in action, Raeburn and Zollman reveal how parents and children devise strategies, where those strategies go wrong, and what we can do to help raise happy and savvy kids while keeping the rest of the family happy too. "I absolutely loved this book, both as a parent and as a nerd." —Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure Delightfully witty, refreshingly irreverent, and just a bit Machiavellian, The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting looks past the fads to offer advice you can put into action today. As every parent knows, kids are surprisingly clever negotiators. But how can we avoid those all-too-familiar wails of "That's not fair!" and "You can't make me!"? In The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting , the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn and the game theorist Kevin Zollman pair up to highlight tactics from the worlds of economics and business that can help parents break the endless cycle of quarrels and ineffective solutions. Raeburn and Zollman show that some of the same strategies successfully applied to big business deals and politics—such as the Prisoner's Dilemma and the Ultimatum Game—can be used to solve such titanic, age-old parenting problems as dividing up toys, keeping the peace on long car rides, and sticking to homework routines. Raeburn and Zollman open each chapter with a common parenting dilemma. Then they show how carefully concocted schemes involving bargains and fair incentives can save the day. Through smart case studies of game theory in action, Raeburn and Zollman reveal how parents and children devise strategies, where those strategies go wrong, and what we can do to help raise happy and savvy kids while keeping the rest of the family happy too. I absolutely loved this book, both as a parent and as a nerd. Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure As every parent knows, kids are surprisingly clever negotiators. But how can we avoid those all-too-familiar wails of Thats not fair! and You cant make me!? In The Game Theorists Guide to Parenting , the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn and the game theorist Kevin Zollman pair up to highlight tactics from the worlds of economics and business that can help parents break the endless cycle of quarrels and ineffective solutions. Raeburn and Zollman show that some of the same strategies successfully applied to big business deals and politicssuch as the Prisoners Dilemma and the Ultimatum Gamecan be used to solve such titanic, age-old parenting problems as dividing up toys, keeping the peace on long car rides, and sticking to homework routines. Raeburn and Zollman open each chapter with a common parenting dilemma. Then they show how carefully concocted schemes involving bargains and fair incentives can save the day. Through smart case studies of game theory in action, Raeburn and Zollman reveal how parents and children devise strategies, where those strategies go wrong, and what we can do to help raise happy and savvy kids while keeping the rest of the family happy too. Delightfully witty, refreshingly irreverent, and just a bit Machiavellian, The Game Theorists Guide to Parenting looks past the fads to offer advice you can put into action today. The tools you need to master the toughest negotiations you'll ever face--those with your kids As every parent knows, kids are surprisingly clever negotiators. But how can we avoid those all-too-familiar wails, "That's not fair!" and "You can't make me!"? In The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting, the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn and the game theorist Kevin Zollman pair up to highlight tactics from the worlds of economics and business that can help parents break the endless cycle of quarrels and ineffective solutions. Raeburn and Zollman show that some of the same strategies successfully applied to big business deals and politics--such as the Prisoner's Dilemma and the Ultimatum Game--can be used to solve such titanic, age-old parenting problems as dividing up toys, keeping the peace on long car rides, and sticking to homework routines. Raeburn and Zollman open each chapter with a common parenting dilemma. Then they show how carefully concocted schemes involving bargains and fair incentives can save the day. Through smart case studies of game theory in action, Raeburn and Zollman reveal how parents and children devise strategies, where those strategies go wrong, and what we can do to help raise happy and savvy kids while keeping the rest of the family happy too. Delightfully witty, refreshingly irreverent, and just a bit Machiavellian, The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting looks past the fads to offer advice you can put into action today The Tools You Need To Master The Toughest Negotiations You'll Ever Face--those With Your Kids, --amazon.com. I Cut, You Pick -- Don't Cut Barbie In Half! -- He Got A Lego Set? That's Not Fair! -- You Can't Be Serious! -- The Dog Ate My Homework -- He Started It! -- Why Can't You Pay For This? -- Are You Saying You Don't Believe Me? -- You Can't Tell Me What To Do! Paul Raeburn And Kevin Zollman. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Raeburn and Zollman pair up to highlight tactics from the worlds of economics and business that can help parents break the endless cycle of quarrels and ineffective solutions. They show that some of the same strategies successfully applied to big business deals and politics can be used to solve such titanic, age-old parenting problems as dividing up toys, keeping the peace on long car rides, and sticking to homework routines. As every parent knows, kids are surprisingly clever negotiators. But how can we avoid those all-too-familiar walls, "That's not fair!" and "You can't make me!"? The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting, highlights tactics from the worlds of economics and business that can help parents break the endless cycle of quarrels and ineffective solutions. I Cut, You Pick Don't Cut Barbie in Half! He Got a LEGO Set? That's Not Fair! You Can't Be Serious! The Dog Ate My Homework He Started It! Why Can't You Pay for This? Are You Saying You Don't Believe Me? You Can't Tell Me What to Do! Epilogue : Leaving the Nest.