Traditionally, Americans have viewed war as an alternative to diplomacy, and military strategy as the science of victory. Today, however, in our world of nuclear weapons, military power is not so much exercised as threatened. It is, Mr. Schelling says, bargaining power, and the exploitation of this [...]
Micromotives and Macrobehavior deals with all involve systems of behavior where a person reacting, responding, and adapting to his surroundings fails to perceive, or doesn't care, how his actions combine with the actions of others to produce unanticipated results.[...]
Originally published over twenty-five years ago, "Micromotives and Macrobehavior" still feels fresh today. And the subject of these stories - how small and seemingly meaningless decisions and actions by individuals often lead to significant unintended consequences for a large group - is more importa[...]
Thomas Schelling is a political economist "conspicuous for wandering" an errant economist. In "Choice and Consequence," he ventures into the area where rationality is ambiguous in order to look at the tricks people use to try to quit smoking or lose weight. He explores topics as awesome as nuclear t[...]