This is what I have:
I’ve been reading the one related to economics by Schmidt, but it is somewhat history then the theory is advanced and specific.
I want something a little more introductory and general, or please point out the writers you think are good, or ones of most interest to Austrian economics, even if they are advanced. Thanks.
Prisoner’s Dilemma - William Poundstone
A quick and easy read. Goes over the initial development of game theory with von Neuman (and a little about Oskar Morgenstern) and the development of the prisoner’s dilemma. Oskar Morgenstern headed the Business Cycle Institue after Hayek, IIRC.
Right now I’m reading The Evolution of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod. He’s a political scientist who’s done plenty of work on the prisoner’s dilemma.
Next, I’ll be reading Games and Decision Making by Aliprantis and Chakrabarti. It’s a little more math and computer science heavy (the background I come from)
From what I can tell, most things in game theory are based on maximizing untility functions/behaviour models.
Thanks but none of those are on my list. I already harass my local library for obscure books and journals enough, so I probably won’t when I have these to start on. BTW, if you or anyone else who isn’t a goomba wants any of the PDFs just send me a message.
If you want to get good at the basics check out The Art of Strategy by Dixit and Nalebuff.
That isn’t on my list either, but I am going with “Hargreaves-Heap & Varoufakis - Game Theory - A Critical Introduction” for now since I noticed a section on methodological individualism.
Let us know how it is. Game theory is the new political philosophy
And biology, economics, etc…
OP: I’m not a game theory buff by far (i actually suck at it), but i’ve taken a couple of classes on the subject while doing my undergrad. Are you looking for the best introduction or is there a certain application you want to be able to apply it to?
I took half a year of it in high school, but I think I am happy with this one as an introduction. There’s mention of Kant, Hobbes, etc that I noticed as I skimmed through,so it is a bit political apparently. Probably I will try to find some applications to law.
I see. I’m not familiar with any of the above titles. Can’t really give a suggestion.
Actually… A friend of mine is listening to this and says it’s pretty decent: http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=1426
Check this out as well
http://academicearth.org/courses/game-theory
Heck, check out the whole Academic Earth course catalog and see what interests you. All free and some top notch stuff over there.
Here is the google books for the one I am reading. I think I actually lucked out picking this one first. Like I said, unless I hate you or don’t know you (which is nobody that posted so far), I will send you the PDF if you just message me. There’s also this review, so I might read a bit of intro stuff from another text, but I am kind of used to throwing myself into dense works and seeking help if I need it.
Joe, that seems good, but LOL@ paying to learn, or for books, except in extreme cases.
Curtis Zwick, that looks very cool. I will probably hit one of those videos from time to time as a diversion.
I recall using “Games of Strategy” by Dixit and Skeath and liking it…but that was back when I was doing undergrad in a communist-leaning program and thought that WWII spending actually helped lift the country out of the depression. Make of that what you will 
But really, it seems to be a popular book as I’ve seen several schools use it over time. Of course that doesn’t mean it’s good either. Just saying…
I’d recommend the The Teaching Company’s vid.
What if you don’t think everything is a game. I believe when it comes to human action all models are unique. Man may be a rational creature but he does not always act rationally, and probably no two individual value scales are the same in all cases. Sometimes it is noble to lose a game. Seems as if most game theorists try to justify interventionism. I don’t think it’s amusing to use people as pawns in geopolitics . Perhaps that’s just my take?
Are there any Austrian-economist game-theorists?
Many times games exist in the context of larger games. In this case, “losing” a game can actually be winning a larger (meta) game. A good rule of thumb is that “there is always a bigger game”.
Someone and many together someones can choose to act on their own despite the rules. “Rules create thieves”. Games even massive ones must have rules? There would be no game and no structure of a game without an objective and obstacles. Their are few obstacles to being right minded. Whilst the wicked must plot ,scheme, and slander, which can be challenging. If just being a kind, and a hard working person trying to get by; makes you play a game with subjugators than that is their game not the individuals.
There is no place that I know of that does not have “rules” in the sense that game theory uses the concept. Even natural laws are “rules” that help shape the possibles outcomes of strategic interactions.
Also, it is possible to “play against nature”, just as one plays against another agent. Usually this is simply called decision theory, instead of game theory (which is more general).
I didn’t see Oksar Morgenstern and John vo Neumann’s A Theory of Games and Economic Behavior.
edit-duplicate post.
“Are there any Austrian-economist game-theorists?”
The closest might be Anthony de Jasay.
His "The State" applies game theory to geo-politics/economics if I recall correctly.
Regards, onebornfree.