Book Description

Amazon.com
When you think of game theory, do you think of chalk-dusty economistsdroning endlessly about the permutations of optimal outcomes and short-termpayoffs? Perhaps not. But even if you do, Hector MacDonald's first novel willmake this esoteric field exotic, dangerous, and downright sexy.

Ben Ashurst is a student at Oxford. He leads a fairly placid life, befriendingshy girls, playing "keep up with the Joneses" with his crowd of wealthy (andnasty) friends, and trying to impress his tutor, the brilliant and controversialbehavioral scientist James Fieldhead. A single day, however, is enough to turnhis calm existence upside down. When he meets the beautiful and enigmatic Cara,and when Fieldhead requests Ben's participation in a ground-breaking researchexperiment, Ben will find himself thrust into a life where every measure ofnormality is rent asunder.

Fieldhead, working in conjunction with a nameless but powerful corporation, hasdeveloped a way to measure emotions by tracking the brain's physiologicalresponses to stimuli. At his request, Ben submits to having a tiny sensorattached to his skull, and, filled with a guinea pig's pride, is sent off toKenya with Cara for three weeks of recreation and stimulation. But vacationturns to terror when a case of mistaken identity lands Ben in a Kenyan jail,where the stimulation is anything but positive. Struggling to keep his mentalbalance, Ben begins wondering whether someone is manipulating the experiment andto what purpose. His search for answers will lead him into the highest corporateboardrooms and into the depths of treachery and betrayal.

The novel fairly quivers with energy: reading it is like holding a manicChihuahua. MacDonald has places to go and things to do and plots to uncover andemotions to stir. And in fact his narrative is generally capable of sustainingthis energy. If, on occasion, his grand drama seems to be a tempest in a teapot,well, that's a small (and temporary) price to pay for a highly entertainingread. --Kelly FlynnBook Description
Cutting-edge science and the logic of game theory combine to form an utterly original, spellbinding novel of suspense.

"First rule of game theory: do whatever produces the optimal final outcome for you."
"I didn't know we were playing a game."
"But of course we are. . . ."

An expert in animal behavior with a brilliant analytical mind, charismatic Oxford professor James Fieldhead needs a willing subject to test a groundbreaking device that may offer the key to understanding human emotions. Encouraged by Cara, his seductive new girlfriend, Ben Ashurst agrees to participate in the study, honored to be part of the first crucial stage of life-changing research. With a luxury resort on a pristine beach in Kenya as the site of the experiment, and Cara along for the ride, it seems a perfect way to spend the winter holiday. Yet beneath the surface of a sunny paradise awaits something cold and ruthless.

As the experiment veers from abstract theory into terrifying reality, Ben finds there is no one he can confide in. Impetuous Cara is intimate one night, then distant the next, forcing Ben to wonder where her true allegiances lie.

Snared in a masterfully crafted labyrinth of cunning, in which each step can lead closer to a solution or deeper into chaos, Ben scrambles to learn why he was chosen for this project. Fieldhead's obsession with game theory suggests a possible course of action. But every time Ben thinks he has discovered the winning move, he finds another level of deception, another betrayal of his trust.

Moving from the sheltered colleges of Oxford to the magnificent landscape of Kenya, The Mind Game is full of intriguing characters and stunning plot twists. Just when you think you have mastered The Mind Game, you might just be mistaken . . . .


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A Thriller about Brain Manipulations
Ben Ashurst was living a peaceful life as a student at Oxford University until he meet a famous investigator who offered him to participate in a research- as a volunteer human guinea pig -bases in emotions and reactions but what he never expected was that his trip to Kenya ended in a nightmare and back in England an almost persecution mania because of situations given to study his reactions and feelings without his knowledge and consent.These limit situations make him angry and curious and start investigating until the find out the real purpose and the brains behind the project.This is a very psychological thriller in which the reader have to pay attention to every dialogue to follow the sequences of the experiment and Ben's emotional responses to the manipulation and the second thoughts of the researchers.

what if emotions could be quantified and qualified?
Totally unique, psychological thriller, built around the question "What if emotions could be quantified and qualified?

The subject of this "emotions research" is placed in increasingly nerve-wracking situations, in which every thought and feeling is monitored for science's sake--or so he thinks. unfortunately, the protagonist is unsure if his predicaments are orchestrated or real and he begins to question his relationship with himself and others.

The settings altermate between, Oxford University, the coast of Africa, Silicon Valley, and the dark recesses of the mind. With more twists and turns than an Irish byway, "The Mind Game" explores the human capacity to understand fear, deceit and the search for truth amidst very complex relationships.

Excellent read!

Pleasure!
I must admit I usually don't have the patience to read books, but this one was so gripping and captivating, I even read it during work :-) Even if I predicted some of the twists, it was a pure pleasure. plus an interesting thinking of emotions control, something which never occurred to me. I wish the end had been a bit more romantic, not so cold. Even if a little love confession (another one) from Ben to Cara. Well, I guess the fact the book ended with 6 times the sentence "I love Cara" is a close enough... I really liked that Cara character, even though from some point I did not believe a word she said.
Thanks to the author for the great pleasure of reading the book. Well done!

Hitchcockian beginning, desinit in piscem, I'm afraid
The beginning is superb,and,well,the soiree whit those blase' Oxfordians and their naive hosts is beautifully written, and the dialogue is worthy of a dramatist like Pinter. Following it, a more plausible, politically conscious version of "the Beach" (if you care to compare two very different novels). Then, you have a seriesof "revelations" and "twists of the tale" that leaves the reader baffled, incredulous, doubting of being put-on. Really,there's a limit to the suspension of incredulity... and credulity. You feel admired by the writer's ability to startle. Then the book wawers on, theplot and the gist lost in dubious speculations and improbable settings. Conclusion: a good enough first novel, but there's plenty of room for improvement.

Reads like a movie pitch; convuluted plot goes nowhere.
I expected an intelligent thriller. If you read the author's credentials, you'd expect to encounter some real meat embedded in the story. I was tantalized as the characters discussed game theory, but in no more depth than a sidebar in "Scientific American." Without content to sustain me, I waited for the implausible and utterly predictable plot -- complete with 'twists' -- to keep me engaged. I was disappointed. More than anything, this book wants to be a mainstream action/thriller movie. It reads like a script turned into a manuscript. Its dialogue, plot points, and characterizations are each so carefully introduced and easy to grasp that the whole thing had a "made for television" feel. As a book, I found it clumsy at best. Awkward. Was the author afraid of being too "bright" for his audience? Was he afraid that with such a large cast of characters we needed extraordinary hand-holding to "get" him? I don't know. But I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who's looking for something polished or challenging. Maybe it will be a movie one day. I'd definitely see it matinee. ... Read more

Book Description
An entrancing, firsthand portrait of one of the nineteenth century's most prolific composers and men of letters. One of the foremost composers of his generation, Hector Berlioz was even more influential as an arbiter of musical taste and a writer of critical essays, published in the Parisian Journal des debats. But professional journalism was a sometimes unwelcome task for this supreme intellectual, who felt hindered by considerations of diplomacy and censorship. Letter writing, on the other hand, provided him a freer outlet for creative expression, and his surviving correspondences number over several thousand. From that extraordinary output Hugh Macdonald has gathered some 500 letters that span Berlioz's life and chart the course of his artistic career. Dipped into or read straight through, Selected Letters of Berlioz is highly entertaining and informative reading for any music lover. In the words of poet W. H. Auden, "In order to understand the nineteenth century, it is essential to understand Berlioz." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

May prove interesting to Berlioz scholars only.
Mr. MacDonald is well know for his involvment in Berlioz academia, however, I find him very opinonated in how the works are presented, i.e. the Te Deum and his addition to Les Troyens, an extention which I found added little to the opera. It is highly unlikely that he can take liberties with the letters, but what he chooses to include and exclude is relavent.Based on my observation of Mr. MacDonald, these choices may be questionable.Also, my observation of Berlioz acadmeia, Mr. MacDonald is the man in charge, but not the most talented of the group. The book, if it has new material, would be of intrest to Berlioz scholars.As a general selection, I would advise looking at content. ... Read more