Co-opetition - Barry J Nalebuff and Adam Brandenburger (2004)

You realize a management book has done its bit when it survives a decade of conceptual frameworks review. Unlike Porters five forces this book focuses on a Value Net based on customers, suppliers, competitors and complimentors. The inclusion of complimentors makes it particularly interesting. The rest of interaction is much like a collection of factors that are individually analyzed with samples from various industry verticals, technology to airlines to consumer goods.

The factors (called as PARTS) discussed are:

1. Players

2. Added Values

3. Rules

4. Tactics

The factors are finally aggregated with the scope. 

Some striking facts: Most Favoured Customer is essentially a loss to a customer as he gives away his ability to bargain. If a large customer signs an MFC she essentially ensures that she invariably gets to receiving end of the bargain. The same gets to the position of even govt who bargain in favour by making such legislations in changing rules. As a small player or new entrant it may be ideal to enter the market in a subtle short duration bargain than a long term contract and reduce visibility of the competitor. Price wars invariably can be detrimental to a smaller player because it will not permit it to expand a new greener market. Buyers consortiums can be a good way to discover a well bargained pricing in a contractual obligations of indemnity in nature. Pricing bundling and unbundling make the comparables so hard that there is a kind of fog or unknowns that remain in deals that act win-win for everyone. Car buyers remain loyal to their respective brands with direct financial benefits like bundled credit cards. And many more...

For a change, the game theory principles are presented in a very clear explainable fashion than a bunch of number crunching probability payout matrices. 

Of course, when two professors of ivy league B-schools present an authoritative text as this you start thinking, is there any real numeric basis to it. I think there are some rudimentary examples but the explicit complex details are kept out. I will consider this a perfect biz executive book than rigourous research presentation for academics. If you have been a product manager, strategist, a marketer or a sales manager you may find this book almost unputdownable. Someone has read thru the games you have played...

Fermat's Enigma - Simon Singh (1997)

Enigma was the German crypto system that has been decoded by the allied forces surreptitiously to win over the axis powers' every secret move. Fermat's last theorem is in a sense a similar puzzle that baffled the mathematical community over 350 years. The books is written for common understanding without dabbling into mathematical details and hence very useful. The first part is about the development of mathematical system and development of scientific temperament from Pythogoras to Fermat. The last part is about development of systems and how Andrew Wiles managed to tackle the problem. The book has a few interesting puzzles talked about as well. The game theoretic truel is particularly interesting one. 

What is there in Fermat's theorem?  x^n + y^n = z^n does not have any integral solution for n > 2. 

Fermat in a margin note has teased to the mathematical community that he had a proof for the same but too long to be mentioned in the margin notes. It's called the last conjecture not because it's the last one he mentioned but it's the last one that mathematical community proved. With several attempts taken to solve the conjecture it was established the theorem has relations to:

1. Elliptical equations
2. Modular computations
3. Galois groups

While Andrew Wiles approach was to relate between several of these seemingly unrelated mathematical islands and bring home a 20th century solution to a 17th century puzzle. Skeptics are still engaged in finding out further solution to the 17th century solution for the 17th century puzzle. As much as Andrew Wiles was responsible for the solution of the theorem who eventually proved a dual Taniyama-Shimura conjecture, the Japanese scientists Taniyama and Shimura cannot be discounted for their efforts in establishing a dual of the Fermat's Last Theorem. 

Simon Singh has done an excellent job in keeping things simple for a complex problem and ensuring common man can appreciate the mathematical hard work. But do not expect any mathematical details in the book.