Hate the Game - by Daryl Fairweather (Hardcover)

About the Book

"What economists know that we should know, translated for all of us. Should I buy or rent? Do I ask for a promotion? Should I tell people I'm pregnant? What salary do I deserve? Should I just quit this job? Common anxieties about life are often grounded in economics. In an increasingly win-lose society, these economic decisions-where to work, where to live, even how to live-have a way of feeling fixed and mistakes terminal. Daryl Fairweather is no stranger to these dynamics. As the first Black woman to receive an economics PhD from the famed University of Chicago, she saw firsthand how concepts of behavioral economics and game theory were deployed in the real world-and in her own life-to great effect. Hate the Game combines Fairweather's elite knowledge of these principles with her singular voice in describing how they can be harnessed. Her great talent, unique among economists, is her ability to articulate economic trends in a way that is not just informative, but also accounts for life's other anxieties. In Hate the Game, Fairweather fixes her expertise and service on navigating the earliest economic inflection points of adult life: whether to go to college and for how long; partnering, having kids, both, or neither; getting, keeping, and changing jobs; and where to live and how to pay for it. She speaks in actionable terms about what the economy means for individual people, especially those who have the sneaking suspicion they're losing out. Set against her own experiences and enriched with lessons from history, science, and pop culture, Fairweather instructs readers on how to use game theory and behavioral science to map out options and choose directions while offering readers a sense of control and agency in an economy where those things are increasingly rare"--

Book Synopsis

The secret insights of economics, translated for the rest of us.

Should I buy or rent? Do I ask for a promotion? Should I tell people I'm pregnant? What salary do I deserve? Should I just quit this job? Common anxieties about life are often grounded in economics. In an increasingly win-lose society, these economic decisions--where to work, where to live, even how to live--have a way of feeling fixed and mistakes terminal.

Daryl Fairweather is no stranger to these dynamics. As the first Black woman to receive an economics PhD from the famed University of Chicago, she saw firsthand how concepts of behavioral economics and game theory were deployed in the real world--and in her own life--to great effect. Hate the Game combines Fairweather's elite knowledge of these principles with her singular voice in describing how they can be harnessed. Her great talent, unique among economists, is her ability to articulate economic trends in a way that is not just informative, but also accounts for life's other anxieties.

In Hate the Game, Fairweather fixes her expertise and service on navigating the earliest economic inflection points of adult life: whether to go to college and for how long; partnering, having kids, both, or neither; getting, keeping, and changing jobs; and where to live and how to pay for it. She speaks in actionable terms about what the economy means for individual people, especially those who have the sneaking suspicion they're losing out. Set against her own experiences and enriched with lessons from history, science, and pop culture, Fairweather instructs readers on how to use game theory and behavioral science to map out options and choose directions while offering readers a sense of control and agency in an economy where those things are increasingly rare.

Review Quotes

"Examines the principles of game theory, focusing on how they can be implemented to maximize gains and outcomes. Covers the fundamentals of economics and game theory, discussing how negotiations impact different aspects of life."

-- "Journal of Economic Literature"

"Hate the Game emphasizes game theory, a branch of economics and mathematics that focuses on decision-making in competitive situations, when each player's outcome depends on the behavior of others. Fairweather's goal, she explains, was to use her own experiences less as examples to follow and more as "a vessel for all of the economics that I wanted to teach someone that I thought would be useful to them in their careers.And the book's (frequent) Beyoncé references? 'If you notice that almost every time I bring up pop culture, it's about a Black woman, that was deliberate, because I've never seen an economics book center Black women, ' Fairweather says. She wanted to use metaphors that she knew would resonate with 'younger women and women of color, and I wanted them to feel like this book was for them.'"

-- "UChicago Magazine"

"Fairweather's new book is a quick overview of economic principles, backed by representative academic research, all housed in an engaging memoir. Economics wants universal prosperity. We don't have that. Learning the rules of the game is one tool to get us closer."--Christopher Clarke "EconChrisClarke (TikTok)"

"Hate the Game offers practical strategies for the hardest competitive negotiations in our lives: those where we face bias and uncertainty. Fairweather shows that by applying just a few basic insights from economic theory, we can turn competition into cooperation--and perhaps even learn to love the game."--Roger Myerson, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics

"Insights and reasoning from economics can, in the hands of a superb communicator, help us understand and undertake actions that improve human lives. Hate the Game is the rare book that masterfully serves this function in ways that are both entertaining and important. Fairweather has a rare gift for making economics feel not only essential but personal, too." --Kerwin Charles, Yale University School of Management

"For anyone who thinks they can't relate to the world of economists, Hate the Game will change their minds. Fairweather shows you how to make your best moves--whether it's negotiating a higher salary, getting that promotion, or buying your first home. She reveals how you can take control of your future by learning the rules of the game. This book takes your favorite movies and popular culture and uses them as metaphors that will inspire a new generation to become interested in economics. Get ready to embrace economic thinking to make smarter decisions!"--Angela Yee, host of "Way Up"

"Fabulous--unlike any economics book I've ever read! Hate the Game is an edgy, in-your-face demonstration of the power of economic thinking. Fairweather takes the field of economics, strips away the fluff, and delivers only the parts that actually matter in the real world. It should be mandatory reading for anyone who cares about getting ahead in business--or in life."--Steven Levitt, coauthor of Freakonomics

About the Author

Daryl Fairweather is chief economist at Redfin, where she analyzes US housing markets and consumer behavior, and a member of the academic advisory council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. A former senior economist at Amazon, she is a regular contributor to Forbes, and she has been featured in 60 Minutes, Today, the New York Times, and Bloomberg, among other outlets.