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

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

Fieldhead, working in conjunction with a nameless but powerful corporation, has developed a way to measure emotions by tracking the brain's physiological responses to stimuli. At his request, Ben submits to having a tiny sensor attached to his skull, and, filled with a guinea pig's pride, is sent off to Kenya with Cara for three weeks of recreation and stimulation. But vacation turns 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 mental balance, Ben begins wondering whether someone is manipulating the experiment and to what purpose. His search for answers will lead him into the highest corporate boardrooms and into the depths of treachery and betrayal.

The novel fairly quivers with energy: reading it is like holding a manic Chihuahua. MacDonald has places to go and things to do and plots to uncover and emotions to stir. And in fact his narrative is generally capable of sustaining this 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 entertaining read. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

so fast-paced, you have to run flat-out to keep up
Here's one to get you thinking.Ben is a student at Oxford, studying with a brilliant behavioral science researcher who proposes an experiment to test a device for measuring emotion, and wants Ben to be his guinea pig.All it requires is for Ben to take a fabulous three-week holiday on the beaches of Kenya with his new girlfriend."First rule of game theory: Do whatever produces the optimal final outcome for you."Soon Ben doesn't know what is game and what is not, what is real and what is fantasy.He starts to unravel the mystery, only to find, like an onion, more layers.The plot moves fast enough that you feel like you are running flat out to keep up.All the way to the very end, it is impossible to guess at the levels of deception and manipulation. Another great book involving game theorythat makes me want to find out more about it.

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. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

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Giving a voice to the Scottish Gael at the end of the 20th century, the late Hector Macdonald scribed the brilliant weekly column, A View from North Lochs for the "West Highland Free Press". Inspired by the great Irish writer Brian O'Nolan, who published novels under the pseudonym Flann O'Brien but wrote for the "Irish Times" as 'Cruiskeen Lawn', Hector Macdonald commented for more than fifteen years from the North Lochs, creating an array of unforgettable characters, eccentric scenarios, magnificent satire and enraged comment, all of which were entwined with an effortless humour and grace. This book is the second collection of columns from the great Aimsir Eachainn, following on from the hugely successful first volume. ... Read more

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Writing under the pseudonym 'Aimsir Eachann', the late Hector Macdonald scribed a brilliant weekly column that gave a voice to the Scottish Gael at the end of the 20th century. Inspired by the great Irish writer Brian O'Nolan, who published novels under the pseudonym Flann O'Brien but wrote for the "Irish Times" as 'Cruiskeen Lawn', Aimsir Eachann commented for more than fifteen years from the North Lochs, creating an array of unforgettable characters, eccentric scenarios, magnificent satire and enraged comment, all of which were entwined with an effortless humour and grace. This book is a collection of the very best of those columns. ... Read more

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Benjamin Sword Hoppner, philanthropist and visionary, has created his own utopia in the Central American cloud forests, governed by a strict moral code. He's promised financial support to anyone who can satisfy him of their good character. And Mark Weston is determined to do exactly that. Journeying through country still devastated by war, Mark reaches Hoppner's isolated "perfect society", only to discover that his generosity comes with terrible strings attached... ... Read more

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Chapters: Jimmy Somerville, John Barrowman, Ian Charleson, Dennis Nilsen, Sir Ewan Forbes, 11th Baronet, Hector Macdonald, Colin Mcallister and Justin Ryan, Robert Boothby, Baron Boothby, Jackie Forster, Jan Hamilton, Archibald Hall, Nick Henderson, Patrick Harvie, Colin Norris, Steven Purcell, Rhona Cameron, Duncan Grant, Iain Smith, John Nicolson, Robert Colquhoun, Zoë Strachan, Joe Fitzpatrick, Charles Allen, Horse, David Mcvicar, John Fraser, Eddie Mair, Les Mckeown, Bryan Kirkwood, Joseph Fitzpatrick, Robert Macbryde, Tam Paton, Andrew Stimpson, David Paisley, Karen Dunbar, Rodney Berman, Margaret Smith, Billy Lyall. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 172. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish singer, actor, dancer, musical performer and media personality, best known on British television for his acting and presenting work for the BBC and for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in the science fiction series Doctor Who and Torchwood. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Barrowman and his family emigrated to the United States when he was nine years old. Growing up in Illinois, his high school teachers encouraged his love for music and theatre and he studied performing arts at the United States International University in San Diego before visiting the United Kingdom and landing the role of Billy Crocker in Cole Porter's Anything Goes in London's West End. As a television presenter and guest, Barrowman has appeared in a variety of light entertainment shows, including Live ... Read more

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Chapters: Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet, Peter Fraser, Hector MacDonald, Roderick Murchison, Robert Monro, Robert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis, Robert Mor Munro, 15th Baron of Foulis, George Munro, 1st of Culcairn, Fearchar, Earl of Ross, Hugh Miller, David Maclean, Hector Munro, 8th of Novar, Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross, Eric Black, Allan Wilson, Sir Robert Munro, 3rd Baronet, Sir Robert Munro, 5th Baronet, Hugh Munro, 9th Baron of Foulis, John Munro, Jimmy Andrews, Robert Munro, 14th Baron of Foulis, Alasdair Alpin MacGregor, Mariota, Countess of Ross, John Mackenzie, Hugh, Earl of Ross, John Munro, 4th of Newmore, Sir John Munro, 4th Baronet, James Munro, Uilleam II, Earl of Ross, Duncan Mackenzie, John McKenzie, Uilleam I, Earl of Ross, William J. Watson, Sir Hector Munro, 11th Baronet, Mairead inghean Eachann, Saint Duthac, John Ross, Euphemia II, Countess of Ross, James Forbes-Robertson, Walter Ross, Angus Macaulay, Rob MacLean, Willie Logan, Murdoch MacKenzie, Uilleam III, Earl of Ross, Euphemia I, Countess of Ross, Donald Macintyre, James Stewart-Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth, Evan Fraser of Balconie, George Kempt, Thomas Munro, Duncan McRae, John Holmes,. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 176. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Sir Robert Munro of Foulis, 6th Baronet (24 August 1684 - 17 January 1746) was a soldier-politician whose life followed an 18th century pattern. He fought in support of the Revolution Settlement and the House of Hanover, and their opposition to all attempts by the Jacobites to restore the House of Stuart either by force of arms or by political intrigue. He was a child when James II of England/James VII of Scotland lost his throne and the Protestant succession of his daughter Mary II of England and son-in-law William III of England was secured. He was a yo...http://booksllc.net/?id=3639332 ... Read more

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Chapters: Gilles Deleuze, Claude Chappe, Alexander Berkman, Paul Celan, André Gorz, Hector Macdonald, Paul Lafargue, Günther Von Kluge, Sadeq Hedayat, Nicolas de Staël, Sarah Kofman, Charles de Choiseul-Praslin, Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, Antoine-Jean Gros, L'inconnue de La Seine, Max Linder, Otto Von Stülpnagel, Jean Eustache, Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, Zo D'axa, Gherasim Luca, Ernst Weiss, Nicos Poulantzas, Boris Fraenkel, Mike Brant, Christine Pascal, René Crevel, Mário de Sá-Carneiro, Christian Ferras, Antonieta Rivas Mercado, Adolphe Mouron Cassandre, Charles Joseph, Comte Bresson, Danielle Collobert, Nanterre Massacre, Hubert-Joseph Henry, Pierre Molinier, François Buzot, Betty Mars, Nikolay Chkheidze, Simone Mareuil, Rembrandt Bugatti, Jean-Baptiste Krumpholz, Ilarie Voronca, Rémy Belvaux, Étienne Clavière, Octave Tassaert, Adolphe D'archiac, Jacqueline Roque, Olga Georges-Picot, Berty Albrecht, Alphonse Pénaud, François Vatel, Josef Cukierman, Unica Zürn, Bernhard Hirzel, Philippe Volter, Pierre Chanal, Samson Cerfberr of Medelsheim, Christophe Dupouey, Ronny Coutteure, Charles Félix Jean-Baptiste Camerata-Passionei Di Mazzoleni, André Frédérique, Alain Escoffier, Richard Durn. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 260. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Gilles Deleuze (French pronunciation: ), (18 January 1925 4 November 1995) was a French philosopher of the late 20th century. From the early 1960s until his death, Deleuze wrote many influential works on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art. His most popular books were the two volumes of Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Anti-Oedipus (1972) and A Thousand Plateaus (1980), both co-written with Félix Guattari. Deleuze was born into a middle-class family in Paris and lived there for most his life. His initial schooling was undertaken...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=12557 ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Edwin Alderson, Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton, Hector Macdonald, Redvers Buller, Evelyn Wood, Frederick Richards, Compton Edward Domvile, Andrew Gilbert Wauchope, Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley, Arthur Davidson, Allan Wilson, Herbert Stewart, Leslie Rundle, Robert Elwes, George Pomeroy Colley, Geoffrey Fitzclarence, 3rd Earl of Munster, John Doogan, Joseph John Farmer, John Danaher, Henry Langtry, James Murray, Alan Richard Hill, Cromer Ashburnham, James Osborne. Excerpt:Alan Richard Hill VC (born Northallerton 12 July 1859- 21 April 1944) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Details He was 21 years old, and a lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment , British Army during the First Boer War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 28 January 1881 at Laing's Nek , South Africa , when the retreat was ordered, Lieutenant Hill remained behind and tried to carry out of action another lieutenant who was lying on the ground severely wounded. He was unable to lift the man into the saddle and carried him in his arms until he was shot dead. Lieutenant Hill then brought another wounded man out of action on his horse and afterwards returned and rescued another. All this was done under very heavy fire. Further information He later achieved the rank of major and changed his name to Hill-Walker. References (URLs online) Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Allan Wilson Allan Wilson (1856 4 December 1893), was born in Scotland . He is best known for his leadership of the Shangani Patrol which resulted in his death and made him a national hero in Rhodesia . Upon c... ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Charles Davidson Dunbar, Hector Macdonald, Jimmy Macbeath, Cornelius Coughlan, Sammy Cox, John Frederick Mackay, William Kenny, William Robertson, George Findlater, Patrick Green, Richard Wadeson, George Imlach Mcintosh, Thomas Beach, George Allan Mitchell, Gordon Nornable, Edward Lawson. Excerpt:Charles Davidson Dunbar , DCM , (17 July, 1870 25 January, 1939) was an orphan who grew up to become the first pipe major in Britain and the Empire to be commissioned as a pipe officer. He emigrated from Scotland to Canada, where he came to be called "Canada s greatest military piper". Background According to the official record of his birth, he was born 17 July, 1870, to an unmarried needlewoman : Alexandrina Leith Miller, who lived at 107 Bridge Street in the Caithness village of Halkirk, in northern Scotland. Though Alexandrina Miller was poor, she was sufficiently educated to teach Charles to read, and she made sure he attended the Parish School . In later records, he used the name Charles Dunbar and, subsequently, Charles Davidson Dunbar, perhaps to honor his half-brother, Alexander Davidson. He gave his father s name as William Dunbar on both his entrance records to industrial school and his marriage license. Only one William Dunbar appears to have lived in Halkirk at the time of Charles birth, the lessee of Braal "Brawl" Castle . But there are no documents that directly link this William Dunbar with Alexandrina Miller or her son Charles. No baptismal record has been found and William Dunbar s will does not mention Charles or his mother. When Alexandrina Miller died on 8 September 1876, in Halkirk, she was identified as a single woman aged 48. Her parents were James Miller, a crofter , and Margaret, whose maiden name was Henderson. The cause of her death, certified by John Crave... ... Read more