As preparation, we present ten tales of strategy from different aspects
of life and offer preliminary thoughts on how best to play. Many of you will
have faced similar problems in everyday life, and will have reached the
correct solution after some thought or trial and error. For others, some of the
answers may be surprising. But surprise is not the primary purpose of the
examples. Our aim is to show that such situations are pervasive, that they
amount to a coherent set of questions, and that methodical thinking about
them is likely to be fruitful. In the course we develop these systems of
thought into prescriptions for effective strategy. Think of these tales as a
taste of dessert before the main course. They are designed to whet your
appetite, not fill you up.