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Reviewer: Charles Kenneth Davis

This book deals with the use of game theory as a tool for combating security threats due to terrorism, drug smuggling, and other criminal activity. These threats have accelerated the need to maximize the effectiveness of limited security resources. This typically involves randomizing security schedules to avoid predictability while accounting for the importance of potential targets and any potential adversarial reactions. Game theory provides a sound mathematical approach for deploying such scarce resources effectively. Large-scale computational game theory techniques developed over the past two decades have greatly improved the tools used to address security allocations-hence the need for this book. This book is an anthology of papers by leading theorists and practitioners in the art and science of applying game theoretical methods to complex problems of modern security. It is at the forefront of research in this area. The book begins with an overview of security games, and then presents papers on the "Security Experts' Perspectives" (Part 1), "Deployed Applications" (Part 2), "Efficient Algorithms for Massive Security Games" (Part 3), and issues and directions for "Future Research" (Part 4). The papers deal with local security problems, such as at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), as well as larger-scale security questions of a national scope. The book ends with Part 5, "Short [author] Bios." This is not a book for the mathematically challenged. It requires a degree of statistical and mathematical sophistication in order to fully appreciate the methods and techniques described. But for anyone who is an authority in security deployment, or who aspires to be one, this is a truly interesting read. Immersion in the jargon and problem-solving methods presented can only be described as invaluable for such readers. Online Computing Reviews Service