Game theory - a branch of mathematics concerned with conflict and deception - is one of the core concepts of our time. "Prisoner's Dilemma" traces the life of John von Neumann, who constructed the theory, invented the digital computer, and played a key role in the development of the atom bomb. William Poundstone, the author of "The Recursive Universe and Labyrinths of Reason", weaves into the story a history of the pivotal phases of the Cold War and an investigation of game theory's far-reaching influence on public policy today.