A wealth of research in recent decades has seen the economic approach to human behavior extended over many areas previously considered to belong to sociology, political science, law, and other fields. Research has also shown that economics can provide insight into many aspects of sports, including soccer. Beautiful Game Theory is the first book that uses soccer to test economic theories and document novel human behavior.

In this brilliant and entertaining book, Ignacio Palacios-Huerta illuminates economics through the world's most popular sport. He offers unique and often startling insights into game theory and microeconomics, covering topics such as mixed strategies, discrimination, incentives, and human preferences. He also looks at finance, experimental economics, behavioral economics, and neuroeconomics. Soccer provides rich data sets and environments that shed light on universal economic principles in interesting and useful ways.

Essential reading for students, researchers, and sports enthusiasts, Beautiful Game Theory is the first book to show what soccer can do for economics.

[西] 伊格纳西奥·帕拉西奥-胡尔塔

Ignacio Palacios-Huerta

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伦敦经济学院教授、巴斯克科学基金会高级研究员、诺贝尔经济学奖得主加里·贝克尔的高足，也是西甲毕尔巴鄂竞技队的董事和首席球探。独一无二的跨界身份，让他成为世界上最有资质用经济学研究足 球的人。他也是利用足球数据检验经济学理论、刻画人类行为的先驱。

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他是用大数据研究点球的先行者。他分析过英格兰、意大利和西班牙三国职业联赛从1995年到2012年长达17年间的9 000多次点球数据。ABBA点球规则被国际足联推行，他功不可没。对足球的经济学分析让胡尔塔受到各大足球豪门的追捧。他是西班牙和英格兰国家队的顾问，也是切尔西的点球罚球指导。切尔西在2008年的欧冠决赛曾参考过他的研究成果。

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他是西班牙巴斯克人，曾是毕尔巴鄂科技学院学生，也是当地乙级职业球会Barakaldo队的前锋。他以一等荣誉优绩毕业后，本有意择足球为终身职业，哪知双膝相继受伤，只好放洋留学，赴芝加哥大学深造，师从行为经济学大家加里·贝克尔。透彻领会行为经济学的精髓之后，他以这本《梅西会射向哪一边？当足球遇见经济学》，回馈了自己青年时代的志愿。