Understanding power relations

The book explores the universal mechanisms of power relations, showing that they govern animal behavior as well as human, political, and economic relations. From deer fights to Donald Trump, from games of seduction to the trade war between the United States and China, from job offers to the war in Ukraine, the book offers a stimulating, rigorous, and accessible reading to understand conflicts.

The author distinguishes three stages. Confrontation, where each side tries to convince the other that it will go further, even if it means bluffing. This is the principle of the chicken game, illustrated as much by territorial fights between animals as by Donald Trump's negotiating strategies.

Next comes domination, when one party imposes an unequal distribution of resources. This dynamic, known as the ultimatum model, sheds light on situations as diverse as insurance contr