The Mind Game - A Novel

Informationen zum Autor Hector Macdonald was born in 1973 in Nairobi, Kenya, then educated at Eton and Oxford. He received his degree in biology from Merton College, and he divides his time between London and Africa. The Mind Game, his first novel, will be published in fourteen countries in 2001. Klappentext Cutting-edge science and the logic of game theory combine to form an utterly original! spellbinding novel of suspense. "First rule of game theory: do whatever produces the optimal final outcome for you." "I didn't know we were playing a game." "But of course we are. . . ." An expert in animal behavior with a brilliant analytical mind! charismatic Oxford professor James Fieldhead needs a willing subject to test a groundbreaking device that may offer the key to understanding human emotions. Encouraged by Cara! his seductive new girlfriend! Ben Ashurst agrees to participate in the study! honored to be part of the first crucial stage of life-changing research. With a luxury resort on a pristine beach in Kenya as the site of the experiment! and Cara along for the ride! it seems a perfect way to spend the winter holiday. Yet beneath the surface of a sunny paradise awaits something cold and ruthless. As the experiment veers from abstract theory into terrifying reality! Ben finds there is no one he can confide in. Impetuous Cara is intimate one night! then distant the next! forcing Ben to wonder where her true allegiances lie. Snared in a masterfully crafted labyrinth of cunning! in which each step can lead closer to a solution or deeper into chaos! Ben scrambles to learn why he was chosen for this project. Fieldhead's obsession with game theory suggests a possible course of action. But every time Ben thinks he has discovered the winning move! he finds another level of deception! another betrayal of his trust. Moving from the sheltered colleges of Oxford to the magnificent landscape of Kenya! The Mind Game is full of intriguing characters and stunning plot twists. Just when you think you have mastered The Mind Game! you might just be mistaken . . . . RECORDING NO: 4 DATE: 15 December  TIME: 7:30 am SITUATION: Coral headland overlooking ocean SENSORY CONTEXT: Visual: magnificent seascape, early morning sun;   Auditory: waves breaking on reef; Olfactory: fresh salt COGNITIVE CONTEXT: Minimal cognitive activity EMOTIONAL CONTEXT: Happiness, sense of peace, relaxation SOMATIC RESPONSE: None FACIAL RESPONSE: Musculature relaxed GLOBAL VIEWPOINT: Optimistic, unconcerned, free ACTION IMPULSE: None A Chinese guy once told me that deception is like boiling a frog. Drop it in scalding water and it will leap out immediately. But start cold and it will never notice the rising temperature. You can fool all the people all the time if you do the groundwork slowly. It just takes patience: inching the temperature up, degree by degree, until the victim is cooked. Cara knew how to boil a frog. The first thing I ever heard her say was just one small piece of the groundwork: “I have never stayed with the same guy for more than a week.” How do you answer that? “Hello,” she added, looking up as I walked through the door. A quick smile, almost colluding, crossed her face. It was a finely balanced smile, drawing warmth from chestnut eyes and raising delicate muscles around her cheekbones. None of the others seemed to notice me. Piers’ face, marked in devilish black-white patterns by the flicker of the candle, was fixed on hers. He was desperate to come up with some clever remark. But his creativity failed him and he simply said, “Challenge.” “Aren’t you going to welcome your guest first?” Piers flicked his head round briefly and nodded at me. Irritated at the interruption. Captivated, for sure. “Well?” “True.” The girl leaned across the table and helped herself...

Product details

• Authors: Hector Macdonald
• Publisher: Ballantine
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 03.01.1995
• EAN: 9780345482266
• ISBN: 978-0-345-48226-6
• No. of pages: 348
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 216 mm x 22 mm
• Subject: Fiction > Suspense