Why have all the sprinters who have run the 100 meters in under ten seconds been black? What's one thing Mozart, Venus Williams, and Michelangelo have in common? Why are baseball players so superstitious? We love to win and hate to lose, whether it's on the playing field, in the office, or in the classroom. In this bold new look at human behavior, award-winning journalist and Olympian Matthew Syed explores the truth about our competitive nature--why we win, why we don't, and how we really play the game of life. "Bounce" reveals how competition--the most vivid, primal, and dramatic of human pursuits--provides vital insight into many of the most controversial issues of our time. From biology and economics to psychology and culture, from genetics and race to sports and politics, "Bounce" shows how competition provides a master key with which to unlock the mysteries of the world.