Rush

At the very first contact with the book, it is difficult to agree with what it says. It argues that the hardest working people are the happiest and highlights examples of research showing that people who work for what they get are better satisfied than those who get a free ride. Buchholz believes that there is a connection between competition and happiness. He believes that happiness can be derived from rushing around. He says: “We feel better chasing the tails, even if we never catch. The hunt makes us happier.” People in fact like to compete because they like to win. Competitive instincts are embedded in human genes, and to the point that competition drives us to excellence, it is not only a positive force, it may well have been the force most vital to human development. We compete for rewards. Competition breeds innovation; innovation means progress. What about work? Nothing wrong with working. Indeed, productive work keeps our minds sharp and our bodies healthy. Retirees, for example, tend to dry up and die away. The idea that the less one works the better is a provable error. There is satisfaction in work. Work is rewarded. Yet, all of these statements will make people want to pause and think for a few minutes to see where they fit in.

 Among the book's many surprising points are:

• Put off retirement-it can make you stupid
• We all need to be control freaks
• In-house competition is actually great for morale
• Never let the ninth-place team take home a trophy

Buchholz shows that it's the race itself that literally delivers the rush and drives us forward, even if we never reach the finish line.