| | Foundations | |
| | Introduction/Parachutists and Ballroom Dancers | p. 3 |
| | The Competition Machine | p. 22 |
| | What Goes Down When the Stakes Go Up | p. 42 |
| | Formation | |
| | How the Worriers Can Beat the Warriors | p. 63 |
| | Even Odds: Why Women Need Them and Men Don't | p. 84 |
| | The Utter Importance of Pillow Fights | p. 105 |
| | Individual | |
| | The Difference between Winning and Not Losing | p. 129 |
| | How One Night of Blackjack Sped Up the World Economy | p. 149 |
| | The 'Roid Rage of Chess | p. 172 |
| | Collective | |
| | The Hierarchy of Teams | p. 193 |
| | Michelangelo Had an Agent | p. 210 |
| | How the Black Sox Cleaned Up Wall Street | p. 230 |
| | Selected Sources and References | p. 241 |
| | Acknowledgments | p. 321 |
| | Index | p. 325 |