- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Viking; First Edition edition (7 Aug 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0670917761
- ISBN-13: 978-0670917761
- Product Dimensions: 15.3 x 2.2 x 23.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 151,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
What They Teach You at Harvard Business School
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Review
Informative, wry, and well-written, this book will make rewarding and pleasurable reading for anybody wishing to understand why business is the way it is. (John Cassidy, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of Dot.Con )
John Cassidy, author of Dot.Con
'Informative, wry and well-written, this book will make rewarding and pleasurable reading for anybody wishing to understand why business is the way it is'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Philip Broughton went into the Harvard MBA like an anthroplogist goes to live with an obscure jungle tribe - this book works on the same principle of outsider wisdom, of the newcomer able to see just how strange the social norms of these hard-to-access cultures can be. Marvel at these elite MBA-ers and their language of "creating a developmental agenda for leveraging their reflected best-self"! Puzzle at the strong emphasis on business integrity and moral judgment, when fact is everyone's really there to learn how to make a lot of money. But, however odd, the Harvard MBA programme indubitably produces global business & economic leaders who shape a substantial portion of our lives, and so it's in everyone's interests to understand how this elite are taught to think.
'What They Teach You At Harvard Business School' is not just a guide to the economic and management concepts the MBA students study. Broughton does talk about these topics, giving examples of the Harvard study system of analysing hundreds of case studies. This method seeks to teach the students how to handle the chief challenge in business: making good decisions with inadequate information. It's no substitute for the actual course, largely because none of the examples' statistics are published in this book, but as a non-economist I definitely learnt a lot regardless.
But of wider relevance is Broughton's discussion of the 'hidden curriculum' of Harvard Business School, the assumptions it inculcates in its students and the distorted beliefs they already hold about work & the economy. What do they think is the value of the money they'll be earning, when will they know that they've made enough? "When you've got your own jet." Even the pre-arrival guide says, "Don't bring that guitar... Don't bring any books from literature or history classes... Don't bring your cynicism. Do bring all the diverse rest of you." Interesting notion of diversity, right? The idea that future business leaders are being trained to dismiss history and cynical judgments is telling, and Broughton, a former journalist with the Telegraph, is never able to buy in to this culture. Instead of getting a high-flying job like his coursemates, he remains a writer - but the strength of this book is that he's not bitter about this. It's not a rant, not really an expose (no truly horrific secrets are uncovered) - just an insider's look into a world most of us won't enter.
The compelling narrative is Broughton's own decision-making about his future career: Harvard forces him to confront the values that really matter to him, makes him question deeply what it is that he really wants out of life. This is something a lot of university graduates and prospective MBAs could benefit from reading - I know I was fascinated.
'What They Teach You At Harvard Business School' is not just a guide to the economic and management concepts the MBA students study. Broughton does talk about these topics, giving examples of the Harvard study system of analysing hundreds of case studies. This method seeks to teach the students how to handle the chief challenge in business: making good decisions with inadequate information. It's no substitute for the actual course, largely because none of the examples' statistics are published in this book, but as a non-economist I definitely learnt a lot regardless.
But of wider relevance is Broughton's discussion of the 'hidden curriculum' of Harvard Business School, the assumptions it inculcates in its students and the distorted beliefs they already hold about work & the economy. What do they think is the value of the money they'll be earning, when will they know that they've made enough? "When you've got your own jet." Even the pre-arrival guide says, "Don't bring that guitar... Don't bring any books from literature or history classes... Don't bring your cynicism. Do bring all the diverse rest of you." Interesting notion of diversity, right? The idea that future business leaders are being trained to dismiss history and cynical judgments is telling, and Broughton, a former journalist with the Telegraph, is never able to buy in to this culture. Instead of getting a high-flying job like his coursemates, he remains a writer - but the strength of this book is that he's not bitter about this. It's not a rant, not really an expose (no truly horrific secrets are uncovered) - just an insider's look into a world most of us won't enter.
The compelling narrative is Broughton's own decision-making about his future career: Harvard forces him to confront the values that really matter to him, makes him question deeply what it is that he really wants out of life. This is something a lot of university graduates and prospective MBAs could benefit from reading - I know I was fascinated.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Fascinating read, but interestingly in the 2009 postscript, the author claims he was "too timid".
He argues that aspects of the school which were unsettling to him at the time because of who he happened to be, should in retrospect "have been unsettling to everyone".
Furthermore, in the shadow of the recent financial crisis and the role HBS alumni have played in the meltdown, he comes down heavily on the prevaling mentality at HBS that all the world's ills can be solved by the leadership methods of the School, its alumni, and by "what we [HBS] do".
Food for thought.
He argues that aspects of the school which were unsettling to him at the time because of who he happened to be, should in retrospect "have been unsettling to everyone".
Furthermore, in the shadow of the recent financial crisis and the role HBS alumni have played in the meltdown, he comes down heavily on the prevaling mentality at HBS that all the world's ills can be solved by the leadership methods of the School, its alumni, and by "what we [HBS] do".
Food for thought.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a Harvard graduate (not HBS) I loved this book. Fantastic writing, lots of anecdotes, and very clear explanations of what they really teach at Havard Business School. But it's more than that. It's a trip through one man's attempt to find what he wants to do with his life. Delves Broughton was a very successful journalist, and he walked away to spend two years doing an MBA, which cost him $170,000. He finds that he isn't like most of his fellow students, who are obsessed with money. When the author goes to cover an anti-globalisation march, he sympathises with the protestors. Instead of writing an analysis of Time Warner, he choses a organic blueberry farmer. When his fellow students are off working over Spring break, he's at home in Boston working on a novel. It made me wonder: why did he go to business school? Ultimately, Delves Broughton is critical of the school, and gives good reasons for being so.
In response, the school has been mildly critical of the book, apparently arguing class-room conversations should be private. I think this probably stems from him revealing some of school's rorts, including one relating to financial aid. In all, the book is a 300-page ad for HBS and can only drive up applications.
But Delves Broughton's experience punctures one of the myths about HBS: that it creates business leaders. (STORY DISCLOSURE HERE.) He is the only member of his class not to get a job, mainly because he doesn't have any experience in finance or consulting, even though his grades were good and he clearly he could cut it in the classroom (although he is unlucky to miss out on a markeing job at Google.) It seems that no matter how many brilliant classes they have at Harvard, business recruiters want people with business experience.
It will be interesting to see if HBS admits many more journalists in the future.
In response, the school has been mildly critical of the book, apparently arguing class-room conversations should be private. I think this probably stems from him revealing some of school's rorts, including one relating to financial aid. In all, the book is a 300-page ad for HBS and can only drive up applications.
But Delves Broughton's experience punctures one of the myths about HBS: that it creates business leaders. (STORY DISCLOSURE HERE.) He is the only member of his class not to get a job, mainly because he doesn't have any experience in finance or consulting, even though his grades were good and he clearly he could cut it in the classroom (although he is unlucky to miss out on a markeing job at Google.) It seems that no matter how many brilliant classes they have at Harvard, business recruiters want people with business experience.
It will be interesting to see if HBS admits many more journalists in the future.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The school of capitalism - just before the crash
This is a book on business and business teaching by an ex-journalist which makes it very readable and easy to understand. Read more
Published 2 months ago by JamesBall
Great inside view of studying for an MBA at HBS
I'm due to commence part time MBA studies and this book certainly whets my appetite! Although not everyone going to b-school would want to go to HBS but no doubt all those who are... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Kevin C
Great read!
I highly recommend this book as an enjoyable insight into life at Harvard. Objective, entertaining and a learning experience for those not already acquainted with the study of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by theroyce
Excellent business book
Excellent book and a good combination of the authors story about what it is like to attend Harvard and the pressures they are under and how Harvard teach subjects and what they... Read more
Published 11 months ago by sb
100% recommended to anyone looking at an MBA
An extremely interesting, although critical view on HBS. 100% recommended to anyone looking at an MBA. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Matthew Ogborne
Excellent insight into MBA
I thought this was an excellent overview of the MBA process at Harvard, well written, easy to read and reasonably light-hearted. Read more
Published 18 months ago by S Elviss
Insightful
For anyone who has ever dreamed about being or doing an MBA, or indeed done one, this is a must read. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Sontee
An absolute must read for anyone interested in applying...
The book is very well written and most of all offers a genuine insight on the inner teachings and organization of the HBS. The authors views are balanced, mature and interesting. Read more
Published 21 months ago by AvatarMAC
Very good read
This book caught my eye in a bookstore because I want to do an MBA at some point in my career. I enjoyed it very much because:
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Published 23 months ago by Mete
Sensational
A very interesting and captivating read. As I prepare to apply for my MBA, I feel confident in that I will make an informed decision and not go into it blindly. Read more
Published on 24 May 2010 by Natalie M
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