Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsThe story was fun, the author was a pain, and the context of the reader's situation matters
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2020
I'll start with the GOOD: The story was entertaining. It was fun to hear about the details of HBS and to imagine myself in the classes. If you're looking for a great story with quirky characters, then you should read this.
Now for the BAD: The author was such a PAIN. He complained the ENTIRE book. He's a professional journalist but his take on the experience is surprisingly judgmental. The best way to describe his opinion of HBS and its students is its like hearing someone who's allergic to peanuts describe peanut butter. Like, no S*** you don't like this! It wasn't meant for you! And therein lies the problem:
The author of this book, a journalist by trade, went to HBS, a school that is famous for churning out consultants and investment bankers, with an attitude of, "I despise finance and consulting people and I'd never become one of them". Then why'd you go to HBS bro?!
It's true, HBS is really just for people who want to work in: PE, VC, IB, consulting, etc. It's a place for your "typical brainy people" who don't like taking any risk but who are willing to sacrifice their entire personal lives for ungodly amounts of money (and, by the way, there's nothing wrong with that - it's just how it is. Different strokes, different people).
If I remember correctly, I think the author went to HBS to transition from journalism into a different industry, but he probably would have been better off specializing in something that he actually enjoyed. For example, instead of getting an MBA from Harvard he should have gone for a grad program that taught "the business of media" or something like that. He's a classic case of someone who thinks an elite MBA is a silver bullet and has no goal or focus for after graduation.
Anyway, that's my high-level take on the author. Super jaded, super judgmental, clearly picked a school and a program that wasn't a good fit for him or his career goals and then got upset when the system didn't work for him.
Now about the actual content:
Like I said earlier, it's a fun story; but it's just that...a story.
If you're someone genuinely considering applying for HBS you shouldn't read this. It's through the eyes of a technologically-illiterate old-soul who joined the school with next-to-no finance background. If you're looking to actually learn about the program, you should ask the school to put you in touch with their alumni network.
If you're someone who thinks this book will be the equivalent of a Harvard MBA....L. O. L. Like I said, this is literally just a book about a technologically-illiterate journalist complaining about the kinds of people that Harvard attracts.
All in all, I'm not upset that I read this book because it did make for a fun adventure, but I was hoping the book would be a little more objective and not so judgmental.
The author acts like he's exposing shocking truths about the program, but he's really just exposing things that everyone already knows, like, the kinds of people Harvard attracts ARE super brainy AND super competitive AND super focused on money AND they have impressive, albeit similar, resumes. It is what it is. If you don't like it, don't go there!
Honestly, it's shocking that he even got into the program...
And, by the way, I didn't go to Harvard and I don't have an MBA, but even still, it's hard to overstate how jaded and judgmental the author sounds throughout the whole book. He acts like the only adult in a room full of children, but he's just bitter that the 20-something kids around him have more drive, more relevant experience, and some level of focus (something that he completely lacks because he's too busy judging other people rather than worrying about his own future).
