Well I guess "depression" is not the good word for it... I think it's more about the feeling that he views (up until where I'm at = 50% of the book) his decision of going for an MBA as somewhat of a waste of time... I was particularly hit by his comments on the perception of a Romanian student (I'm Romanian!) who was pretty disappointed with his choice of pursuing an MBA...

DanaJ wrote:Awesome sticky! Thanks Jas for starting it and thanks to the others for their contributions. I'm currently reading Ahead of the Curve and feeling slightly depressed/discouraged by it... I've only gone through half the book, though. Did you guys get the same feeling?

I am reading this book too. I am through the first 100 pages and it is a bit discouraging.

I am not going to let it discourage me too much though. His take on b-schools seems to be very different from that of the students I talked to at schools. That said, I haven't talked in depth with an HBS students, so maybe the culture is different there.

Hi all,
I listened to Ahead of the Curve book and reviewed it for Audiofile Magazine. The capsule review is pasted below.
As you can read between the lines, I didn't like the book or the author very much. I am a Harvard MBA myself, and like the author, was from a liberal arts background. But in my mind he was clueless, smug, and unhappy. A telling point, he could not get a summer job between years, and was unemployed at the end of his two years there. He definitely did not buy in. My personal view: if you are going to pay that amount of money to go and spend 2 years of your life, you should at be less negative than this guy.

Having said that, the parts about the way courses were taught are helpful and revealing about the case method and the line of inquiry.

I think before attending business school, you should read whatever you want, because you will definitely not have time for outside reading over the next year or two! You will be on-call with schoolwork, presentations, study groups, papers, partying, jobhunting, and networking.

If you are applying, then I suggest making sure you read (and invest in!) "The Elements of Style" by Strunk & White. This book is required reading for Stanford GSB first-year students. It's the handiest book ever.


Audiofile Review.
Author Philip Delves Broughton is a good writer who does not appear to have enjoyed and was not very successful at his two years at Harvard Business School. As narrator, Simon Vance takes on the persona of a very English interloper, who left his post as Paris editor for the Daily Telegrah to earn his MBA at what could be considered the most prestigious of American business schools. Using American twangs and a mishmash of accents for the international students, Vance depicts Brougham as alternately overwhelmed and smug, never quite leaving his Englishness behind. The strongest moments are the nuggets from courses on competitive strategy, marketing, finance, and even accounting, which offer the listener highlights of the business curriculum. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]


Glad to talk this book or any other books over with you -- happy to help where I can. Just email me at
[email protected]

Betsy Massar
CEO
Master Admissions
www.masteradmissions.com

Good luck!

You can read Strunk's Elements of style online (legally) here: https://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html

Thanks for the information... I am confused about this...

These are all great books! I will have to add some of them to my list.

Another great one that I would add to the list is Never Eat Alone and Other Secrets to success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi. This is a great one to read before business school to prepare yourself to network!

I love this thread! My recommendations are going to be more biased toward creative people and entrepreneurs who are thinking of going to business school, because that's who I was--and also who I specialize in working with.

I vote a HUGE thumbs up for The 4-Hour Work Week. I met Tim Ferris at Harvard a few months ago and he's even more persuasive in person. He came to the Harvard School of Public Health to discuss the ways to use his productivity theories and methods in the social enterprise sector. I was so impressed with his ideas and dedication to social causes in addition to his mission to live like "the new rich" as he calls them. I use the principles I learned in this book in my business every day, and I recommend this book to all of my clients. Funny enough, Tim did not go to business school and I suspect that he would say it's a waste of two years and a lot of money if you are clever enough to make mad money without it! I always find it interesting when aspiring MBAs become attached to this book. I'm just glad I read it AFTER I'd already started at HBS!

I would also recommend the book Rework by the founders of 37Signals. It's a quick, paradigm-shifting read that helps you rethink the best practices of business.

My third recommendation is Crush It!: How to Cash In On Your Passions by Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary's focus is on how the internet is a game-changer for entrepreneurs since it allows you to create content, market it, and sell products and services to clients based around a very niche topic that you are truly passionate about. His wine show is great too!

My fourth recommendation is for single women who are going to business school and are hoping--in addition to getting an outstanding education, having an amazing experience, and launching a new career--to meet that special guy like I was. The book is "Make Every Man Want You" by Marie Forleo. It has a tongue-in-cheek title, but it is an amazing book written by a woman entrepreneur who is both my business coach and friend. She was interviewed by Tony Robbins for his Money Masters series, and she is a fabulous person all around.

My FINAL recommendation is my biggest one of all. This one can help any member of the BTG community since all of you are in the pursuit of a lofty goal--whether it is to get admitted to your dream school, snag that awesome job, or to launch a business. It's called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It's a very short read--a book that inspires, motivates, and gives a great kick in the butt to anyone who is trying to accomplish a goal but experiencing some roadblocks.

Happy reading!

Kaneisha

I read Start Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle and strongly recommend it for any business student.

Nice recommendation , thanks all.

Currently reading ; Stay Hungry , Stay foolish - interesting book about Indian Entrepreneurs

Great Sticky post!!! noted all the books, will start with ahead of the curve. Though some have said its a bit depressing, I would like to read it just to know about the culture at HBS. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish is good too. I recommend Connect the Dots too...

More to add-"Rich Dad Poor Dad"

Good for all ages of people. It tells how to handle your finances efficiently & how to make money from money.

THE WINNING WAY BY HARSHA BHOGLE-learning freom sports for managers.Snapshots from hell is an all time classic.will add later

Managers Not MBAs by henry minyzberg,The Travels of a T shirt In The Global Economy-a very different style regarding books on globalisation

Thanx all.i found list of some books which i had missed..

I am currently reading THINK AND GROW RICH! It gives you insight on how to change and control your mentality to accomplich ANY success in life, especially in business. I think your mind frame when going into business is the key to whether or not you succeed.