What They Teach You at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton Summary
Overview of What They Teach You at Harvard Business School
Ever wondered what really happens inside the world's most elite business school? Rupert Murdoch called it "incisive, intelligent, and witty" - a controversial insider's account that sparked debate about whether Harvard MBAs are molded for success or corrupted by capitalism's cauldron.
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Key takeaways
When Ambition Meets the Ivy League Machine
A foreign correspondent walks away from the romance of Paris-cafe conversations, literary pursuits, a life of ideas-to sit in a windowless basement classroom in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Why? Because at thirty-three, with a pregnant wife and mounting doubts about journalism's future, he's chasing something he can't quite name. Maybe it's security. Maybe it's reinvention. Or maybe it's the seductive promise that Harvard Business School whispers to every ambitious soul: *you can learn to win at capitalism's highest levels*. This is where future CEOs are forged, where Jeff Skilling of Enron once sat, where the language of power-finance, strategy, negotiation-is spoken fluently. But here's the uncomfortable truth that emerges from two years inside this elite institution: the education is world-class, the network is unparalleled, and yet something feels fundamentally hollow. The school produces insecure overachievers who know how to value companies but struggle to value their own lives. It's a factory for ambition that rarely asks the most important question: ambition toward what end?
Survival Mode and the Social Engineering Experiment
The Summer Job Panic and Career Confusion
The Ethics Problem and the Art of Rationalization
Strategy, Leadership, and the Limits of Business Thinking
After Harvard: The Reckoning and What Really Gets Taught
What Harvard Can't Teach: The Lesson That Matters Most
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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