cover image Year One: An Intimate Look Inside Harvard Business School, Source of the Most Coveted Advanced Degree in the W

Year One: An Intimate Look Inside Harvard Business School, Source of the Most Coveted Advanced Degree in the W

Robert Reid. William Morrow & Company, $23 (331pp) ISBN 978-0-688-12817-3

Harvard Business School inevitably engenders interest and/or envy because it has trained legions of successful managers. Reid, a recent graduate, presents an insider's view of his grueling first year. While his description of the school's administration is hardly flattering, Reid depicts instructors as genuinely interested in educating students. Regrettably, though, the author never confronts whether earning the MBA is an intellectual experience or mere professional training leading to $1250-per-week summer internships and $80,000 salaries. Many students, he observes, seem preoccupied with grades, sitting in the ``right'' seats at lectures and handling instructors' ``cold calls,'' polishing resumes, joining clubs and prepping for interviews. Yes, Reid is ambivalent. His intimate study will enthrall, and possibly unnerve, those planning to attend Harvard Business, or any other business school. (June)