heartiest congratulations to the author and the reviewer.

vidyadhar date,
mumbai. india

v date, mumbai, india

Cheers fellow Edward, just trying to peddle the truth, as always :)

Was thinking about being a lawyer actually, but I decided to do my undergrad in physics instead. Nearly done. Maybe an MBA next! Probably not from Harvard though, the place is too politically correct.

Edward, London,

Great review. But don't imagine these people wouldn't fit right in with the morally righteous European elite.

Eric, Brighton , USA

I am very impressed with the comments of "Edward, London". So close are his views to my own that my girlfriend assumed that "Edward, London" was me posting and called my office to ask if I was having a productive morning. Keep up the good work,

Edward the Lawyer, London

Edward, London,

MBA stands for Mediocre But Arrogant.

...a very old joke. But a hard kernel of truth.
I should know, I have one (with distinction).

A.Kirk, Manchester,

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven...

unless of course you support the death penalty, unfettered public access to lethal firearms and religion-based censorship.

What? The Land of the Free? Whoever told you that is your enemy...

raveheart, London,

"Business Administrators" - didn't they used to be called "clerks"?

Ian, Sheffield, United Kingdom

The pain and misery inflicted by the recent credit crunch is a good case study for the type of moral values that HBS and other Ivy League graduates stand for. Each one of these high brows has made enough money, even as others have lost their shirt. What does that say about the absolute irrelevance?

Ramesh, Bangalore, India

Capitalism has nothing to do with "social responsibility." There is no requirement upon any businessman to operate in terms other than making a profit for themselves. The amount of profit to be made is to be determined soley by what a fair market will pay for the good or service. Period.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

Judging by the comments below, there are a lot of people out there who need to read "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand.

Trish, Scottsdale, AZ, USA

Some people here are missing his point ENTIRELY. There is nothing wrong with devoting your life to making money, that is your choice. It's their close-minded nature that bothers him. They don't know a world outside their mba (can be seen from their self-important vocab)or don't see any value in it.

Arty, London, UK

It isnt just Harvard that is into this teaching of business process as some form of self righteous moral crusade (whilst avoiding any questioning/cynicism). What are other business schools teaching. The same bilge, the same process, the same blinkered approach, the same righteousness.

James, Moscow, Russia

He sounds like he lacked the ambition his colleagues at HBS did, and is finally getting his act together after and exorbitant investment. Most disciplines have a 'culture' that outsiders wouldn't understand. Why doesn't he conclude that instead of being weirdos, he just wasn't suited to the culture?

M, London, United Kingdom

I don't know if anyone else has already pointed it out - but MBA stands for Master of Business Administration does it not? Just as MA means Master of Arts - not Masters in Arts.

Chris, London,

Andrew,

In a free market all exchange is voluntary, thus both parties benefit from it and are subjectively richer after the trade. I make money by selling into the economy something which it values higher than the price i sold it at. Most rich people get that way by providing what society wants.

Edward, London,

I agree with IPD, London. I know a man who based his career on his "Harvard Credentials", he has 3 bankrupt businesses to his credit. Personally I cringe at the very mention from anyone who has been to this establishment.

Debbie, Leicester, UK

Criminals do not represent the vast majority of those in the capitalist economy.

Yes, I've read the Wealth of Nations. He makes the assumption of an Evenly Rotating Economy (ERE), where there is no uncertainty and all information is perfectly distributed. Here interest rates would match profits.

Edward, London,

Harvard cannot teach anyone anything that will save us from the destruction of world economy. Harvard gave us Kissinger (a war criminal) and so many other war criminals. global research dot ca will illustrate how the world is been destroyed, our lives imperiled by the greed and outrageous behaviour.

Harris Pohl, Berlin , Germany

Law School in America, particularly in an Ivy League University, is pretty much the same, except that it lasts 3 years while costing about the same as an MBA from Harvard. I know pretty much exactly what he feels like.

ARG, Singapore, Singapore

Please explain to me how making huge amounts of money equates to social responsibility. How does this directly translate into a gain for the greater good?

There is absolutely no causal link between providing value to society and making money.

Andrew, San Francisco, USA

"Fine, so it’s no crime in itself to want to be absurdly and pointlessly rich, although it’s certainly no virtue."

Are you kidding me? So what is a virtue to this author? Is not working as hard as one can considered virtuous? Is not utilizing your full mental capacity considered virtuous??

JOHN, BONITA SPRINGS, USA

Simple problem of supply and demand. Too many MBA students,so not as marketable as they used to be. Harvard has an amazing name but question the brand value at $175000. Business is very simple and the more you move away from that fact the more likely you are to fail. Stick to what you know.

Guy , Al Ain, UAE

In Paris, in 1965, I met a 22 y-o American U-Grad who was writing a 100-page précis of "War and Peace". This was clearly to supply those infamous Cliff notes which remove experience from the reading of a gifted writer. I was in shock for months. Still am, actually.

Dion Per Sona, Cardiff, UK,

An MBA program is like a cooking class that teaches you how to cook but never takes you to the kitchen. It's all theories, no practice, not guts.

That's why 99.9% of the richest people in the world do NOT have an MBA. Some don't even have a college education. This should tell you something.

chris , new york, USA

Edward, have you read Wealth of Nations? Companies operating in a highly competitive environment with free trade and little regulation (outside of ensuring competition) should not make much money. Smith thought a profit margin or interest rate over 5-10 percent was profane.

Erik, Kansas City, USA

Impressive! Classic European negativity. People who went to Harvard, like anywhere else, embarked on a journey. They begin in the 'ivory tower' and then have to face reality. The question is - WHAT did you take away? Harvard is there to teach you how to think, not what! Get over yourself!

Allen, Surrey, UK

U.S. education in general has left practical application for concepts and principles. This has decimated business acumen and twisted our understanding of value creation, leadership, and management.

Bruce LaDuke, Greenwood, Indiana, USA

I have nothing against people who wish to make a large amount of cash for themselves, but I do have a problem with the self-righteousness that generally comes with the money. This unfortunately is one very Amercian trait that annoys the hell out of the rest of the world. A little humility please!

ipd, London, UK

Interesting review, Mr Hart, thank you.
"To some indefinable extent, Harvard MBAs run your life . . . And they are supremely confident they should."
I suggest one need look no further than, "Even George W Bush is an alumnus", to see how staggeringly self-deluded is that confidence.

G. Green, Bristol, UK

Capitalism in theory and Capitalism in practice are two different entities. In theory people make lots of money because they provide lots of value to society. In reality you get the likes of Ken Lay (Enron) and Bernie Ebbers (WorldCom). True some get money for value but many do not.

David, Raleigh, US

Remember education is what you make of it, not limited to what they teach you. You have to grasp the concept of being above the bar in order to drive yourself to become that greater manifestation of an educated person. It is all about getting your foot in the door. Remember that if nothing else.

Rob, sacramento, USA

I'm flabbergasted at how self-righteous, judgmental and morally superior this book comes across. Perhaps we should just execute all of these infidel capitalists and their heretical teachings.

The way he feels at Harvard is the way I feel when I visit San Fransisco. Different. Alienated. Judged.

Ethan, Idaho,

<People make lots of money because they provide lots of value to society.>

Some do, but many do not. I get the sense that you've drunk the same capitalist kool-aid that the author here describes as being served up at HVB exclusively.

Success and wealth do not always equal morally superior.

Ben, Seattle,

I get the sense that this guy really doesn't understand capitalism at all. I mean, making huge amounts of money is a very socially responsible thing to do if you play by the rules. People make lots of money because they provide lots of value to society.

Edward, London,

To understand what went wrong, read our book THE PURITAN GIFT, a history of US managerial culture 1630-2007, ranked by the FT among the Top Ten Books of 2007. That culture was transplanted into Japan in the late 1940s, leading to the various Asian Economic Miracles, while being abandoned at home.

Will & Ken Hopper, London, UK