Rating: 
Summary: Magnificent!
Review: I must have read this book more than 10 times. The book filled me with warmth, and it's one of the most entertaining books I have read. He is self-deprecatory, introspective, revealing, pensive, and hilarious. His narrative paints such a vivid picture of the life of an MBA student that it made me long to be one. It is beautifully written. I loved every sentence in this book. No wonder he was a Presidential speech writer. If you're looking for information on what student life is like, this is the one you should get without hesitation. It will not only prove informative, but extremely entertaining as well. There is another book on MBA life by Robert Reid, titled "Year One", about life at Harvard Business School. It is also a great book, but I enjoyed Mr. Peterson's book much more.
Rating: 
Summary: Captures the feeling of b-school amazingly well
Review: I read this book at the half-way point in my program as an Evening MBA at the University of Michigan Business School. This is a funny book that also rewards with insights about what getting an MBA feels like.While Robinson describes the experience of a full-time two-year program, my experience is going through the same type of full MBA experience but over four years while holding down a full time job, holding a marriage together, and raising several children. So, maybe our experience of exhaustion, anxiety, and struggle have different sources, but they are similar enough. I haven't found b-school to be hell. In fact, I have enjoyed it a great deal and have learned many things that I am already applying to my day job. But there is no getting around the fact that an MBA, especially in one of the top programs, isn't a picnic. Good reading, good writing, good fun. Read it if you have any interest in the b-school experience.
Rating: 
Summary: True enough
Review: I read this book just as I started B-school and it scared me well and good. Like Robinson I was a "poet", meaning I was a liberal arts major among financial and engineering types. I can certainly empathize with Robinson's struggles to grasp the more quantitative disciplines of business, since I went through my own miserable times. But I think the review right before me makes a good point, that getting IN to business school is the hard part, especially for an elite program like Stanford. The school certainly doesn't want students to flunk out or struggle too much, since all that does is hurt the school's precious statistics. While business school ain't a picnic, it isn't the trial of tears that Robinson makes it out to be. But the book is entertaining enough, and even though Robinson was a speechwriter for President Reagan and writers for Republican presidents tend to be an especially odious sort, he seems a decent guy. One problem that Robinson identified and I heartily agree with is the lack of, well, overall intelligence and awareness in business school students. I'll readily admit that I can't crunch numbers as well as many of my former classmates, but I was amazed at how ignorant many of the folks in school were. They had no idea who Larry Ellison was. Discussions about government policy rarely went above a 10th-grade level. My ethics class was a revelation. I don't think anyone else in my class ever studied philosophy and it seemed like they looked at ethics as an obstacle to be hurdled rather than as a code to define proper behavior. Depressing stuff. But Robinson made it through B-school, and so did I (in my case, barely. Going part-time and working full-time while planning a wedding was a pain the rear. Can't imagine folks who go to school when they have little kids. Insane). The only problem with this book now is how dated it is. Robinson went to B-school in the heart of Silicon Valley, yet the words "e-commerce" and "dot.com" are nowhere to be found in the book. Robinson and his fellow students interviewed with the usual investment banks, which today almost seems quaint. What, no one dropped out to found a company that had a multibillion dollar IPO six months later? All in all a good read, but if you're thinking about getting your MBA I don't think this is a totally accurate picture of what you're going to endure. Still, it's well worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding reading for any MBA
Review: I would put this excellent book on the short list of books any MBA should read, along with "Business School Companion," "Competitive Strategy" and the "Vault Reports" career guides.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, informative, wonderful
Review: If you're thinking of going to business school--or the parent of someone who is--this book is a must. And even if you're not, it's a funny, informative, thoroughly entertaining look at the culture of American business education. Five stars!
Rating:
Summary: A Biased Picture of Business School
Review: Mr. Robinson has his basic facts straight, but his portrayal of life in the top business schools is definitely skewed. "Poets" might struggle the way Mr. Robinson did, but for most people B-school isn't nearly as hard as he portrays it (the hard part is getting in; after that it's all downhill.) B-school is not boot camp, law school, or medical school -- it's not nearly that rigorous. Mr. Robinson's effort to portray B-school as a "baptism by fire" is misleading and anyone reading the book should keep in mind that Mr. Robinson was probably in the bottom fifth of his class. Otherwise, it's a fairly good description of the kind of courses a business school student will take, the kind of people they'll meet, and the kind of professors who will be teaching them. It's worth a look, but should be kept in perspective.
Rating:
Summary: A Biased Picture of Business School
Review: Mr. Robinson has his basic facts straight, but his portrayal of life in the top business schools is definitely skewed. "Poets" might struggle the way Mr. Robinson did, but for most people B-school isn't nearly as hard as he portrays it (the hard part is getting in; after that it's all downhill.) B-school is not boot camp, law school, or medical school -- it's not nearly that rigorous. Mr. Robinson's effort to portray B-school as a "baptism by fire" is misleading and anyone reading the book should keep in mind that Mr. Robinson was probably in the bottom fifth of his class. Otherwise, it's a fairly good description of the kind of courses a business school student will take, the kind of people they'll meet, and the kind of professors who will be teaching them. It's worth a look, but should be kept in perspective.
Rating:
Summary: More to B-School than suffering
Review: Peter Robinson's book is undoubtedly an accurate portrait of one aspect of business school, adaption to an environment of excellence. But it seems that there is a great deal more to it than the academic struggle. From personal experience I can add that there is so much to the school, including the array of amazing individuals and a multitude of non-academic activity in the clubs (high-tech CEO forums, volunteering, etc.). While the academic element is an undoubted obstacle to many 'poets', academic pursuits constitute only a minor component of what we all will gain from being here. It is certainly compelling to read about a screen-writer's painful fight to keep the pace; if that's what you want to learn about, read the book. But keep in mind that it is limited and not representative of what a business school experience is actually like.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Really enjoyed this book - but don't read it expecting to get facts/numbers/overviews of what b-school is like. It is more of a story about one individuals experiences at a top b-school. I read this right after finishing my undergraduate degree when I was thinking about going back to b-school. It is now three years later and I just shipped off my applications. I really feel that this book helped to give me a better idea of what the work-load, competition, social life, etc are going to be about.
Rating:
Summary: Great read..
Review: Really enjoyed this book - but don't read it expecting to get facts/numbers/overviews of what b-school is like. It is more of a story about one individuals experiences at a top b-school. I read this right after finishing my undergraduate degree when I was thinking about going back to b-school. It is now three years later and I just shipped off my applications. I really feel that this book helped to give me a better idea of what the work-load, competition, social life, etc are going to be about.
|
