What They Teach You at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton

Book Summary:

What They Teach You at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton is a memoir-style account of the author’s two-year journey through the prestigious MBA program at Harvard. Blending personal experience with critical insight, Broughton reveals what it’s really like inside one of the world’s top business schools. The book explores the intense academic environment, the famous case study method, and the ambition-driven culture of students aiming for success in finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship. While offering lessons in leadership, strategy, marketing, and networking, Broughton also questions whether the skills taught truly prepare graduates for real-world business challenges. Ultimately, the book provides both an insider’s look at Harvard Business School and a thoughtful critique of modern business education and its values.

About The Author:

Philip Delves Broughton is a British journalist and author best known for writing What They Teach You at Harvard Business School (published in the UK and internationally under that title) and The Art of the Sale (known in the UK as Life’s a Pitch).

Born in Dhaka (formerly Dacca), Bangladesh, to an English clergyman father and a Burmese mother, he grew up in England. He earned a BA (and MA) in Classics at Oxford University, then spent a decade working as a reporter and foreign correspondent for The Daily Telegraph – serving in New York (1998–2002) and Paris (2002–2004), where he covered major stories including the September 11 attacks.

In 2006, Delves Broughton completed his MBA at Harvard Business School, an experience he later detailed in his memoir of business school life, which became a global bestselle.After HBS, he contributed as a columnist and writer for outlets such as the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Spectator, and The Times of London.He has also collaborated with the Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship, worked briefly at Apple developing executive-education case studies, and held roles advising corporate leaders in communications.

As of the early 2020s, he served as Group Head of Content and Partner at Brunswick Group, advising major organizations on strategic communications and overseeing global content initiatives. He currently lives in the Northeastern United States with his family.