When Philip Delves Broughton abandoned his career as a successful journalist and joined Harvard Business School's prestigious MBA course, he joined 900 other would-be tycoons in a cauldron of capitalism. Two years of taxing case studies and excel shortcuts lay ahead of him, but he couldn't have told you what OCRA was, other than a vegetable, or whether discount department stores make more money than airlines.

He did, however, know that Harvard Business School’s alumni appeared to be taking over the world. The US president, the president of the World Bank, the US treasury secretary, the CEOs of General Electric, Goldman Sachs and Proctor & Gamble – all were bringing HBS experience to the way they ran their banks, businesses and even countries. And with the prospect of economic enlightenment before him, he decided to see for himself exactly what they teach you at Harvard Business School.

Two years and 500 case studies later, he had met the worlds’ most influential entrepreneurs and analysed the biggest business conundrums. But he and his fellow students faced a bigger question still – how would they juggle their lives, their jobs and their bank balances?

Philip Delves Broughton’s witty and informative memoir is a revelatory account of what the financial elite learn within the hallowed walls of the exclusive Harvard Business School.