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MBA
Why is so much of the world managed by arseholes? When workaholic business school hot shot Ben Stillman is fired, he has the chance to find out. Not a guy to sit still, Ben jumps head first into turning his former business school into world-class madrassa of capitalism. Ben has ten days to rescue the launch of its spectacular glass tower, and his own career - ten days during which he will have to confront terrorist plots, undercover police, the extravagant demands of the super-rich, and the only woman who can save him from this madness. A satirical thriller, a love story, and a wry look at modern management ideology all rolled into one - MBA is a piercing yet hopeful enquiry into the meaning of success.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 9, 2019
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
From the very beginning we are plunged into the ulcer-enducing world of the executive assistant, Ben, as he makes a rapid transition from business to campus, and from the frying pan into the fire.
The pace just doesn’t let up and I buzzed with adrenaline throughout the story, which is some achievement as the main bulk of the action involves the planning of a social event and investigation of some financial irregularities! But of course, there is more to it than that. The story is really about corruption, manipulation, lies and truth.
There is some romance and humour, some mystery and action, and a whole load of social commentary all tied into one explosively entertaining package. Ben is an eminently likeable main character despite/because of his flaws, and you also find yourself rooting for a number of side-characters as the story unfolds – not because they are getting it right, but because in the moral swamp of finance, politics and business they are at least trying to.
In contrast to the realism of the majority of the story, the climax was a little far-fetched, but I could forgive that because of the glorious rightness of it in every respect. I had no idea what was going to happen and really enjoyed the show when it did.
Different from his political satire, yet still piercingly perceptive, you will enjoy this if you are partial to a behind-the-scenes peek at another kind of Establishment, garnished with humour and truth. If you have an anxious disposition, maybe stock up on antacids first!
A meaningless question from Alex about whether it was now too late (when had that ever mattered in the Bakhtin empire?) led to a request. Could Ben ‘be Alex’ one more time that evening? This would be a very important time – much more important than three million pounds and some kilos of glass. Staff reductions were tricky, and this one especially so. It was not news that would keep well. Would Ben do it? Would he promise? Did he understand? Or would he rather wait until Alex was back in three days to do it personally?
When Ben did grasp what Alex intended, having for two long minutes mustered every atom of reflex and memory accumulated over the past year to help him decode his boss’s messages, he replied slowly that, yes, he would do it, that he did promise, that he understood, and that he would rather not wait.
Bakhtin had asked Ben to downsize himself.
– Douglas Board, MBA
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
From the very beginning we are plunged into the ulcer-enducing world of the executive assistant, Ben, as he makes a rapid transition from business to campus, and from the frying pan into the fire.
The pace just doesn’t let up and I buzzed with adrenaline throughout the story, which is some achievement as the main bulk of the action involves the planning of a social event and investigation of some financial irregularities! But of course, there is more to it than that. The story is really about corruption, manipulation, lies and truth.
There is some romance and humour, some mystery and action, and a whole load of social commentary all tied into one explosively entertaining package. Ben is an eminently likeable main character despite/because of his flaws, and you also find yourself rooting for a number of side-characters as the story unfolds – not because they are getting it right, but because in the moral swamp of finance, politics and business they are at least trying to.
In contrast to the realism of the majority of the story, the climax was a little far-fetched, but I could forgive that because of the glorious rightness of it in every respect. I had no idea what was going to happen and really enjoyed the show when it did.
Different from his political satire, yet still piercingly perceptive, you will enjoy this if you are partial to a behind-the-scenes peek at another kind of Establishment, garnished with humour and truth. If you have an anxious disposition, maybe stock up on antacids first!
A meaningless question from Alex about whether it was now too late (when had that ever mattered in the Bakhtin empire?) led to a request. Could Ben ‘be Alex’ one more time that evening? This would be a very important time – much more important than three million pounds and some kilos of glass. Staff reductions were tricky, and this one especially so. It was not news that would keep well. Would Ben do it? Would he promise? Did he understand? Or would he rather wait until Alex was back in three days to do it personally?
When Ben did grasp what Alex intended, having for two long minutes mustered every atom of reflex and memory accumulated over the past year to help him decode his boss’s messages, he replied slowly that, yes, he would do it, that he did promise, that he understood, and that he would rather not wait.
Bakhtin had asked Ben to downsize himself.
– Douglas Board, MBA
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
June 16, 2019
MBA stands for Managed By Arseholes. It certainly seems as if this a common theme nowadays. Managed by them, governed by them and often betrayed by them. This is a fast-paced thriller set around a ‘fictional’ business school.
Let me digress here for a minute, as I am wont to do.
People with a high number of psychopathic traits often end up in certain professions. An alleged 21% of CEOs are psychopaths (probably more – just saying, the study was based on a mere 261 senior professionals in the US), 1 in 5 CEOs. These traits are seen as favourable in the corporate world, and whilst I understand it means the endgame of profit, wealth and power is being achieved, there is definitely an argument to be made for the damage left in the wake of decisions made by those with said traits.
That doesn’t mean corporate leaders or people in business can’t make hardcore decisions that equate to a tidal wave of damage on the economy and common man, but one would hope their empathy would make them ponder longer on said tidal wave. Recently I was doing a test with a friend, we discuss data and results ect of certain areas, this time of narcissistic personality traits. Studies show there is a rise in those tendencies in undergraduates.
Where am I going with all of this? The mindset of men and women in the industry, and that of the those teaching them and defining the future senior leaders in economy, commerce, politics, government and business. Then, as is demonstrated quite well in this story the collusion between the teaching institutes and the big businesses who wield the power, and correlation between decisions and actions which are detrimental to the common man.
It’s both ironic and amusing that the word ethics is used in combination with business and this premise is an example of how some people have no moral compass at all.
Towards the end the plot becomes a wee bit outlandish and perhaps hard to follow, because it seems bit disjointed. Board has a very specific style though. Short rapid bursts of info, dialogue and actions. Look here, look over there, listen to this, whilst reading another thing. It’s a clever way to conceal the information he wants to impart with his audience, whilst lulling the reader into a false sense of security with the more fictitious aspect of the story thereby distracting them. The result is you come away with tidbits of info that burrow in like moles and create connections you may previously have been unaware of.
It’s a thriller come tongue-in-cheek satirical story on the convoluted hand in hand world of business and business schools.
* I received a courtesy copy and read on Kindle Unlimited*
Let me digress here for a minute, as I am wont to do.
People with a high number of psychopathic traits often end up in certain professions. An alleged 21% of CEOs are psychopaths (probably more – just saying, the study was based on a mere 261 senior professionals in the US), 1 in 5 CEOs. These traits are seen as favourable in the corporate world, and whilst I understand it means the endgame of profit, wealth and power is being achieved, there is definitely an argument to be made for the damage left in the wake of decisions made by those with said traits.
That doesn’t mean corporate leaders or people in business can’t make hardcore decisions that equate to a tidal wave of damage on the economy and common man, but one would hope their empathy would make them ponder longer on said tidal wave. Recently I was doing a test with a friend, we discuss data and results ect of certain areas, this time of narcissistic personality traits. Studies show there is a rise in those tendencies in undergraduates.
Where am I going with all of this? The mindset of men and women in the industry, and that of the those teaching them and defining the future senior leaders in economy, commerce, politics, government and business. Then, as is demonstrated quite well in this story the collusion between the teaching institutes and the big businesses who wield the power, and correlation between decisions and actions which are detrimental to the common man.
It’s both ironic and amusing that the word ethics is used in combination with business and this premise is an example of how some people have no moral compass at all.
Towards the end the plot becomes a wee bit outlandish and perhaps hard to follow, because it seems bit disjointed. Board has a very specific style though. Short rapid bursts of info, dialogue and actions. Look here, look over there, listen to this, whilst reading another thing. It’s a clever way to conceal the information he wants to impart with his audience, whilst lulling the reader into a false sense of security with the more fictitious aspect of the story thereby distracting them. The result is you come away with tidbits of info that burrow in like moles and create connections you may previously have been unaware of.
It’s a thriller come tongue-in-cheek satirical story on the convoluted hand in hand world of business and business schools.
* I received a courtesy copy and read on Kindle Unlimited*
November 18, 2017
Grammatically illiterate.
One of the worst pieces of writing ever . Worse than Jeffrey Archer.
Murders the English language. Puerile. Don't bother.
One of the worst pieces of writing ever . Worse than Jeffrey Archer.
Murders the English language. Puerile. Don't bother.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews