Product Description: Robert F. Bruner, Mark R. Eaker, R. Edward Freeman, Robert E. Spekman, Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg, and S. Venkataraman The ultimate guide to modern business For over ten years, business leaders have relied on The Portable MBA to guide them through the cutting-edge business theories and practices taught in today's top MBA programs. This completely revised edition of the classic volume incorporates the lessons learned from the dot-com craze, explores the challenges of managing a global work force and of working in an economic decline, and integrates such recent trends as entrepreneurial thinking in large corporations.
Amazon.com Review: One of the more exciting aspects of today's entrepreneurial boom is the emergence of formidable players with varied backgrounds; one of the more significant challenges for many of them involves learning what's required to take their great ideas to the next (read: profitable) level. The Portable MBA, based on the general management program at the University of Virginia's Darden School and written by five faculty members, is a comprehensive reference for those who need the information on marketing, economics, ethics, technology, and strategy typically taught in the first year of an MBA program.
Portable MBA Libraries I love the entire collection of MBA books; they are easy to read and full of detailed information that would cost thousands to learn in school.
Portable MBA? No way. Background Information -- I was in an endeavor to "refresh" my library of knowledge I acquired subsequent to completing my MBA program. After reading a number of these so-called Portable MBA or MBA in a Box books, I am quite firmly convinced that you cannot learn MBA material outside of an MBA program. At best, these books can provide a refresher or an almost adequate preview of the content covered in MBA programs. More specifically, THE PORTABLE MBA was not the most disappointing book on the subject of MBA maetrial, but nevertheless not very useful as a refersher or a preview for prospective MBA students.
Summary -- I am going to be brief in discussing this book. I cannot encourage you to read this, particularly if you're interested in an MBA review or preview. I actually tutored Macroeconomics, and I found the section on that subject in this book to be very inadequate and disappointing. To be perhaps fair, I am glad that Keynesian economics was touched on in contrast to supply-side economics. Nevertheless, I do not think a reader of this book can fully appreciate the difference between being a demand-side and supply-side economist. I do not believe that Milton Friedman was even touched upon in this context, however.
Conclusion -- As I stated, I would discourage anyone from going out of her/his to acquire a copy of this book. However, leading from the middle, the challenges of international business, and the complexity of strategic alliances are covered adequately.
Thank you, Clovis
Here is How You Get a "Portable" MBA The rage nowadays seems to be how you can circumvent the B school process, save 100,000 dollars, and still come out on top with all the knowledge free.
I got news for you.
It won't happen.
But there are activities and materials you can procure in order to sharpen your business acumen and critical reasoning skills.
This post comes as a result from a recent seminar I attended where deans from top MBA programs in NYC were convened to talk about the admissions process.
There were 5 up there - 3 of them agreed that if it weren't for the networking opportunities at B school, everything you get a B school can be attained by suscribing to the Economist.
I was shocked.
So here we go.
The top five ways to get your portable MBA:
1. Buy the complete Portable MBA Series. There are many more, but you only need these 8: - the portable MBA (start with this one) -" " finance/accounting. -" " entrepreneurship -" " marketing - " " management - " " strategy - " " investments - " " economics
You probably think I'm joking.
I'm not.
The wealth of information here will blow you away.
Be a smart and consider it all as an investment.
Anyways, top b schools cover all the topics listed above.
2. Suscribe to the Economist.
I suscribe to dozens of business periodicals, but the Economist is global in scope.
Remember that word - global.
You'll hear it a lot in Business school should you decide to go.
3. Read Thomas Friedman's new book: THE WORLD IS FLAT. I read over 300 business books a year (on average one a week) and this is so far the best book I've read in 2005.
Get this: Business Week polled some of the top B school professors in the nation and they all said they were planning on reading this over the summer.
I'll let you decide.
4. Be thankful you have the internet at your disposal.
Our parents did not have such a luxury as Google, Investopedia, or Wikipedia.
Read everthing related to business, finance, econ, marketing, technology, media, wall street, stock markets, venture capitalism, & the internet.
That means blogs, too...
5. Get cable and watch either CNNfn, CNBC, or Bloomberg as much as you can.
Even if you're busy, leave it on and let that juice seep into the subconscious.
Use discipline + never change the channel to watch what the rest of America watches.
So there you go.
Very poor quality, poorly written book I will strongly advise not to purchase this book. The book is a superficial look at the topics covered in an MBA program.
A scratch on the surface, or not even that This book is totally void of content. The authors state the obvious over and over again, and never get to saying anything meaningful.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
