The 12-Hour MBA Program: The Key Concepts and Techniques in a Fraction of the Time

by Milo Sobel

Book Overview

Inspired by both the accelerated learning techniques of the US military's Officer Candidate School and reports by MBA alumni that less than 10% of the MBA curriculum is actually useful, this short,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0130979163
• ISBN13: 9780130979162
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Aspen Publishers
• Length: 249 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.2" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Are You Both Willing and Able?

Frankly, I had the same reservations before I read this book as I did when about to read Steven Silbiger's The Ten-Day MBA. The titles seem ludicrous. In fact, both Silbiger and Sobel fully understand the obvious differences between reading a book and earning an MBA degree. They have the same objective: In a single volume, to provide as much information and instruction as possible to those unwilling and/or unable to enroll in an MBA program, even if accepted. The subtitle of Sobel's book correctly indicates that he offers "the key concepts and techniques in a fraction of the time." (So does Silbiger.) About 15 years ago, Sobel created what he called "MBA in a Nutshell" and it was very well-received. What we have here is an extension and expansion of that. According to Sobel in "Orientation to the Program", this book delivers three major benefits that few MBA programs offer: "The emphasis in this book is on practical and utilitarian applications rather than on abstruse matter that a student may learn in order to pass an exam and soon forget, since it has little or no meaning in everyday life....The chapter on education and career pathing (not an academic subject in the MBA curriculum) will serve as a guide to help you ascertain whether you really need the MBA degree or whether other degreed or nondegreed alternatives would be viable for your purposes....[and finally] there is a hidden "psychological agenda" which provides a "grounding in key concepts, techniques, and the terminology or jargon used by MBAs" as well as a "sense of greatly increased confidence in your own new capabilities and enhanced ability to thrive in the business world."The material is organized within nine chapters: Marketing and Product Management, Accounting and Finance, Human Resources and Operations Management, Statistics, Economics, Technology Management, Business Policy and Ethics, Strategy Planning, and finally, Education and Career Pathing. Sobel then adds an Epilogue: "Reflection, Retrospection, and Enlightenment." I have a few quibbles with Sobel. Perhaps he thinks the "Orientation" is sufficient. I don't. I also question the sequence of the material other than placing Education and Career Pathing last. However, on balance, I think this is a well-written book, offering solid content. The full responsibility for deriving various benefits rests with each reader. Henry Ford once said "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." The same is true of those who purchase this book. Forget about a 12-hour or 12-year timeframe. First, read the entire book from cover-to-cover at least twice. Then re-read it using a highlighter pen. (I prefer a Sanford "Pocket Access" with optic yellow ink.) In the "Orientation", Sobel offers six excellent "ground rules" to follow while reading and studying. Point is, effective study is hard work. VERY hard work. Most of those who purchase this book and then begin to absorb and digest its contents probably lack the structure of

Reaching MBA heights in a fraction of the time

This text is a practical review for those with an MBA or a clear concise presentation for those of us who wish we had an MBA. For the profit or non-profit manager or CEO, this book gives the reader the tools to move to a new level of competance. Marketing, strategy planning, statistics, accounting and finance are all explored in a simple but complete manner. Its the best read available for those of us who find ourselves in business with no business background.

The Ideal Quick and Dirty MBA Program

If one had to learn common sense in a hurry, then there is no better book for the task than Milo Sobel's The 12 Hour MBA Program. Dr. Sobel distills in a few hours what MBA grads pay thousands to learn over a two year period. Sobel's no-nonsense writing style and easy to understand prose make this book a thoroughly satisfying read.The style and organization of the book are excellent. Dr. Sobel does a very good job of introducing and summarizing the main points, but does not delve too deeply into any particular topic. Though most of the content can be put to immediate use, some topics, such as queing theory, may not be of much value, while others, such as new venture information,would be most helpful.In terms of content, the book presents a lot of useful information. The first two chapters give a good treatment of marketing, product management, and accounting. The book really pays for itself by the third chapter on human resources and operations management. The reader gets fresh insight into the corporate world, puts the various forms of learning into proper perspective, and presents the essence of operations management, all with an eye towards common sense. The fourth chapter presents an excellent introduction to statistics for business. However, the fifth chapter, economics, contains a few errors, and those who have had a rigorous economics course will be quick to catch them. Chapters six, seven and eight each focus on technology, ethics, and strategy, respectively. Finally, Dr. Sobel devotes chapter nine to education and career pathing, and includes an epilogue which encourages the reader to pursue what he calls the 'everyman's MBA'.The book has two major strengths. The first is its no-nonsense approach to a topic that is made out to be too difficult for mere mortals to comprehend. The second is its practical perspective on business, the firm, and most importantly, the individual. By far the most useful chapters in the book are those devoted to human resources and career pathing. Moreover, after presenting the main MBA topics, without any hesitation Dr. Sobel asks the reader to consider well if an investment in time and resources to obtain the MBA is really worth it for oneself. Dr. Sobel does provide a good discussion on the pros and cons of getting an MBA, and strongly encourages the reader to live up to the words of Joseph Campbell and 'follow your bliss'.Yet, the book does have a few minor weaknesses. The first and foremost weakness is that the reader does not learn the MBA jargon in-depth so that one can hold one's own against the top ten MBA school spin doctors. Second, most of the resources Dr. Sobel points the reader to for further reading are textbooks which may only be available in many cases at a university library. Third, in the age of the internet, he does not provide the web addresses for the organizations that he lists as contacts- a definite no-no. Finally, because Dr. So