In the spirit of Scott Turow's One L and David Brooks's Bobos in Paradise, a penetrating critique of elite universities and the culture of privilege they perpetuate, written by a recent Harvard alumnus.

Part memoir, part social critique, Privilege is an absorbing assessment of one of the world's most celebrated universities: Harvard. In this sharp, insightful account, Douthat evaluates his social and academic education -- most notably, his frustrations with pre-established social hierarchies and the trumping of intellectual rigor by political correctness and personal ambition. The book addresses the spectacles of his time there, such as the embezzlement scandal at the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and Professor Cornel West's defection to Princeton. He also chronicles the more commonplace but equally revealing experiences, including social climbing, sexual relations, and job hunting.

While the book's narrative centers on Harvard, its main arguments have a much broader concern: the state of the American college experience. Privilege is a pointed reflection on students, parents, and even administrators and professors who perceive specific schools merely as stepping-stones to high salaries and elite social networks rather than as institutions entrusted with academic excellence.

A book full of insightful perceptions and illuminating detail, Privilege is sure to spark endless debates inside and outside the ivied walls.

罗斯· 格雷戈里· 多塞特（Ross GregoryDouthat），生于1979 年，美国保守主义作家、博客家。

他是《大西洋月刊》的高级编辑、《国家评论》的影评人以及《华尔街日报》等报刊的撰稿人。他经常出现在电视和博客网站的辩论节目里。2009 年，他取代威廉姆· 克里斯托尔（William Kristol）担任《纽约时报》评论版的专栏作家, 成为该报保守主义声音的喉舌。多塞特是《纽约时报》有史以来最年轻的评论版专栏作家。

多塞特出生于美国旧金山市，在纽黑文市长大。他1998 年进入哈佛大学，2002 年以优异成绩毕业。在大学期间，他经常为《哈佛绯红报》撰稿，并担任校内保守主义报纸《哈佛卓越报》的编辑。多塞特的母亲是一位作家；父亲是一家律师事务所的合伙人，也是一位获奖诗人。多塞特的家庭先前属于美国五旬节教派，后来皈依了天主教。2007 年，多塞特与《巴尔的摩太阳报》的记者阿比盖尔· 塔克（Abigail Tucker）结婚，现居华盛顿特区。