However, she continues to work in the elite world, ultimately accepting a position with the Obama Foundation.Ĭhapter 2, “Win-Win,” examines a fundamental aspect of business-world thinking, particularly as it applies to elite efforts to enact social change. After working as a consultant for McKinsey, Cohen becomes more skeptical of such promises. As a young graduate, Cohen is initially swayed by the rhetoric of corporations like Goldman Sachs and the consulting group McKinsey, who promise to be committed to solutions that are both business-friendly and the most effective way of enacting change. He tells the story of Hilary Cohen, an idealistic college student who is interested in doing work that inspires genuine social change. In Chapter 1, “But How Is the World Changed?,” Giridharadas begins his primary method of argument, which involves using the stories of individuals connected to the elite world to critique that world.

He depicts this critique against the backdrop of data showing that despite the elites’ supposed good works, inequality is rampant in the US, wages for the average person have stagnated, and the wealth gap between the top 10% of individuals and the remaining 90% is wider than ever. In the Prologue, Giridharadas summarizes the book’s main argument: that elite-led efforts to promote social change are used to uphold the status quo and to increase elites’ gains.

Winner takes all anand