Mr. Golden's book is the season’s barnburner because it cites specific donations, test scores and even essay topics that are linked to questionably qualified applicants. Their names are named.

Mr. Golden’s dishy, mean-spirited book delivers a mixed message: that although prominent institutions select students unfairly, applicants should still be fighting their ways into these same unscrupulous colleges.

Big expectations warp young prodigies. Some children who participated in IQ testing were randomly told they were gifted. That reduced both their ability to work persistently and their capacity for enjoyment.