Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents ix
3. Acknowledgments xi
4. 1. Entering the Elite 1
5. 2. The Playing Field 29
6. 3. The Pitch 55
7. 4. The Paper 83
8. 5. Setting the Stage for Interviews 113
9. 6. Beginning the Interview: Finding a Fit 135
10. 7. Continuing the Interview: The Candidate’s Story 147
11. 8. Concluding the Interview: The Final Acts 183
12. 9. Talking It Out: Deliberating Merit 211
13. 10. Social Reconstruction 253
14. 11. Conclusion 267
15. Afterword to the Paperback Edition 287
16. Appendix A. Who Is Elite? 291
17. Appendix B. Methodological Details 295
18. Appendix C. List of Interviews 311
19. Notes 319
20. References 351
21. Index 369