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Summary: wsmc was worthwhile for our annual conference
Review: After reading other reviews of WSMC, we decided to approach its use in our annual leadership retreat with a 'lighthearted' feel. We asked someone who is familiar with the story to tell it to the group in 12 minutes. We called it "Storytime." Then we did a teambuilding exercize, where teams had 5 minutes to get through a maze without speaking. Discussion tied the story and the activity together and it was well received by our audience. I appreciated reading the reviews on Amazon ahead of time, as it enabled me to plan around the concern that some find it condescending.
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Summary: Easy Yet Profound Read
Review: Everyone is going through some sort of change but this delightful story assists you in uncovering the way you face change. I enjoyed it so much that I passed it on to my boyfriend who then passed it on to a co-worker, who passed it on to his wife....
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Summary: Make you think again about your life
Review: The impressive thing about this book is that within a few pages (that take only an hour of reading) makes you think again and again about your life. It leads you to think about the chances that you are missing by hanging out with old missed chances. It forces you to move on. It shows you some of the wrong directions in your life, business, family etc. This book is a must have, and a great gift for friends
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Summary: Well worth your time
Review: This little book is right up there on the New York Times best-seller list. A short read (one hour at most) on how to deal with change in your life.Four mice named Sniff Scurry, Hem and Haw live in a Maze and look for cheese to nourish them to stay happy. The Maze is a metaphorical place where you look for what you want in life. The mice, it turns out, act like people and the cheese is a metaphor for whatever it is you want out of life. In this charming story, the mice are faced with unexpected change because their cheese disappears. Some of the characters are able to deal successfully with this change and some are not. One of them (the successful one) writes about what he learns from this disaster on the walls of the Maze and thereby hangs the gist of this short, sweet tale. Among the "writings on the wall" are: "If you do not change. you can become extinct." "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" "The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese." "Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese." "Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to bigger changes that arc to come." Well worth your time. Give a copy to your kids or grandkids. Promise (them money if thev read it, but make them write you a book report to prove they really read it...
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Summary: Oh No! Something is Different!
Review: With so many millenium resolutions in place, and as we push to make this year the most memorable year ever, we may not realize how much our world is changing around us. In fact, the near future may have many changes in store for each of us... possibly at our jobs, our home lives, changes within the city or country we live in, and basically changes throughout the world that will directly affect us at some time or another. These type of changes can easily bring on the added burden of stress! In his book "Who Moved My Cheese", Dr. Spencer Johnson, presents a small story about what happens when the #1 thing in your life is taken away from you. There are 4 characters, or 4 perspective angles to approaching a problem, whatever it may be. This #1 thing in your life can be a spouse, your house, your car, your current job, your children,... basically anything. How would you cope if one of these just dissappeared? How can you see/read when a change is about to happen? How do you adjust with the times? How do you overcome 'fear'? These topics, plus a whole lot more are covered in this powerful, compact, 94-page parable. It's precise, yet light, and enjoyable reading. But then again, what else would we expect from the co-author of "The One Minute Manager" series of books. Excellent reading for yourself or a friend.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it
Review: The good news about this book is that it takes 45 minutes to read, so even if you don't like it, you'll definitely benefit at least by saying you read it. For people who have already learned the lesson of change, this is a great affirmation that the world is abundant (especially in our economy?). For those scared about being downsized, this book may be a first step to seeking help, which they'll need a lot of, and of course the authors will be happy to help them with that. I have no doubt that the authors sincerely meant to give a real gift to the world, but I don't think it's worth the price. The messages are simple, and you'll remember the general gist. Go find the cheese!
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Summary: It makes you think.
Review: This is a very insightful book on human nature and how different people respond to change. It make you reflect on your own attitudes and behavior when change is a foot in your own life. Great for starting a group of people in a new direction.
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Summary: The Work of a Master
Review: This a great work, written by a master of the modern day parable, with a foreword by another master, Ken Blanchard. The book's value is that in a very short period of time it helps the reader get in touch with an issue that is affecting us all at some level today - how we cope with change. This is one of those books that everyone should read, both to learn better how to deal with some of life's challenges, and to provide an interesting topic of discussion for cocktail parties. Another book, just released with a testimonial by Spencer Johnson, that falls into this same category is WINNING WAYS: FOUR SECRETS FOR GETTING GREAT RESULTS BY WORKING WELL WITH PEOPLE, by Dick Lyles. Like CHEESE, it also has a foreword by Ken Blanchard, and it also deals with an issue that affects us all at some level. Those reviewers who say these books are over-simplified miss their true beauty. The reason these books by Johnson, Blanchard and Lyles are so popular is that they highlight simple truths in ways that people can relate to them and apply them to their personal lives for personal betterment. Each book doesn't have all the answers. But then, neither do all the big fat books I've read that are more theoretical and deal with their subjects on a so-called "higher" intellectual plane. My fervent hope is that people will read the works of these great authors and share their ideas with others for two reasons. First, so these authors will continue to produce classics like these. And second, because if more people read and apply these ideas, the better our world will be.
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Summary: It makes you think about how imperfect our world is.
Review: I have read this book and being someone who was comfortable at a position for 22 years and then had the cheese moved from under my feet without a warning, I can understand this concept better than others. This book teaches you to always be ready for the worst so that if and when it does come your are not totally destroyed by it's effects. This book is more a reminder that we can be replaced on whim and should not sit there and ponder why, just go out and continue. Remeber as a child when we fell and got up to walk again, this shouldn't changed now either. Get up and go! A must read for the unwary. Remeber you only live once and this book tells you to go on living.
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Summary: Change is Part of Today's Workplace
Review: I read this book, and worked with Dr. Spencer Johnson in the course of building his website, and to me, 'Who Moved my Cheese?' really exemplifies the amount of change that goes on in today's workplace. (for example, I no longer work for the company that built his website). There are so many people who still believe that life, work and family won't ever change. Dr. Johnson's message is simple but eloquent, and it stays with you, which is important. You'll likely find yourself identifying with one of the 4 characters, and heaven help you if it's 'Hem'! I'd also like to add that Dr. Johnson and his wife Leslie are two of the most dedicated and intelligent people I've ever had the pleasure of working with, and that really comes across in the book. Buy this book - if you're a manager, buy several.
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