Rating: 
Summary: Show me the cheese.
Review: First of all, let me suggest that I read this book more than 20 years ago when it was called "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," by Richard Bach. Then I read it again five years later when it was called "Illusions," also by Richard Bach. The central theme here, as well as in Mr. Bach's books, is learning to let go of your fears and anxieties so you can do and accomplish the things in life that will truly make you happy. This is not a novel notion. Nor is the concept of change as an intimidating proposition, as anyone who has moved as a child or even entered a new school can attest to from an early age. To be fair, while "Who Moved My Cheese" is overly simplistic, it does impart a modicum of encouragement and inspiration. However, I believe the message has been expressed through far more interesting story lines, such as in Mr. Bach's parable-like novellas, which by the way, I recommend to anyone who found Mr. Johnson's effort compelling and rewarding. On a substantive level, I feel Mr. Johnson could have taken the story development quite a ways further and to a deeper, more intricate level, particularly for someone who fancies himself an authority in the field of professional development. Some might argue that its appeal is in its simplicity. That's fine if you take it at bare-bones face value. Others might contest that sugar-coated, child-like allegories are great material for second-grade book reports, but when senior-management types start passing such efforts off as holy gospel, I become circumspect. Furthermore, I fear countless workplaces overflowing with trite "cheeseisms." In fact, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before conventional-wisdom-spouting clones from all walks of business start retorting to reasonable issues raised at business meetings with the glib reply "move with the cheese," at which point these people should be gently slapped back to reality. I personally would have liked to have seen more obstacles and characters introduced to the story. Even Alice had more interesting encounters in Wonderland, and she negotiated all of them with poise and dignity in her effort to reach her goal. Perhaps instead of worrying about the business associate he left behind, our protagonist could have met new business associates in the maze, with the common cause of finding the new cheese. Better yet, maybe the littleperson who was in charge of Cheese Station C should have been axed for mismanagement. And then the new littleperson in charge could have assembled a task force to go out and hunt for new cheese. We littlepeople don't always have to go it alone. Obviously, I am complicating the story line. But I think a fable that resembles a business farce or a comedy of errors with a positive ending would be far more engaging. Just saying "change happens, be proactive rather than reactive" is old news. The least Johnson could have done was come up with more interesting "writings on the wall," most of which were insipid at best. Then you could walk away with actual tools in the form of little adages you can repeat to yourself when the need arises. However, there was one writing on the wall that I thought had an elegant poignancy about it which I believe was the most useful tidbit to be gleaned from the entire book. And that is "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" This is a thought one does not normally think to put to oneself in just that manner, unlike the vast majority of platitudes which infest this marginal read.
Rating: 
Summary: My Cheese Was Lost, Stolen, and Eaten By Someone Else!
Review: A little book but one with a big message about ways to cope with our ever changing workplaces. Maybe you cannot change the things that are happening around you but you can change the way you react to them and the ways you let things affect you. Being in a company that has undergone tremendous upheaval in the past year, this little book was a great comfort. I hope that everyone will get enough cheese.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, Straight, True
Review: I've given this gem away to a half-dozen friends/associates. It is simple by design, and judging from other reviewers comments, it is probably best to read it instead of listening to it. I haven't heard the tapes, but I polished it off in an afternoon at the bookstore. "Who moved my cheese" is a great way to express the attitude of entitlement so many career people personify. Wake up everbody! Things change fast these days. If you want to have a chuckle at your own reasons as to why YOU don't have to change, read this book. Great stuff for optimists, hard pill to swallow for stuffed shirts who value tradition excessively. Devour this slice of brie!
Rating: 
Summary: Thoughtful
Review: A surprisingly strong book with an interesting viewpoint. Simplistic at times but quite thoughtful overall.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Precept For Patient People!
Review: Although the author is very repetitive and seems to drag this short story on for longer than is necessary, it was a great book and I recommend it to anyone looking for advice on how to deal with change in their life. The only question I have left is:
Does Haw get arrested for constant graffiti on the maze walls? ;)
Rating:
Summary: Just a great little read.
Review: My husband just received this book as a birthday gift and as I was cleaning up from the party the title caught my attention. I picked it up and 45 minutes later I am finding myself writing my first online review of a book. It gives such a positive outlook on the always inevitable change that everyone is bound to encounter. The lessons are ones which we all know in our hearts but so many people are not willing to implement them. I would love to recommend this book to everyone that I know but my fear is that those who could use it's wisdom the most will still keep their eyes shut to their own "special" situations. Or they will discount it as worthless advice. I think that the people who stand to gain the most from this enlightening story are those who are already open to change and have already recognized the need to venture out into the maze. This could just be the push that they need. The book helps you to let go and conquer your fear of a situation. We each have our own story and a detailed book cannot possibly give any more instructions for our own lives than this simple one does.
Rating: 
Summary: My 4-year-old loved it...
Review: Although the idea behind this tale is good, the parable itself is sophomoric and simply goes on and on and ON AND ON... I was gripping my steering wheel in frustration and gritting my teeth: "Just get to the moral of the story, already!" (However, my 4-year-old sitting in the back seat found the story about the funny little men and the mice totally absorbing. This should tell you something.)
Rating:
Summary: Gotta Find The Cheese!
Review: This is a very powerful little book and a very strong message!
Rating:
Summary: THEY MOVED THE CHEESE FROM AFRICA A LONG TIME A GO!
Review: This is a very powerful metaphor,every one is left with the tusk of writting their own stories.Dr Spencer Johnson is like any odinary human being who clearly sees change within society.Technology is making serious changes in our lives today and those that are worried about security in E- commerce must know that the cheese is being moved slowly by those that face the changing economy.Here in Africa one can conclude that Africans have lost a sense of smell.Globalization requires us to have a new sense of smell inorder to re-invent our business practices.Thanks very hard Dr Spencer, all those that are jelousy of you cashing in lots of Dead Presidents, know that you took a simple but powerful metaphor to explain an obvious situation.Your book cannot be boring its either one is familiar with the situation or not.But hating the book is too extreme.
Rating:
Summary: A little book with a big message - about change.
Review: At the end of the book one of the characters asks a group of others how many of them are afraid of change? A few people raise their hands. Then the character asks of the others how many know someone else who is afraid of change? Everyone raises a hand. So it is with this book. Everyone I know who has read it (including myself) says, "Well this is true, but not really applicable to me." Then you will immediatley buy more copies, or pass yours on to someone else. ;-) It's a good, insightful little book with an valuable message you will not soon forget.
|
