Rating: Summary: I refuse to sniff or scurry Review: If there were a no star rating I would give it that. It was an insulting book written to give corporate HR stiffs a tool to weed out the disenchanted. I was given this book by my manager about 3 months before being packaged out of my job. The surface message of the book is to be open to change, to be flexible. The implicit message is that as a "little people", it's not your job to ask about why changes are being made, or even if they're a good idea. Your job, you "little people", is to adapt to change, to find out where the "big people" hid the cheese this week.Well, if you like being called a "little people" or worse yet, a dumb mouse who can't figure out where the cheese got hid, you'll love this book. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
Rating: Summary: Life is short to be stuck in one place hoping for miracles Review: Few books come ur way which can be recomended to all. This definitely is one among them. Fantastically narated story, and a beautiful lesson to learn The book is a big eye opener to all people who are stuck up in their heads. Miracles dont happen unless and until u work for it. It is a book which tells u to move on in life. If nothing is happening in life, then make things happen, but that does not happen, unless and until you make a move. Guys, if this book does not change a lethargic and lazy mind, then nothing will change you.
Rating: Summary: For the ones who are able to smile at their own flaws Review: I came across the book some time ago and I caught myself nodding and recognizing patterns in my own behaviour and that of my surroundings as I read on. Recently I have picked up the book again and bought copies to friends as a fun book to read. I do not consider this a "serious" book on change management but it sure is a great introduction at workshops on change, learning etc as personal matters all become somewhat less "contageous" as areas to bring up in a group setting (it is easy to camouflage it with settings from the story, but it is still put out in the open). The story of the little peoples' search for happiness (or whatever the cheese represents) may be read as a parable, but then again I think that is taking it too seriously. It is a story that does not need to be classified or analyzed, but just read with an open mind. Two of the characters (the little people) are named Hem and Haw, which of course is also a play with word, but it also says a lot about the characters. The story is simple: we follow their responses to changes (the cheese is moved) and some of their thoughts and changes of attitude (or lack thereof) as they are put down as "writings on the wall". I have not yet met anyone who have not found one little "writing on the wall" that fits their lifestyle, bringing about a smile as they found it. The other two characters in the book, the two mice, make the diffrences beteeen Hem and Haw even more clear as the story goes on, but they also examplify an untroubled lifestyle. Summing up: A book to bring a smile on your face; not a book to be considered a serious input in the field of personal change, I think. . .
Rating: Summary: Truth is what serves the party at any given time Review: Strange that a book read by the leaders of capitalism has as one of its core messages Stalin's infamous definition of reality. Wherever the cheese moves is right for it to move, that is all you need to know. In fact the act of trying to know more is the very thing that will be your undoing. There are many things very wrong with this book, promoting a mindset eerily reminiscent of that of the European dark ages, or perhaps the Indian cast system. The message of the book: Know your place and do not try to change what you have no control over. If things change, adjust to them but never ever contemplate the change itself. Adam's Dilbert countered it with a nice little strip, highlighting that the book's messages for business is: the Boss is never wrong. The story tells you to never ever question events or authority, indeed that to ponder such things as: who moved my cheese? Why did they move it and where to? Did they have the right to? are to be avoided or you will literally starve. Be like mice, however, scurry and work full of energy without ever questioning, without ever looking out of the maze and you will live on Appenzeller forever. The authors do not want their worker animals to realize that they are in a maze, that perhaps there might be a way to get a hold of some milk to make cheese and thus not have it move all the time. A major point of the book is that looking outside of the maze to figure out why this cheese moving business is going on will lead to failure. The sad truth, and likely reason for the book's success, is that in many ways this is the reality of many employees. In many ways the authors' realization seems to be that we can look but never get outside the maze, that for 99% of their readers thinking about change rather than just going with it is an exercise in futility. There is no reference to whether this is all "right" or not, it is a kind reminder that this the card we were dealt, so deal with it. The authors are merely trying to prevent us from trying were we can't succeed. The authors' message for, say, Enron employees is that to fret over the injustice of it all will get them nowhere and that to move on to the next company is their only hope. Once they get a new job they should not waste energy and time on trying to find out if it, too, will "be moved", like Enron, but rather to ready themselves for the next, inevitable, move. Your manufacturing job got "moved", perhaps literally, to Mexico? Do not try to point out political issues, do not try to find ways to move it back, instead find a job elsewhere or indeed move to Mexico, in fact you may like that cheese better. Had the US industry listened to this book there would be no US cars (which, actually, may not have been such a sad thing...), steel-mils, bicycles or TVs left. Of course, there aren't any US TVs left and this book saves us from having consider why. After all, what could we mere mice have ever done to change that outcome? In this brave new world the virtues of mice outperform those of man. But can mice really make good cheese? This Krell would rather that remain the prerogative of thinking man (yes, or woman, naturally). One can only imagine what would have happened to the authors, had they gone to Switzerland and started moving people's cheese, they would likely have met with more than mere criticisms. Perhaps that is why the Swiss make such superior cheese...
Rating: Summary: You can get the morals in this story for free! Review: It may be a #1 bestseller but it's not as helpful as it seems. Basically it's for those of you who can read a book and change your life by understanding the morals shown. It's not a book that gives you tips on how to improve your life or how to deal with stress. It just gives you the story and working out what the morals say is up to you. The morals in a way are disguised. The story is purposefully unclear as change is always different. It's doesn't really help students with their study habits or anything. It's for adults who're facing problems and difficulties in their life. The main solution that makes this book help you is to remember the main points that make our life pleasant and are things we usually tend to forget. The book starts out with former classmates chatting with each other until Michael begins his tale of "Who moved my cheese?" Cheese is a metaphorical device that is what we want in life. Cheese is everything from wanting no stress in your life to desiring a perfect job. It concentrates on mice living in a maze that continue to search for cheese. It first and foremost just shows that the mice continue to look for cheese without thinking about anything. They don't think before they act. They just have a sudden reaction to things that they aren't prepared for. The resolution of the story concentrates on Hem &Haw finding the cheese but soon losing the cheese to the two hungry mice. What it's trying to show are everyday people (opposites). Haw is a leader who's searching for better ways of life (he searches for more cheese) while Hem is stubborn and refuses to move (doesn't do anything). Although it's sold millions worldwide, the book isn't really worth it if you can't change your life with morals. If you can't change from Aesop's fables I doubt you can change from "Who moved my cheese?" In a way the book does give you tips but as I said before they're "disguised" or "hidden". You have to search for them. In short form the whole story just tries to say, "You can transform, it's excellent, it makes your life well again!"
Rating: Summary: Simple but effective Review: "Who Moved My Cheese" first came to my attention from the animated video. So often we know what to do, but for some reason we don't do it. The format of this simple story, helps to make the ideas and principles come alive in a way that's easy to digest. For those reviewers who find it too simplistic, they could check out "Unlimited Power" by Tony Robbins, and "Anatomy of Success" by Ronald Kaufman.
Rating: Summary: Easy to Understand Review: This book is great for many reasons, but I will point out the one that sticks out to me: "Easy to understand" This book will give any manager an idea of what to do with different personality types who they have to manage. While this is not an in-depth study of what to do with ever nuance employees may have, this book points out obvious things managers can do to get more productivity out of their employees. This book also works for employees, it can help people better understand why they do what they do at work. In the same genre of "First Break All The Rules," by Marcus Buckingham, this book pounds away at the fact that we are all different, and the more we know about ourselves, and our managers know about us, the happier, and most importantly, more effective everyone will be.
Rating: Summary: OK. I get it. But... Review: ...I have a big problem with the premise that people need to constantly move with the Cheese. After listening to the tape, I'd ask myself, "What is the role of Cheese in my life?" Is Cheese, perhaps, more important to me than Spirit, which has no use for earthly Cheese? Is Loyalty less important? What about Emotional Foundation? Trust? Faith? Inner Peace? All of these immeasurable functions would be discounted in the world of Hem and Haw, Sniff and Scurry. In real-world terms, would I be ready to discard my belief systems, my choice of relationships, choice of careers, etc., etc. just because I sense my Cheese resources are dwindling? And what would I leave behind? I believe many life situations--building a business, a marriage or relationship, building a faith practice, writing a symphony, raising children, or even building a retirement profolio etc.--require long-term commitment, loyalty, trust and longsuffering tenacity. And dedicating my efforts solely on pursuing Cheese would undoubtably make my life cheap and meaningless, often devoting most of my time to trudging dark, treacherous mazes and writing proverbs on its walls. "My life pursuing Cheese," by...a reader from Atlanta. That doesn't sound like a best seller to me as a final testament. While the parable itself is somewhat commendable and important, I resented its simplistic and sarcastic presentation (I'm speaking of the tape version). And having the book not yet in paperback and at 92+ pages hardback, I sense the authors'interest in making money over that of telling a good story. Of course, when Cheese does move, I plan to hear (or reread) this useful parable again for comfort and resolve. When it's time to "be still" however, I'd put the tape (book) away and enjoy the sunshine.
Rating: Summary: There is nothing like a good parable... Review: and this is nothing like a good parable. This was too contrived to be good, and very disappointing. Very silly and not all that well-written. Parables are inspired, this read as if the author spent too much time making the obvious complicated!
Rating: Summary: Pricey Review: This book has only 94 pages (in large font), and it's so expensive. It's like going to an expensive mediocre restaurant: The food's OK, but overpriced and overhyped. (And where's the beef?) The message is nice, cute, simple and easy to read. It's more like a pamphlet than a book actually, the kind that you would read at the waiting room of a doctor's office. It deals with how to handle change in our lives and in our fast-paced everchanging world, and the author creates a parody of how 4 different personalities react to change. The ideas were presented clearly, and the analogy is brilliant. It was a fun read, but I guess I just felt a bit ripped-off by the publishing company.
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