Rating: Summary: Entertaining but offers few concrete ideas Review: I am a fan of the author but I find the book light in content. Its tone is so general, so high level, that if you don't think change is necessary, this book will not convince you otherwise. If you beleive change is necessary and you are looking for concrete guidenance, this book will provide you none of that. If you embrace change and know how to cope with it, then the book is somewhat entertaining, but it adds little value. I suspect the buyers of this book are corporations (we have a copy in our office) who want to promote change at the workplace. These companies hold up this book as a symbol that supposed to remind employees that change is necessary. But then the poor employees do not know where to go from there. The book is a top seller because corporations keep buying it (the book was published in 1998 and it is still #3) and probably it was aimed at corporations right from the start. I am sure it generated plenty of cash to the author, but it offers little value added to the reader.
Rating: Summary: Relax and enjoy. Review: ... some readers think they are owed "cheese"-- at least when it comes to jobs. They do not like to face a fact that makes them feel "uncomfortable." The point of "Who Moved My Cheese" is not to make you feel uncomfortable. It is to give you a simple piece of wisdom-- be alert to change. Don't get left behind. Okay, let's say you were a professional type setter in the 80's. You would have had a stable job. Your skill would have been in demand, but by the mid-90's, you would have been as unwanted as a tooth ache. If you had started learning computer graphics and layout in the 80's, you would have been poised to find an excellent job in a growing field by the 90's. Those who stick with old ways seldom prosper. Those who embrace change, seldom fail. What makes some readers think this message so [bad]? I think it's a great message. I wish I had known the "who moved my cheese" principle five years ago. It would have saved me a lot of grief. I now live by it. If you like short books with deep, symbollic messages, you will love this book. Also, be sure to read a book titled "Castle of Wisdom" by Rhett Ellis. It's truly awesome-- even better than "Who Moved My Cheese."
Rating: Summary: Save your money Review: Instead, borrow the book from one of the thousands (millions?) who were either gullible or dutiful enough to buy it, spend 20-30 minutes reading it, then take the money you would have spent on the book and buy the parody, "Who Cut the Cheese?", by Stilton Jarlsberg. A backdrop against which to enjoy the parody is the only good reason to read this book, unless you NEED to have the obvious pointed out to you in a mixture of inane platitudes and 5th grade English.
Rating: Summary: One Cheesy book on Leadership Review: After hearing a lot of buzz about this book, I decided to read it. For anyone who has not read it, I would save my money. The book reads like it is written for a elementary school child. I sat down one afternoon and read half of it in a couple hours, and I'm a pretty slow reader. The main problem I had was the analogies it uses throughout the entire book and the manner in which it was written. The author uses the story of a couple mice learning what to do when their cheese is moved. The problem is with only a few pages in to the chapter, you can tell how the story is going to end and where the author is trying to go with it. I would save the $12 and go buy some Ice Cream.
Rating: Summary: Who Moved My Cheese Review: It is a shame there's not a "no star" rating for a book like this. In all my years in business I have never read a book with so little to offer. Not only is it written for the third grader, it is packed with such infantile and hackneyed platitudes that it's demeaning to the serious reader. If this is considered a"hot" business book, the future of our business community is in serious trouble. Try writing a book that challenges the mind, not one that numbs it.
Rating: Summary: Cheesy. Review: The one-minute manager author strikes again. Here is the message: change happens. Get over it. This one is another in a long line of snake-oil salesmen who have morphed into business experts selling the philosophy "you can change your life forever by spending $12 and one hour reading a cute story." Wow, and I always thought changing your life was hard work. The far more dangerous message from the one-minute manager guru is that a dedicated worth ethic is the mark of a fool. Another dangerous message is that one fable with flawed logic (can everyone really categorize themselves as a clever rat or as a pint-size person who dithers through life?) applies to all aspects of life. It doesn't. If I worked the way I cook I'd never follow any rules, invite my friends into my office and know they don't really care if the results aren't good, they are there because they want to spend time with me. Books like this underestimate the complexity of everyday life and cheat us out of personal growth by substituting platitudes for genuine experience. If this book changed your life, I'm happy for you. Wanna buy a bridge?
Rating: Summary: Simple Truths Delivered Through a Simple Fable Review: I am quite surprised by the amount of controversy this little book is causing among readers. The upset, the anger, the rage! Relax! This is a fable! It is about cheese and imaginary characters named Hem and Haw! It is written in big letters and is illustrated with cute drawings. It has no other pretense than delivering this simple message: When your situation changes you must move on or you'll set yourself up to live a miserable, disgruntled life. It also says: Don't think too much! The mind that over analyzes everything is a powerful inhibitor and it will generate complaints and fears that will prevent you from taking appropriate action. Just DO it! To me such truths are transformational and I am grateful to be reminded of them from time to time. They prompt me to look at my life and the way I behave, and to discover how I can create more satisfaction in my life. If you are interested in transformation and in discovering what kind of "cheese" life has to offer that you may not have discovered yet, I also recommend that you read : "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work", by Ariel and Shya Kane. This book is amazing and holds all the keys to transformation, and to achieving the state of grace and personal success that we are all thriving for.
Rating: Summary: A lot of money for a little (but very neat!) book Review: I liked it. We have all met the main characters in this short parable. I have been most of them, but not enough of any of them. Grow a sense of humor about the way of the world. This book reminds us to stay aware and not get complacent. And it does it in a very memorable and interesting fashion! I was one of those folks who gave it to several friends as a gift, and shared my copy with other 'Hem's and Haw's'! I think about it nearly every day and joke with co-workers who have read it. I think it is a must read. But that is just the writing on the wall <G> . . .
Rating: Summary: wow Review: If you are in any type of management field, this is a must read book for you and for your employees. So true to life and so true to the ever changing work force. It really made me take a look at my own "Cheese.
Rating: Summary: You gotta be kidding! Review: It's cute, it's quaint, it's memorable. Yes, the book will become a "meme" for everyone. But I cannot believe people don't already know this. On the other hand, maybe people have gotten so caught up in their lives they've forgotten the basics. Don't buy it, though--borrow it or check it out of the library. Take the 30 mins it requires to read it, and then you too can say you know what people are talking about. Then, get on with your life.
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