Rating: 
Summary: Fish!...there's no smell here! Smashing!
Review: (...)Fish! is a parable about a middle manager, Mary Jane Ramirez, charged with the responsibility of improving a department dubbed the "Toxic Energy Dump" by upper management. This department is a "back room" operation wherein most of the employees feel underappreciated, overworked, and underpaid. Sound familiar? After experiencing the incredible lack of motivation and character for a few weeks, Mary Jane is at her wits end. Then, one day at lunch, she stumbles upon the Pike Place Fish Market. She meets Lonnie, a common fishmonger who exudes a love and passion for his job, his co-workers and his company. As she continues to stare in amazement, ALL of the fishmongers exhibit this seemingly joyous behavior. This, quite obviously, is very foreign to Mary Jane particularly coming from someone who handles fish all day! Mary Jane begins picking Lonnie's brain and psyche as to why he elicts such a positive fervor for his job. Over a period of time, Lonnie lays out the four principles associated with the success and enthusiasm at Pike Place Fish Market. They are very simple principles, one that anyone or any company can model and utilize. Here's the one poignant fact about this "parable," Pike Place Fish Market is anything but fictional. It exists in Seattle and thrives in much the way as described in this "work of fiction." Consequently, any "doubting Thomas'" will be surprised to learn that these principles, in one form or another, are actually practiced and displayed...in REAL life! Do not be mistaken, this is not the "end all" to literary works of motivation. However, if one will truly attempt to uncover and discover the meaning behind the principles presented, one should find a morsel of wisdom. If not, what have you lost? (Some money) and an hour of your time. Not much to invest in something that could provide introspective motivation.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth about as much as 2 proofs of purchase of Cherrios
Review: This book was a great story, but I have a hard time relating or convincing anyone why this works. Since the story is FICTIONAL, it makes it difficult to accept this book. The book paints an ideal picture of how each piece should fall into place. This book is the ideal situation, but we all know each situation is different. Not every employee could be as acceptable as the employees the main character manages. This book seems too dramatic like a love story or novel. Sure, we would all like the ultimate love story in our lives, but we know that is not realistic - its not life, and that's why we have FICTION, so we can experience that as close as we can. Sure there are great fantastic stories or remarkable turn arounds in life and in work, but how often do we hear about them - not often. This book makes everyone think that they could do something as possible as being a professional athlete, or President of the US, and then tries to make it sound simple to achieve - not that it is completely on that level, but rather the false hope that comes with it. My point is that it is nice to write about and have a great story, but its not real. I would have rather read a book that outlined the 4 main points of the book and then discussed HOW TO IMPLEMENT the ideas. There is no information on HOW TO DO WHAT THE STORY TOLD. It needs to be universal because not everyone works directly with customers, nor in the same environment. It doesn't tell me what to do if my situation does not follow the one in the book. It is a specific situation. I live in the midwest, we don't have fish markets, so where do I take my employees?
Rating: 
Summary: FISH smells better than CHEESE!
Review: Although not an example of high literature, Fish is an easy read that reminds one of some basic truths that many of us need reminded of now and then. We go through the days and weeks at work, often forgetting that we have choices to make each and every day. Anyone who is hating his/her job (or life!) on a regular basis could benefit from the wisdom of Fish. Arrogant "leaders" who have forgotten (or perhaps never learned) that they can benefit from the knowledge and experiences of those who work "for" them (and around them) definitely need to read this book. Although the ideas in Fish are not new, they are presented in an easy-to-read format and the lessons are worthy of review. Even though the book does not provide the answers for a staff in real morale trouble (it's a bit simplistic), it can provide a shot in the arm to a staff in need of a pick-me-up, as long as the staff has a REAL leader who is willing to take a look at his/her own weaknesses. If, on the other hand, you are a leader that would like to see change in everyone but yourself, stick to Who Moved My Cheese.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I'd had this book during my management career
Review: During twenty-three years of management in several organizations, I faced the same problems Mary Jane confronted. Sometimes I patched them temporarily, yet I can't claim that I ever solved them. Had this book been available to read and then discuss during staff retreats, I am confident that participants would have expressed their feelings more openly--and constructively--than they did under my leadership. I applaud what this book accomplishes with its homespun style.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Concepts, but...
Review: My boss recently gave me this book along with another one ("Who Moved My Cheese?") to try and boost morale in our small office. Now that I've finished it, I wonder if she even read it. Mary Jane, the manager in the book, takes on the great responsiblity of changing the image of her department, affectionately known as the "toxic energy dump." The staff is comatose, unenergetic, and boring. In our office, it's the complete opposite--we have fun, work well with each other, and make the clients feel welcome. I think the concepts in the book are great, but if you already have that type of work ethic, where do you go from there? How do you change the higher-ups in your company to adopt the same outlook? Is there a Fish! 2??
Rating:
Summary: All it does is state the obvious
Review: Mary Jane is given a tough assignment - bring life to the third floor of their business, which is currently known as a toxic energy dump. She gets inspiration from the famous Pike Fish Place, and a worker there named Lonnie. Mary-Jane learns that you have to make the best of every situation. You choose your attitude - you can go to work each day thinking "Another boring day...I wish it were the weekend" or you can think "Who can I help today?" - it's your choice. It's also important to play. Jokes are an important way of boosting morale. I've never been a manager, and I'm only twenty years old, yet I already knew everything this book said. All it does is tell you things that are plain common sense. If you are a manager, the odds are that this book will not tell you anything new. The positives are that the book is easy to read, easy to understand and very short. Recommend it to those employees with a negative attitude.
Rating:
Summary: But how many "fish" can you catch?
Review: A good book for boosting any company or ororganization's morale, however the whole "golly gee" aspect gets really old after a while; The grand utopia idea that everyone buys into the concept is a bit much. (and it is better here than in some of the other management books I've read) How do you get the nay-sayers on board?-Is what I realy want to see from any management book. "Chosing your attitude" one of the main ingridents for high morale is one that is too often looked over by everyone whether in or outside any organization. If people really stoped and looked at theit attitude, things in this world would be very different. Playing at work? This goes againist a century old minset that I think is very hard for companies to change. Still all and all, this book offers some good ideas that are extremely timely in today's very tight job market.
Rating:
Summary: your job/life sucks...be happy!!!
Review: We have three authors with interesting and challenging jobs telling everyone else with bad jobs, bad bosses, and great big obligations to face the facts that there is nothing you can do about it so be happy instead of miserably depressed. It's not even "make the best of it" it's "be happy in spite of it all"! I'm sure every business in this country wants all of their employees to change their attitudes rather than the business change the way they treat their employees, the way they structure jobs, and the way they compensate the people who work for them.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Way to Spend an Hour
Review: While this book contains no earth-shaking truths, taking an hour or so to read it can give you a fresh perspective. And isn't that what we so often need in our hectic lives? The book has four recommendations that can help keep that fresh perspective alive during the work days. It's a relaxing read. Because you will come away with at most four short points that you may record as a reminder for yourself, I recommend checking this one out from your local library. I'm glad I read it; I'm also glad I didn't buy it. It's not a book that you would go back to again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Things could get better. than what they are before
Review: This is one good book I happened to have read during summer. One of my friends was recommended by her boss to read this book to implement changes in her work habits. I think both the reader and the writer will share a value system that is beyond mundane deeds of day to day life out of the regular and routine and some times even slow processes in work or life. No book gives any thorough revealations of any change in the habits for any one whatsoever.. however if a person realizes how important his role is in performing a work well done and do it like that is everything that matters, things happen.
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