Who Moved My Cheese?

Who Moved My Cheese? : An Amazing Way to Deal With Change in Your Work and in Your Life    by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth H. Blanchard, Putnam Pub Group (Paper) 1998. ISBN: 0399144463

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to seeing the short animated video upon which this book is based.  In this day and age of amazing automation, the graphics were extremely basic.  I wouldn't mind if it kept prices down, but it doesn't seem to do so.  That aside, I was reminded of the principles of change presented in the book and the video made a great introduction into a discussion of coping with transition.

It seems that people either love or hate this book. I confess that I liked it.  But then, I enjoy metaphors to conceptualize ideas or issues for me.  Come on, it isn't suppose to be an academic work and so what if it simplifies things. Sometimes that is what we need - simplify, simplify.  No one believes that anything in this day and age isn't one big complicated complex mess.  I am also of the opinion that people who really don't understand a topic tend to make it confusing and convoluted.  It is those that really understand their subject matter that can make it compressible to others.

So my advice, get over it and just take the ten minutes it takes to read a copy of this book and just relax.  Oh by the way, I didn't enjoy The One Minute Manger half as much and if you aren't a fan of Ken Blanchard then I suggest you skip this one as well.

For a great and scathing article check out Cheese is Simple: Management is Hard by Michael Schrage.

RFH (01/08)

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