Book Review: Sabah Memon

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BOOK REVIEW

BY:Sabah Memon
Roll No- 15 Prof:- Reshma Singh

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Spencer Johnson is known for the Value Tales series of children's books, and for his 1998 motivational book Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life, which recurred on the New York Times Bestseller list, on the Publishers Weekly Hardcover nonfiction list. Johnson is chairman of Spencer Johnson Partners. Johnson also wrote the book "Yes" or "No": The Guide to Better Decisions (1992), which has been translated into a number of languages including Italian, Spanish, Korean and German. He co-authored the One Minute Manager series of books with management writer Ken Blanchard, though each author has added their own books to the series. His latest book is Peaks And Valleys.

Johnson's books have been translated into twenty-six languages.

Spencer Johnson was born in Mitchell, South Dakota, graduated from Notre Dame High School of Sherman Oaks, California, in 1957, received a B.A. degree in psychology from the University of Southern California in 1963, and his M.D. from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland . Johnson currently lives in Hawaii and New Hampshire.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson, M.D., Foreword by Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D. Publisher: Putnam

There are four characters :Hem and Haw Little people Sniff and Scurry Rats

All four characters search for Cheese in the maze

Cheese is the Metaphor

Cheese is what you want in life o Whether it is good job o A loving relationship o Money or a Possession o Health or spiritual peace of mind

Why this book ?


Have you ever wondered if there was an amazing way to deal with change in your work and in your life? If yes, then, Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson is exactly what you need. What attracted me to read this book was the title. It offered food for thought and made me curious. Also, the fact that it was a small book with only about 96 pages helped a lot!

Book Summary
Change- The ever constant star in the horizon of our lives- is inevitable. Every individual has a different approach to deal with this change. While some sit back, blame God and pity their luck; some simply refuse to adapt to change. But there are others who are always ready and are quick on their feet to make the most of the change.

Summary: This book starts with A Gathering of several former schoolmates over lunch. Their conversation leads to work and relationships. Everyone was trying to cope with the unexpected changes that were happening to them in recent years. And most of them admitted that they did not know a good way to handle them. That is when, Michael, narrated to them this story.

A story about four characters- two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two Little people named Hem and Haw, living in a maze and looking for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. Cheese is a metaphor for what one wants in life- a good job, healthy life, a loving relationship or money. And maze is where one looks for the cheese- workplace, family or community.

This is the story of two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two little people, Hem and Haw. They live in a maze and spend their days in search of cheese. One day they come upon a great find (Cheese Station C). There is an abundance of cheese and they settle in, growing fat and lazy. Hem and Haw begin to see themselves as owners of the cheese. But then, one day, the cheese is gone. Sniff and Scurry put back on their running shoes and begin to explore the maze, looking for new cheese. Hem and Haw feel bitter as theyve come to think theyre entitled to the cheese. They have become afraid of the maze and sulk around. But one day Haw decides its time to go out in search of new cheese. Hem refuses to join his quest. Haw finds his running shoes, laces them up and goes out in search of new cheese. Along the way, he finds morsels of cheese, but nothing that can sustain him for long. He keeps searching as he learns new truths, such as what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. He draws graffiti on the maze, pictures of cheese with tidbits of wisdom inside, in case Hem decides to follow him. Examples include:-

If You Do Not Change, You Become Extinct. What Would You Do If You Were Not Afraid? Movement in a New Direction Helps You Find New Cheese. Old Beliefs Do Not Lead You To New Cheese Along the way, Haw begins to enjoy the journey. He discovers that you can believe that change will harm you and resist it. Or you can believe that finding new cheese will help you, and embrace the change. He also begins to use his mind to envision himself finding something that is better. He reflects on his mistakes and plans for the future and, in the end, discovers an even more abundant cache of cheese than had existed in Cheese Station C. But as he enjoys all the cheese in this new station, he keeps his running shoes nearby for the time hell have to return to the maze in search of the cheese.

At the end of his journey, Haw summarizes wisdom learned: -

Change Happens (They keep moving the cheese) Anticipate Change (Get ready for the cheese to move) Monitor Change (Smell the cheese often so you know when its getting old) Adapt to Change Quickly (The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese) Change (Move with the cheese) Enjoy Change! (Savor the Adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese) Be Ready to Change Quickly and Enjoy it Again and Again (They keep moving the cheese) The mice with their simple brain and good instincts and the Littlepeople with their complex brains, filled with many beliefs and emotions, searched for cheese every day. The mice showed the same vigour and enthusiasm everyday while the Little people awoke each day a little later, dressed a little slower and grew ignorant to the consequences once they found cheese.

Conclusion
This book revolutionizes ones outlook to change and with this new attitude, success in todays changing times in definitely assured. Irrespective of age, gender and caste, this book is surely to help one and all. It may seem like reading a school book initially because of its simple language and effortless flow but that is precisely the beauty of this book. It makes one understand the situation and the solution easily and thus, helps in transforming ones attitude towards change.

Who Moved My Cheese? , seems to say that no matter what changes, no matter what, we should see it as a good thing. Surely, sometimes, change must be a bad thing. Surely, sometimes, it should be resisted. Surely, sometimes, we should stand to our ground.

We must change when the change occurs We must let go off the past and face the future with true spirit We must overcome our fears to achieve our goals

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