Deceptively simple look at how to cope with the inevitable changes in our lives, focusing on how to make those changes lead us to better things. Fewer words than the average pamphlet, and clearly aimed primarily at business people, this huge blockbuster of a best seller encompasses some real truths without burdening the reader with great complexities. That's probably why it's such a popular book, but the points it makes are very good ones. ( )

Well, first off, I won’t go quite so far (not that it makes a difference) as to say that it’s mythology or folklore, but it clearly is a story and not a non-fiction category—specifically it’s general fiction, ie not ‘good’ lit, you know. (Oh, help me mommy, help me—the purpose of life isn’t happiness, as Aristotle himself told me in his book on ethics; it’s to brag about the books we read 😭)

It’s also not quite children’s lit, as it’s not really intended for children, being about financial success and its grown-up equivalents, you know, things that you don’t really have when you’re seven. But it obviously borrows a few leaves from the children’s book style, you know. It reminds me of something Louise Hay said: that life is basically a collaboration between the adult and the inner child. This was a revelation even to me. It’s true that so far I’ve both done some grown-up stuff, as well as let my inner child have some time to himself (I guess I often think of my inner child as Little Hermes, although I guess I sometimes think of them as being a bit of a Little Persephone, too), but alternation isn’t //quite// the same thing as collaboration, you know. You can actually be in the middle of doing something with the adult, and then let the inner child add something, you know, like, ‘Just let me have a cup of water now’, or just let up on me; don’t put me through my paces, you know. And despite the way I write (sorta the adult sometimes imitating the child, I guess), I do tend to put the child through his paces, and to assume he can make it through to his next scheduled break without any help, you know.

But anyway, life is a collaboration. That’s why I think it’s cool that the compliment came from a sportscaster—kinda a grown-up playing at a game, in a sense, if a verbal one, you know. (shrugs) So yeah.

Anyway, it’s a business fable, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

…. It’s too bad there aren’t quite enough sayings for a Who Moved My Cheese Oracle Cards, you know, only 15-21—depending on how you count that one page, but really that’s like about a third maybe of your average oracle card deck, you know…. Too bad.

Anyway, I guess the most important thing is that, it doesn’t really matter who moved your cheese! What matters is, change with the maze, and find what you need, right!

…. I know that the center isn’t the most popular place necessarily, but I feel like both the left and the right don’t necessarily get “cheese”, you know. The left, well, they go on and on, “Who moved my cheese” and with the intellectualism and the things that don’t matter, and the right, it’s like, “Who told Them, they could move my cheese”—it’s very often even worse, because it can be like, demanding, life shouldn’t change: when life is always always changing. (And then again, the left, claiming you want change while just noodling, not changing anything, right.)

…. Good thoughts, good visualization—but also action.

…. “Perhaps most important of all, he realized that there is always New Cheese out there whether you recognize it at the time or not. And that you are rewarded with it when you go past your fear and enjoy the adventure.”

…. But, just like it says, it doesn’t mean you have to change for change for change’s sake or even be necessarily changing in a visible/external way. But if your life is vital and has a quality of aliveness, there will always be subtle change on some level.

…. I’m not sure I identify as a Christian anymore, but:

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52, NIV)

It’s also funny, given how often biological psychologists do work with mice and so on—sometimes one even hears about it!—how strange I guess it is, to actually imagine those little omnivores to be like us.

witty, insightful and sometimes downright correct. Spencer teaches you some really good management lessons using simple stories... ( )

Going through all the books I read for school and this was on the list, I read it in 2010 for my Counciling 116 Career/Life Planning & Personal Exploration. As an older adult going to college for the first time, I figured this was a good class to start with and it was the first class I attended.

As required reading goes, it was pretty good. Basically it boils down to making the decisions to improve your life and change you career choices to improve your circumstances. It's pretty short, and if you are someone who is at a crossroads in their life, things have become difficult and you don't know where to go - career wise, then give it a read. I would say it's very inspirational. ( )

Read the book in spring, and re-read it in June for an assignment. I think everybody should read this book, It is a very short read. Really, very very short. To get the full benefit, you should read it. Reflect on it for a while and re-read it. After that has been done. Who are you: Hem? Haw? Sniff? Scurry?

I was Hem, then changed into Haw. Now I am working on becoming Sniff and Scurry. Intrigued? Read it ( )