Tuesday 29 January, 2008

Book review on Who Moved my Cheese?

Can you imagine a book which is as sweet as the title reads and as simple to understand a remarkable message? Yes, you can. Because, a tiny parable which deals about how to change with the changing situations, and how to get adapted to them in a smarter manner, is intelligently explained by Dr. Spencer Johnson, in a minute book titled, “Who moved my cheese?”. Believe me, it has left an inerasable mark on my memory through its pictures-que-description and made me imagine myself in all those four characters he portrayed.
Sniff, Scurry were two mice; Hem and Haw were two tiny little men. The parable is about a Cheese station C (in a maze) where everyday, four of these used to go to earn their daily quota of cheese. Since men were wiser than mice, they found that, cheese will be always there at cheese station C, so, they got habituated to take the same direction in finding their cheese and it became a routine for them. But, mice were always, like running in all possible directions through the maze to reach the cheese station C.
Suddenly one day it happened that cheese station C becomes completely empty. Mice sniff and scurry, had expected it long before, so, they immediately start running all through the maze until they found a new cheese station N where, they had all varieties of cheese. But, little men hem and haw were in a state of shock and cannot digest the fact that, the cheese station is empty now. For days, they used to go the same way to the same old cheese Station C hoping that it might be full one day and dreaming some one will fill the station with cheese again.
But in reality, it never happens and cheese station C is completely empty forever. Haw dares to go searching a new cheese station by running again all through the maze. But, Hem resists change, so, stays back. Haw starts running through the entire maze, and starts writing his experiences learnt on the walls of maze by drawing a cheese (Ultimate goal) as a sign of directions/path he is taking to find the new cheese. One day, he finds some slices of delicious cheese and hoping that, he can find a new cheese station some day very nearby runs back to his friend Hem and ask him to join in finding new cheese station. But, hem is afraid of change and therefore resists sitting back at old cheese station C. Thus, once again, haw starts’ running through the maze all alone and finally reaches the new cheese Station N where he finds his other friends sniff and scurry.
If you ask me, reading this book completely will take an hour time but the impression it leaves is truly relishing. The moral of the story is to be in your comfort zones but should be prepared to accept the change if it occurs.
I would like to advise/suggest/request one and all to read this book as it is a must read. And, I am sure that after reading, this book, you will find a new you in yourself. You will work on the age old mindsets and you will definitely find a positive wave of change that has occurred in you. Believe me; you too will suggest your friends to read this book after you find that you have tremendously set your new goals. It’s much better than I explained above, so, don’t miss the pleasure of reading this.

Thanks and Regards,
Srikanth Chintakindi.