Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson (1998, Hardcover)

This parable featuring two mice named Sniff and Scurry and two people named Hem and Haw attempts to address the subject of change and characterize the pros and cons of different approaches to change. Sound simple ? It is. This could be a kid’s book written in 15 point font and still not make 15 pages. How and why the author managed to generate enough verbiage to fill an entire book, let alone make a fortune as a bestseller, is beyond me. Seriously, this is kindergarten 101 stuff. Things change. You can react or not react. You can react slowly or quickly. You can be flexible or inflexible. You can embrace change or fear and avoid change. Are you bored reading this review ? Think how bored you will be reading the book.

Why would you ever buy this book ? There are plane rides that are too short to get really drunk on. There are conversations with your mother-in-law that could potentially be avoided. Maybe youre actually dealing with a major change in your life, aren’t sure how to deal with it, and need a framework to think about your options. These are all good reasons to buy the book and given the money ($5) and time (1h 25m) you’ll need to invest to read the book, it seems like a small price to pay. My big take away from this book is that I need to change professions and become a self-help writer recycling childhood life lessons in the form of parables that sit in the business section of the bookstore.