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Review of 'Who Moved My Cheese': Too much cheese for thought By
Leon D'souza When the philosophical giant, Aristotle, undertook to explain how it is that things change, he had first to confront the seemingly inflexible logic of another Greek philosopher and poet, Parmenides. Parmenides had argued that there is, in reality, no change at all. All change is mere appearance; reality is One, and this One, which only is, is unchanging. Indeed, the philosophy of change is complex. From the Greek greats to the common man, humanity, throughout its history, has grappled with change. Volumes have been written to debunk the many myths associated with this complex mystery of the natural order. A great deal has been written to enable despondent men to come to terms with the forces of movement in their lives, and actually ride the changing tide to new safe harbors. None of what has been written is very simple. This is essentially because change is not simple. Accepting change involves overcoming the fear of the unknown, a dread that is at the very heart of the human condition. So when Dr. Spencer Johnson attempts to take on this age-old conundrum in 94 pages, one cannot help but be a little skeptical. Johnson is the best-selling author of Who Moved My Cheese, a book about recognizing and dealing with change in our everyday lives. The book is remarkably short on credible analysis and brilliant mantras for better living in the face of change. Johnson reduces this longstanding quandary to a rather simplistic analogy -- a story about diligent and observant mice that identify small changes in their feeding environment, adapt quickly, seek out and eventually find a new source of nourishment. The message is plainly: be vigilant, look for changes, move with the times, and you will be rewarded. If only life were that simple! The problem with Who Moved My Cheese is not merely the simplicity of the analogy used, but also the construction of the fable. For those of you who haven't yet read this diminutive tome, here's a preview. The book tells the story of two mice - "Sniff" and "Scurry" -- and two "little people" -- "Hem" and "Haw." The four beings live in a "maze." Their source of sustenance is, well, you've guessed right, cheese. Their lives and belief systems are built around cheese. "Cheese" is obviously an important part of this story, and must therefore mean something more. In his foreword to the book, Kenneth Blanchard explains that "cheese" is "a metaphor for what we want to have in life" such as a job, a healthy relationship, anything that the heart desires. The "maze" is the organization or system within which we look for our "cheese." The story goes as such. One day in the maze, the four characters discover the finest cheese in Cheese Station C. They feast on the cheese and return daily to eat their fill. Then one day, much to their dismay, there is no more cheese for them to devour. The mice, we are told, have been attentive to small changes in the quantity of cheese and are therefore not surprised. They simply sniff and scurry off in a different direction in search of "new cheese." The "little people" are devastated and wait around in denial hoping that their cheese will somehow miraculously reappear. These thinking beings, we are expected to believe, have abandoned their faculty of reason. Even the simplest mind would understand that an observably limited resource cannot last forever -- a fact their mammal cronies have figured out. Hem and Haw are portrayed as complacent ignoramuses who believe that their cheese comes from an inexhaustible wellspring. The "little people" grow weak and jaded by the day, until Haw realizes the futility of sitting around and sets out in search of "new cheese." Hem remains adamant and defiant. Interestingly, we are never quite told about what becomes of him. His character is conveniently omitted throughout the rest of the story. As he journeys alone through the maze, Haw scribbles various insights on the walls: "Old Beliefs Do Not Lead You To New Cheese" "The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Find New Cheese" These and other virtually hackneyed clichés constitute Johnson's recipe for coping with change. In the end, Haw finds "new cheese" and all is well again. A happy ending. The book does not make an effort to explain and distinguish between different types of changes. Not all change is necessarily acceptable, and changes for the worse are best resisted. Johnson's treatment of change ignores social context. The reality of today is that our society and the economy are changing at a speed we have never experienced before. The relentless onslaught of change gives rise to widespread anxiety. The book provides no tools to assist people apprehensive about change in perceiving the complexities of situations, analyzing these situations, developing possibilities, and reshaping the usual. In the final analysis, Who Moved My Cheese will appeal to simple thinkers given its entertaining and non-threatening style. But for the thoughtful mind that has pondered the concept of change at length, the book will seem all too cheesy.
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