Comments on: Who controls my cheese? http://www.fizzz.net/blog/2006/02/10/who-controls-my-cheese/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:14:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: gerbil http://www.fizzz.net/blog/2006/02/10/who-controls-my-cheese/#comment-68 Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:26:23 +0000 http://www.fizzz.net/blog/2006/02/10/who-controls-my-cheese/#comment-68 The book "Who Moved My Cheese" is simplistic tripe. The reason it receives the attention it gets is because it is being bought in wholesale quantities by Human Resource departments across the country and either passed out as a bandage before giving workers the ax or force fed as a cautionary tale to those permitted to remain in the maze. The significant difference between this and other self-help books of this type is that it only masquerades as useful advice. Its true purpose is to delude and placate, not encourage original thought or teach people to master their situation as it pretends to do. No character in the book is allowed to work at having any effect on the type of change that comes their way, which is demonstrated by the portion of the story where digging tools are discovered in the maze. Rather than using them to break through the walls of the maze to escape their captivity and indifferent treatment at the hands of the faceless cheese masters, the mindless drones in the story dig about looking only for more corporate cheese. One thing is accurate, however. Those responsible for the changes in the maze are allowed to remain unknown and unaccountable, just as they try to be in real life. Other than as a tool for lining Spencer Johnson' pockets, there's really no point in having printed this book in the first place. People who see this book for what it is will be insulted by it and throw it away, and those who don't, don't need to read it anyway. Those who are suseptable to "corporatespeak" like this have likely already become the ideal worker rat described in the book and require no further literary beatings such as this. For those of you who did enjoy this book, however, I know of another cautionary tale involving mice that you should read called "MAUS" by Art Spiegelman. Enjoy! The book “Who Moved My Cheese” is simplistic tripe. The reason it receives the attention it gets is because it is being bought in wholesale quantities by Human Resource departments across the country and either passed out as a bandage before giving workers the ax or force fed as a cautionary tale to those permitted to remain in the maze.

The significant difference between this and other self-help books of this type is that it only masquerades as useful advice. Its true purpose is to delude and placate, not encourage original thought or teach people to master their situation as it pretends to do.

No character in the book is allowed to work at having any effect on the type of change that comes their way, which is demonstrated by the portion of the story where digging tools are discovered in the maze. Rather than using them to break through the walls of the maze to escape their captivity and indifferent treatment at the hands of the faceless cheese masters, the mindless drones in the story dig about looking only for more corporate cheese.

One thing is accurate, however. Those responsible for the changes in the maze are allowed to remain unknown and unaccountable, just as they try to be in real life.

Other than as a tool for lining Spencer Johnson’ pockets, there’s really no point in having printed this book in the first place. People who see this book for what it is will be insulted by it and throw it away, and those who don’t, don’t need to read it anyway. Those who are suseptable to “corporatespeak” like this have likely already become the ideal worker rat described in the book and require no further literary beatings such as this.

For those of you who did enjoy this book, however, I know of another cautionary tale involving mice that you should read called “MAUS” by Art Spiegelman. Enjoy!

]]> by: :: Wendy :: http://www.fizzz.net/blog/2006/02/10/who-controls-my-cheese/#comment-16 Mon, 13 Feb 2006 07:02:37 +0000 http://www.fizzz.net/blog/2006/02/10/who-controls-my-cheese/#comment-16 I'd quibble about 'stubborn' because for me it implies an inflexibility in the face of information that suggests otherwise. Sound like the book could be summarised as assume change is the one constant consider what you desire (want to achieve) review this listen and seek out opportunities to achieve continually re-asses you desires and ways to move forward Standard management stuff. Vision, mission strategy and tactics. Seek data and regularly review. Did it really warrant ANOTHER self-help book? cynical Wendy ;-) I’d quibble about ’stubborn’ because for me it implies an inflexibility in the face of information that suggests otherwise. Sound like the book could be summarised as
assume change is the one constant
consider what you desire (want to achieve) review this
listen and seek out opportunities to achieve
continually re-asses you desires and ways to move forward

Standard management stuff. Vision, mission strategy and tactics. Seek data and regularly review.
Did it really warrant ANOTHER self-help book?

cynical Wendy ;-)

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