A Nibble of Advice
By Spencer Johnson, M.D.
Format: Hardcover, 94pp.
ISBN: 0399144463
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group, The
Pub. Date: September 1998
A Nibble of Advice
A recent search of a quote database returned 873 quotes that included the word “change”. These go back to Greek philosepher Heraclitus (”Change alone is unchanging.”) to 20th Century authors such as Isaac Asimov (”It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be…. This, in turn, means that our statesmen, our businessmen, our everyman must take on a science fictional way of thinking.”). The common theme of all of these quotes seems to be that change happens and most do not deal with it very well.
Adding to this long list of insight is Spencer Johnson’s book, Who Moved My Cheese? This 94-page, large font book can be read in an hour, but can consume much more time as you ponder its advice. Many have done this, as over 10 million copies have been sold. The book has consistently been on various business bestseller lists since it was published in 1998. Why is this book so popular? For one, many large organizations - businesses, colleges, governments - have used this book as the guide for training programs to help people deal with change. Also available for group training are videos, slide presentations, and interactive exercises.
So what is the message? What is the advice? Well the heart of the book is a story with four characters - two mice named Sniff and Scurry, and two “littlepeople” named Hem and Haw. The tale recounts their adventures in a maze, and yes, there is cheese. As the title alludes, the cheese does not stay put. How each of these four characters prepares for and reacts to this life-altering event provides examples that the reader can benefit from. When the characters learn from their experience, they write on the walls of the maze their findings, and this leads to seven items that make up the “Handwriting on the Wall”. All of them include the word “change”. To whet your appetite, the first two are “Change Happens - They Keep Moving the Cheese” and “Anticipate Change - Get Ready For the Cheese to Move”.
The advice presented by Dr. Johnson is particularly timely, given the changes that are occurring in all of the engineering fields. As engineers, adjusting to technical and business changes is vital for long-term accomplishment.
- Review by TheProfessionalEngineer.com
