Book Review: Who Moved My Cheese?

“Who Moved My Cheese?” is a short fable by Spencer Johnson on how individuals and organizations can react to change. It’s a quick read recounting the tale of two mice and two “little people” who grew accustomed to finding cheese waiting for them in a room every day until the day it wasn’t there. The cheese symbolizes what we want out of life, and each character represents how individuals can react to change.

Takeaways

• Change is inevitable; our ability to adapt determines whether we’ll survive and thrive through those changes. Many organizations, like Blockbuster, were accustomed to getting their cheese in the same place year after year and seemed too big to fail. When market changes arrived in the form of Netflix and Red Box, their cheese and entire business model disappeared.

• Don’t take yourself too seriously. The ability to laugh at your folly can lead to revelations and the will to improve.

Top Three Quotes

• “A change imposed is a change opposed.”

• “When you change what you believe, you change what you do.”

• “Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese.”

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