Professional review of one of the most successful book ever "Who moved my cheese?"

1. COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)
BOOK REVIEW OF “WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?”
Prepared by: ID
Getachew Abate GSR/0260/2012
Submitted to: Abera L. (PHD)
August 20-2020 G.C
Addis Ababa Ethiopia

2. I | P a g e
Details about the Book
Book title: who moved my cheese?
Author: Dr. Spencer Johnson
Forwarded by: Kenneth Blanchard Ph.D.
Best phrase to describe the book: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in our Work and in our
Life
The four imaginary characters:
Sniff: sniffs out changes early before others are aware of it
Scurry: sees what is needed and takes actions immediately
Hem: denies and resists change as he fears it will lead to something worse.
Haw: learns to adapt in time when he sees change can lead to something better.
Cheese: is the Metaphor. Cheese is what we want in our life –
 Whether it is good job
 A loving relationship
 Money or a Possession
 Health or spiritual peace of mind.
Maze: The “Maze” in the story represents where we spend time looking for what we want. It can
be the organization we work in, the community we live in, or the relationships we have in your
life.
Change- The ever constant star in the horizon of our lives- is inevitable. Every individual has a
different approach to deal with this change. While some sit back, blame God and pity their luck;
some simply refuse to adapt to change. But there are others who are always ready and are quick
on their feet to make the most of the change.
The Mice The Little people
Sniff Hem
Scurry Haw

3. II | P a g e
Table of Contents
Details about the Book................................................................................................................ I
Introduction ................................................................................................................................1
Book Summery ...........................................................................................................................2
Book Analysis and evaluation .....................................................................................................3
Some Quotes from the book........................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References ................................................................................................................................10

4. 1 | P a g e
Introduction
I am thrilled to be reviewing the book “Who moved my cheese?” written by Dr. Spencer Johnson
Foreword by KENNETH BLANCHARD Ph.D. Because it means the book has now been written,
and is available for all of us to read, enjoy and share with others. The book who moved my cheese?
reveals profound truths about an Amazing Way to Deal with Change in our Work and in our Life.
The four imaginary characters depicted in this story the mice "Sniff" and "Scurry” and the little
people "Hem" and "Haw" are intended to represent the simple and the complex parts of ourselves,
regardless of our age, gender, race or nationality.
Sometimes we may act like Sniff Who sniffs out change early, or Scurry Who scurries into action,
or Hem Who denies and resists change as he fears it will lead to something worse, or Haw Who
learns to adapt in time when he sees changing can lead to something better! Whatever parts of us
we choose to use, we all share something in common: a need to find our way in the Maze and
succeed in changing times.

5. 2 | P a g e
Book Summery
In this book the writer depicts four characters. Two mice and two little people who live in a maze
searching for “cheese”. The two mice are named: Sniff and Scurry. The two little people are named
“Hem” and “Haw”. All four characters live in a maze looking for cheese. The mice have simple
brains, but good instinct. The little people have more complicated brain and only eat cheese with
the taste they love. Here, maze and cheese are metaphorically used to represent as follows: maze,
where you spend time to look for what you want or your cheese, the object of your desire which
can be career, money, love etc. As the story progress, readers will be able to identify themselves
with any of the four characters. One may find himself/herself like Sniff who sniffs out changes
early or Scurry who scurries into action, Hem who denies and resist changes as he fears it will lead
to something worse or Haw who learn to adapt in time when he sees changes leads to something
better. All four characters live in this maze looking for their own special cheese.
The solution for the mice was just simple: find another cheese station. They dressed up their gear
and started action immediately. Problems happened with the little people, as they didn’t realize
the cheese would never be there again. They just stayed there and waited for the cheese to
reappear. They thought that it wasn’t their fault and they were not willing to find new cheese
station in the maze. As time passed by, they became hungrier and hungrier. Finally, Haw realized
that it was time to go. He found out the tools which had been thrown away long time ago.
But not the same happened on Hew. He couldn’t overcome the fear. So, Haw went back to the
maze by himself. He drew pictures on the wall for Hew to follow if he overcame his fear. After
turning and running in the big maze, Haw found Cheese Station N. New kinds of cheese filled
the whole station, with his old friend Sniff and Scurry running around. Haw didn’t go back to
find Hew. It was because he wanted Hew to find this by himself. Haw was extremely happy, not
because of the cheese, but with the way he learnt to deal with change.

6. 3 | P a g e
Book Analysis and evaluation
When I look at the book, it is just a little book with a plain cover. But amazing things are always
hidden in the same way. There are three sections in this book. With the first section featuring a
reunion of some sort where former class friends gather and talk about their trying to deal with
changes that takes place around them. Second phase is the core of the entire book, where “who
moved my cheese” story is told. Last comes the “discussion” session where the participants of this
gathering try to bring in the cheese story in their life and start all over again. Dr. Johnson uses a
mere straight forward cheese change story with no reference whatsoever to the theoretical aspects
of management of changes. The book does not even cross 50 pages with the center story being
only about 39 pages long. This again accounts for Johnson’s sticking to simple but profound
thoughts and artwork. There is hardly any direct theoretical aspect covered in this book, however
this book can serve as an excellent supplement for courses like, Organizational Behavior,
management courses, like Principles of Management, Human Resource Management or Change
Management. It can be very useful even in training/workshop that focuses on Stress and change.
In the first section, the story starts off with the cheese story being narrated by a character named
“Michael” amidst his group of friends Angela, Nathan, Carlos and others. All of them were facing
difficulties in terms of change taking place in their life. It was Michael who learned the cheese
story and shared with his friends how it changed and shaped the fate his business and its employees.
In the second section, “The Story of Who Moved My Cheese” there goes the story of Sniff and
Scurry and Hem and Haw each looking for cheese to nourish them and make them feel contented.
Being mice Sniff and Scurry represents simple rodent brains with good instincts looking for hard
nibbling cheese just like other mice do. However, Hem and Haw, the two little people possessing
the complex brain of today’s people with passion and opinions of their own, were looking for a
cheese with capital C to feel happy.

7. 4 | P a g e
The third and final section “ A discussion” that takes place between the narrator and his friends
sort of associates themselves with one of the character of the story. People identified themselves
with Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw. People cannot seem to well adapt themselves with changes for
sometimes they are too obvious and simple to reckon with and sometimes they forget that not
responding to changes as it is deemed essential is often the permanent cause to disaster and failure.
To overcome fear of change by laughing at ourselves and finding out whom I represent in the story
makes the story easy to accept. I am sure once someone reads it, no one would want to become
Hem.
The good thing about this book is that it uses a combination of metaphor and realty. The story was
told by a human and staged in the backdrop of a maze with little mice and little people on the stage.
This draws the attention of the reader still keeping the subject simple but informative. In the end
again the discussion that takes place between the storyteller and his friends sort of guides the reader
to link realty and metaphor.
This book forces people to look at the obvious. As I mentioned that it’s not a great book on theory
learning. However it has the simple but truly wonderful way of looking at the obvious that is
recognition of changes taking place in the vicinity. The book is a success in teaching people the
facts about life and I would definitely suggest anyone aspiring to be successful go through this
book at least once for it certainly is “maze time” the time to change

8. 5 | P a g e
Some Quotes from the book
 Having cheese makes you happy
When a person achieves what he always wanted to have, it makes him happy. He starts enjoying
it.
One morning, Sniff & Scurry arrived at Cheese Station C & discovered there was no cheese. They
weren’t surprised. Since they had noticed the supply of cheese had been getting smaller every day,
they were prepared for the inevitable & knew instinctively what to do. They were quickly off in
search of New Cheese. Later that same day, Hem & Haw arrived. “What! No Cheese? Who moved
my Cheese? It’s not fair!” Hem yelled. They went home that night hungry & discouraged. But
before they left, Haw wrote on the wall:
 The more important your cheese is to you, the more you want to hold on to it
When we achieve the thing we have longed for, it becomes important part of our life. we never
want to lose that thing. We always want to hold onto it.
The next day Hem & Haw left their homes, & returned to Cheese Station C. But situation hadn’t
changed. Haw asked, “Where are Sniff & Scurry? Do you think they know something we don’t?”
Hem scoffed, “What would they know? They’re just simple mice. They just respond to what
happens. We’re little people. We’re smarter.” Haw suggested, “Maybe we should stop analyzing
the situation so much and just get going & find some New Cheese. Haw decided to leave Cheese
Station C while Haw was more comfortable staying in the cheese less Station C. Hem announced,
“It’s MAZE time!” and wrote
 If you do not change, you can become extinct
If we don’t change with what is happening around us, one day we will become extinct. we will
lose our identity. So it’s important to change with change.
Meanwhile, Sniff & Scurry went farther into the maze until they found Cheese Station N. They
found what they had been looking for: a great supply of New Cheese. It was the biggest store of
cheese the mice had ever seen. Haw on the other hand become more anxious & wondered if he
really wanted to go out into the Maze. He wrote a saying on the wall ahead of him & stared at it
for some time:

9. 6 | P a g e
 What would you do, if you were not afraid?
If there is no threat from external world, what would we do? What would we like to achieve or
do?
Haw now realized that the change probably would not have taken him by surprise if he had been
watching what was happening all along and if he had anticipated change. He stopped for a rest &
wrote on the wall of the Maze
 Smell the cheese often, so you know when it is getting old
Try to figure out changes, before it’s too late.
Haw wondered if Hem had moved on, or if he was still paralyzed by his own fears. Then, Haw
remembered the times when he had felt his best in the Maze. It was when he was moving along.
He wrote
 Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese
If we move with changes, we will find new happiness and new ways to tackle our problems.
As Haw started running down the dark corridor, he began to smile. Haw didn’t realize it yet, but
he was discovering what nourished his soul. He was letting go & trusting what lay ahead for him,
even though he did not know exactly what it was. To his surprise, Haw started to enjoy himself
more & more. He stopped to write again on the wall
 When you stop being afraid, you feel good
When we overcome our fear, obstacles in our life, we feel free.
To make things even better, Haw started to paint a picture in his mind again. He saw himself in
great realistic detail, sitting in the middle of a pile of all his favorite cheeses-from Cheddar to Brie!
He saw himself eating the many cheeses he liked, & he enjoyed what he saw. The more clearly he
saw the image of himself enjoying New Cheese, the more real & believable it became. He wrote

10. 7 | P a g e
 Imagining your self-enjoying enjoying your new cheese leads you to it
When we start feeling the taste of success before it’s achieved. it makes you more closer to our
goals. We start feeling as if we are part of the success and it gives you strength to work even
more harder in direction of achieving goals.
Haw wondered why he had always thought that a change would lead to something worse. Now
he realized that change could lead to something better. Then he raced through the Maze with
greater strength & agility. Until he found bits of New Cheese. He entered the Cheese Station but
it was empty. Someone had already been there
 The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese
The sooner we let off go our old beliefs and values, the more easier it becomes to adapt to new
changes.
Haw made his way back to Cheese Station C to offer Hem bits of New Cheese but was turned
down. Hem wanted his own Cheese back. Haw just shook his head in disappointment but this
does not stop him from finding New Cheese. He smiled as he realized
 It is safer to search in the maze, than remain in a cheeseless situation
It is better to keep on searching the new ways of achieving success rather than just mourning
over past failures.
Haw realized again, that what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear
you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists. He realizes it was
natural for change to continually occur, whether you expect it or not. Change could surprise you
only if you didn’t expect it & weren’t looking for it. When he realized he had changed his
beliefs, he paused to write on the wall

11. 8 | P a g e
 Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese
When change happens it is necessary to leave aside old beliefs and values that we carry along.
Situation change and its necessary to change thinking with this change.
Haw now realized that his new beliefs were encouraging him to behave in a new way. He was
behaving differently from the way he had when he had kept returning to the same cheese-less
station. It all depends on what you choose to believe. He wrote on the wall
 When you see that you can find and enjoying new cheese, you change course
When toy foresee that new change will lead to something better in our life, we try to change
yourself.
Haw just hoped he was heading in the right direction. He thought about the possibility that Hem
would read The Handwriting On the Wall & find his way. He wrote on the wall what he had
been thinking about for some time:
 Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to the bigger changes that are to come
When we foresee our fear, our obstacles we become ready to face bigger challenges in our life.
He continued on through the Maze with greater strength & speed. He proceeded along a corridor
that was new to him, rounded a corner, & found New Cheese at Cheese Station N where he saw
the greatest supply of Cheese he had ever seen.Sniff& Scurry welcomed him
 Move With The Cheese And Enjoy It
Haw wrote down a summary of what he had learned on the largest wall of Cheese Station N &
smiled as he looked at what he had learned:
Change Happens Change
Anticipate Change Enjoy Change!
Monitor Change Be Ready To Change Quickly & Enjoy It Again
Adapt To Change Quickly

12. 9 | P a g e
Conclusion
In this year and age, the world is changing every second. No one can escape from change. So, the
methods to deal with change become very important. Cheese in the story represents what we
want. It may be money, cars (house) or love. When we get the “cheese”, we will be happy. The
maze is the place that we try to find our “cheese”. Usually, there are obstacles and unknown area
everywhere in the maze, which frighten us and stop us from finding the “cheese”. Generally
speaking, our world is just a huge maze. We are all born in this maze and from that day we start
our journey.
Alike the four characters in the story, we find our “cheese”. We feel successful and want to hold
it forever. But nothing lasts long in this modern world, just like what Haw has written on the
wall, ‘If you do not change, you can become extinct”. Changes not only happen on the
environment, but also the cheese. As the cheese disappeared, Ham and Hew just stayed in the
cheese-less station. This situation always happens in reality. We are confused when we lose our
cheese. Some people react like the mice, taking action quickly. But much more people do the
same thing as Hew, including me. “Better late than never”. That’s what Haw has learnt. To
overcome psychological problems may be harder than physical ones. The story brought out the
key point of solving the problem: the truth is always better than we think. Although sometimes
fear may be good because it makes us go ahead. It will be terrible when we do everything just
because we are afraid of losing the cheese. The question is what we will do if we are not afraid?
This leads you to the solution. And I conclude:
 Change should be appreciated
 Adopt to the change and quickly enjoy change
 Be ready to change quickly again and again
 If we remain adamant to change the we would extinct
 After concerning fear there is a happiness that is worth concerning the fear
 Accepting a smaller change a can help in accepting bigger changes

13. 10 | P a g e
References
Dr. Spencer Johnson . (n.d.). who moved my cheese? (KENNETH BLANCHARD Ph.D, Ed.)
It’s maze time!
Get ready for new cheese!