Monday, November 29, 2004

A book review of "Who Moved My Cheese?"

The unbelievably large number of people who think this is a good book is very scary. I hope these people are not important decision makers. Everything bad that can be said about this book has been said before, so I'll just compile a "Best of Amazon Reviewers" list.

(By the way, in case you're wondering, "Dr." Johnson's degree is in education.)

Regarding management and corporate American in general:
* This book is the cop-out for managers who believe in change for change's sake.
* It's corporate brainwashing of the kind that science fiction writers have been warning us about for decades.
* Never have I come closer to the mind crushing monotony and impersonality of corporate America than when I read this book.
* No, change is not a good thing when it happens on a regular basis. That means upper management can't make up their minds.
* If you are thinking about buying this book, I assume you are a manager of some type.

Regarding the intellectual level of the book:
* I have never felt my intelligence more insulted than when reading this.
* It's patronizing, shallow, insipid, and still manages to be patently insulting to those employees who might actually be capable of analytical thought. That's quite a feat.
* Should appeal to the intellectually challenged only.
* It is a sad comment on our culture, society, and educational system that so many people have found this inane drivel to be "life-changing."
* It should appeal to those with an IQ of 68 or less.
* Distilling these important matters into the inane parable of mice in a maze is a literary device meant for grade school students.
* The book provides excellent reading for absolute imbeciles or people high on drugs.

Regarding the message of the book:
* It teaches that you must not struggle. Succumb to the will of the greater power of management, and accept change without regard to whether it is appropriate or not.
* Don't think, just go with the changes as we prescribe them. If you don't, you're inflexible or afraid of change.
* The ideas in this book could have been expressed in a paragraph and even then they would not have been worth the time to read them.

The people who more productively decided just to make jokes about the stupidity that is this book said:
* As I was already familiar with the concept of reality and how to deal with it, the book was not particularly helpful. (my personal favorite)
* Your time would be better spent just taking a nap.
* Buy real cheese. Don't buy this sorry excuse for a book.
* I think people like it cause it can be read and finished while sitting on the toilet.
* Resistance is futile!
* Any manager who would try to force these ideas on their employees would be better off just spiking the coffee with anti-depressants.
* The South Park gang would find it too puerile.

1 comment:

UnknownVariable said...

Why bother getting that MBA or aquiring real life work experience when for only 19.99 you too can become an uber-manager, ready for corporate America!

Order your copy today!

On the other hand, my wife (who is also a manager) has read "FISH!" (Another pampflet sized management book) and says it acually helped her improve employee morale. (Her company has been downsizing for about 3 years)

Go figure..