Cover Image: Out of the Maze

Out of the Maze

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Short and easy to get through, not the greatest self-help book I have ever read, but it has a useful message. I am sure that most who have read the original 'Who moved my cheese' will appreciate hearing the rest of the story and taking the original message a stage further.
A nice tribute to the author.

Was this review helpful?

Thank heavens this is a short book!

There are some sensible ideas here but I loathed the idea that it was written as a fable - that just annoyed me

Was this review helpful?

Not very much to say as the book was a very short read.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it - I found the story oversimplified to the point of patronising and generally boring.

Was this review helpful?

I haven’t read (or heard of) the first book Who Moved My Cheese? which was published in 1998 but I don’t think that matters to those reading this sequel, Out Of the Maze.
Who Moved My Cheese? is a fable about two mice and two little people who live in a maze and find pieces of cheese. One day the pieces of cheese disappear and so do the mice. One of the little people, Haw, moves out of the maze a few days later to seek more cheese but Hem stays in the maze hoping that life will go back to how it was. Haw returns after a few days to bring new cheese he’s found to Hem but Hem is still hoping for his old cheese. Haw goes off again and that is the last Hem sees of him.

Out Of the Maze starts with a class discussing ‘what happened to Hem?’ This book continues in the same fable mode as the first where Hem learns to notice and question old beliefs and how to decide what new beliefs to trust and act on.

It’s a short and interesting read. I think this is a book that needs reading more than once and maybe if you have an especially challenging situation to overcome.

The book also spoke about, Spencer Johnson, author of the original book dying with pancreatic cancer in 2017 and how he used the principles and philosophy in this book to deal with his illness.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I read who moved my cheese many years ago and found it really helpful at the time - this book is as good, only takes an hour or so to read but very insightful

Was this review helpful?

A valuable sequel to "Who Moved My Cheese"

I was sent a review copy by the publisher via NetGalley, never having read any of Spencer Johnson's work before.

The book begins with questions posed by a seminar group. "Who Moved My Cheese" is summarised. Then follows a new parable building on the old. The group then discuss it. The book ends with a letter from the late author which gives an insight into the character of the man and how he "walked his talk".

A very short, thought-provoking book. It has caused me to question where I am at the current stage in my life and whether I am being held back by beliefs.

Recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Free book offered to "live life better" for 2019 - how could I resist?? Self help books are always somewhat useful, even if only to reinforce what you already know :-)

Was this review helpful?

This sequel by the late Dr. Johnson expands on the ‘who moved my cheese’ fable which has been applied to various business thinking concepts and ideologies. It’s not the best business self-help book out there but not the worst. It’s a little bland and repetitive but short enough to get through it.

Was this review helpful?

Having not read Who moved my Cheese? I approached this book thinking that I might be at a huge disadvantage. However the book is set out so well that it is easy to pick up the previous scenario and then read on in this one.
A great conversation starter for change management focusing on looking at challenging and adapting beliefs which I will revisit and introduce others to.
It should be compulsory reading for all those facing new challenges - even for those who don't believe they need to change - and probably on all the 'healthy reading' lists too

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was enjoyable and certainly gave me a few ideas and things to think about as a senior manager for a large organisation.

It picks up well from the concept of people being averse to ‘new cheese’

Was this review helpful?

Having not read (nor even heard of) Who Moved My Cheese?, I wondered how I would get on with this book. My worries were unfounded as the previous ideas are re-explained before being expanded. I loved the brevity and the clear analogy and would not hesitate to recommend this. It is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time and will hopefully inspire me to change some of my ingrained thought processes.

Was this review helpful?

Interesting little book that gives a reader a lot to think about. I haven't read the previous book by the author, but I believe this one gives me a good view into the main premise for his philosophy. I truly enjoyed this book and I'll try to incorporate the main points presented there into my life. Hopefully it'll work for me as well as it did to the mouse at the end.

Was this review helpful?

Just as delightful as the original. Lovely to have 'the end' of the story. Perfect to use when supporting yourself or others through change. Helps to mitigate fear of new directions

Was this review helpful?

A sequel to Who Moved My Cheese? A nice homily about opening your mind to new ideas. It will be a useful tool for making teams think about working better together and bringing everyone on board, even the Luddites.

Was this review helpful?

Thought provoking and engaging, any fans of Who Moved My Cheese will be happy to revisit the characters and concept. It’s a quick read but will stay with you.

Was this review helpful?

Understand the premise of this book but didn’t find it particularly engaging or enlightening, just common sense really. I think for this type of genre I prefer discussion form podcasts rather than a fable.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'Out of the Maze'. I had not read 'Who Moved My Cheese' before but this was not an issue of my understanding of this book. It was an easy read and a delightful tale with a good message not just for businesses but for life.

Was this review helpful?

As other reviewers this seems like common sense to me. Not the best business book or the worse. A good average book.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Ebury Publishing and Netgalley for the Advanced Reading Copy.

We use “Who Moved my Cheese” as a resource when running Managing Change workshops so it was great to be able to get a copy of the sequel to see how it could enhance the message of the first book.

This book follows a similar format to the first, it tells a short story about characters who are faced with uncertainty and change and the different ways they choose to deal with it. This book continues to explore the themes of fear, denial and resistance to change in more depth but also delves deeper into investigating themes around resilience and how our beliefs impact our ability to cope with adversity. Although some of the messages may seem simplistic, when you genuinely reflect upon them and challenge your own thinking, they ring true. A large part of dealing with Change and Resilience is thinking critically about the impact our beliefs have and being able to challenge those beliefs in order to move forward.

As with the first book there are a lot of themes easy to pick out for implementing in a workshop session. The message is quick and simple to understand and there is a lot of scope for discussion. I would recommend this to anyone working in the area of employee development or anyone undergoing a period of change.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely way to add closure to who moved the cheese. Starting with a group discussing the previous book and the impact on each of their lives- one person said that he was confused as to what happened to Hem. This is the real beginning of a beautiful approach to how we condition our lives by our beliefs and the fact that not only is change a difficult thing but also looking into our own beliefs and being prepared to change them as well is often even harder.
A well planned story with cute pictures to highlight the issues that affect both Hem and Hope.

Was this review helpful?