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Info Career Trends - September 2000 Book Reviews
Johnson, Spencer. Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1998. ISBN 0399144463. $19.95.
(Visit his site at http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/)
If you've been living in a box for the past year, you may have missed the uproar surrounding this brief yet best-selling parable about little mice, little people, and their differing methods of dealing with change. "Cheese," of course, serves here as a metaphor for whatever we may want most in our personal or work lives, whether that be job security, money, love, or possessions. As the little creatures deal with unexpected change -- waking up one morning to find their beloved cheese has gone -- we follow their efforts at dealing with a disordered world. Not for the cynical or overly analytical, but those who appreciate a simple approach will enjoy tacking its aphorisms to their door.
Stover, Mark. Leading the Wired Organization: The Information Professional's Guide to Managing Technological Change. New York: Neal- Schuman Publishers, Inc., 1999. ISBN 1555703577. $49.95.
Stover's work makes a welcome change from the usual focus on how libraries must retool themselves to remain relevant in a digital age. Parts of the book do address libraries' needs, but the main focus here is on how librarians themselves can work within their organizations to manage inevitable technological change -- both on a personal and on an institutional level. Case studies and refreshingly frank survey responses from practicing librarians help to keep the content practical and timely, and the writing style is clear and straightforward. Although more material aimed at information professionals in smaller institutions would have been useful, the book is recommended for all librarians interested in understanding how technological change is affecting us as professionals.