I loved this book not just because it is cute and trendy but also because of the discussion it causes. We can see how ridiculous we sound when we are resistent to change, and we can learn to laugh at our selves and become more positive. While it is written for business, it is directly applicable to education. It is a great pep-talk about being open to possibilities and process, for we are happiest when we are being creative. I found elements of Buddhism as the story developed: Haw learns to grow beyond his fear; he learns not to be attached to the cheese; and he learns to recognize reality beyond the murky cesspools of our perceptions. However, let's be honest about it: Life is all about growth, not just change. I want to GROW not just change. If we don't grow, we stagnate and die. Is this just a matter of semantics. Maybe. Yet Hem DOES CHANGE into a more negative being because he refuses to GROW. Haw grows because he recognizes how fun the journey is once he lets go of fear. Who really cares about cheese? As Ken Kesey once wrote, "The answer is never the answer. What's interesting is the mystery." I would add, "and our exploration of possibilities."

Released on Wednesday, September 25, 2002 at CMR High School in Great Falls, Montana USA.