Making Good And Bad Times Work For You--At Work And In Life

PEAKS AND VALLEYS
by Spencer Johnson

Spencer Johnson, billed as "The king of parables" by USA TODAY, has
long been one of my favorite authors . . . his ONE MINUTE MANAGER,
co-authored with Ken Blanchard, helped revolutionize my thinking about
management, and his ONE MINUTE FATHER helped me become
a better parent.

His latest, PEAKS AND VALLEYS, is the story of a young man
who lives unhappily in a valley until he meets an old man
who lives on a peak . . . this encounter changes the former's life,
and it will change yours too as you encounter both good and bad times.

I particularly appreciated being reminded that during bad times,
I need to:

* Relax, knowing the valleys end. Do the opposite of what put you
in the Valley. Get outside of yourself: Be of more service at work
and more loving in life. Uncover the good that is hidden in a bad
time and use it to your advantage.

By the same token, when times are good, I need to:

* Be humble and grateful. Do more of what got you there. Keep
making things better. Do more for others. Save resources for
your upcoming Valleys.

You may think you are reading nothing new here, but the material
catches up on you . . . it's something that we all need to
reminded about and Johnson does an excellent job of doing this
in PEAKS AND VALLEYS.

I was fortunate to have heard a CD copy of this book, and am glad
that I did because it contained a bonus audio interview with the author
that shared some of his unique insights on putting the principles to work.

I liked "Who Moved My Cheese" but I don't think this title is on par with "Cheese." This is also a very short book with big type font. Even though this is a short book and you can finish it in about an hour, I found the last 20 pages to be boring because I thought the message came across somewhere in the middle.

The main ideas I got from the book were that we are usually the cause for our peaks and valleys and if we properly manage our valleys, we can get to a peak faster. How we respond to a valley or a peak also decides how long we stay there. Also we are told to look at the positive in every negative and to follow our vision; to imagine our future so that we enjoy doing what will take us there. We get out of a valley when we change our thinking.

I've read a few self help books and I know I've heard this message somewhere else. Unless you are a lazy person, I think you know that when you are in a "valley," you start working right away to get to a "peak." You don't need someone to tell you this. You get a bunch of those assurances in this title. I was expecting more advice on how to deal with life in a valley, how we got into the valley, and more advice on how to get out. It's not that this is a bad book, it's just that I thought it could have offered more on the subject matter. I came away from the book saying "I already know this." I don't recommend buying it at full price because I don't think it is worth it. Borrow it if you can.

My favorite quote from the book:

"The pain in a valley can wake you up to a truth you have been ignoring..."

'Peaks and Valleys' is a book that could be described as self development advice in a story within a story. The full title is actually 'Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You - At Work And In Life'. It was written by Spencer Johnson, M.D., author of the bestseller 'Who Moved My Cheese'.

'Peaks and Valleys' is a short book and easy to read. As such, some may consider it to be a simplistic self help book. However, if you truly contemplate the essence of it - a wonderful story within a story and one that you can keep passing from one person to another - you soon realise its true power.

The author explains that the 'Peaks' and 'Valleys' are actually the highs and lows that you feel in your work and personal life. These could last seconds or years and are totally connected, with one having a significant effect on the other. His analogy of 'Peaks and Valleys' to your heartbeat is interesting: the fact that you need the ups and downs of life in order to be alive.

The book covers self development advice that can be used in virtually any situation you may find yourself in. It is suitable for anyone (adults and teenagers) who wonders about the ups and downs of life and how best to deal with them.

Even if you already know a fair amount about self development, it is always useful to see things from a different perspective or in a new light. The lessons the author touches on in this parable format can be used in any context, right across your social and work or business life for self empowerment. They include:

* How to find a Peak in every Valley
* The power of truly following your vision
* The importance of trying new pathways
* The influence of self development mentors
* How you can control your Peaks and Valleys
* What the source of fear is and how to deal with it
* How to find and use the good that is hidden in the bad
* The fear and doubt of moving out of your comfort zone
* The importance of not taking people and things for granted
* How to see new things by changing the way you look at them
* How people you encounter give you gifts without you realising
* The importance of allowing others to help you to find your way
* Why you might consider your Valleys to be your Peaks and vice versa
* How you intentionally and unintentionally create your own good and bad times
* Why both Peaks and Valleys are essential to your overall emotional health and emotional wealth

In summary

This book is all about how to use a Peaks and Valleys approach to all aspects of your life to become more calm, be more at peace and have more success overall. If you are at an all time low and are looking for some self development advice, this book will definitely help. If you are at the pinnacle of your career or life, read this now while you are at the top as those moments do not last forever.

My guess is that the value of this book will depend almost entirely on two factors: the extent to which a reader is receptive to the lessons that this contemporary fable offers, and, the extent to which a reader applies them. Spencer Johnson has written eleven bestsellers, most of which examine especially complicated human challenges and problems, suggesting common-sense resolutions of them. For example, how to use 60-second interactions to manage others more effectively (The One Minute Manager, co-authored with Ken Blanchard, 1982), how to make better decisions ("Yes" or "No," 1993), how to manage change in work and life (Who Moved My Cheese, 1998), and the secret to enjoying work and life more (The Present, 2003). The subtitle of Peaks and Valleys indicates what it's about: how to make "good and bad times work for you - at work and in life."

Johnson introduces a young man, Michael Brown, who is "in a pretty tough spot." He meets someone recommended by a friend, Ann Carr, in a small café who agrees to shares a story with him on the single condition "that if he found it valuable, he would share it with others." He agrees. The details of the story are best revealed in the book. Suffice to say that, over time, Michael proceeds through a sequence of "peaks" and "valleys" and, when the story ends, is an old man who continues to share the story with others, as he agreed to do long ago.

Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed, "I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity." I have no idea whether or not Johnson was aware of this observation when he began to write the first of his eleven books but it is certainly relevant to what he shares in them. What Michael learns and then shares with others seems so obvious, so simple, perhaps even simpleminded. (The same can also be said of The Golden Rule and countless other by-now familiar observations.) Soon after they meet, Ann tells Michael, "I found that if you want to use the story to deal with the ups and downs that come at you, it helps if you listen with your heart and head, and fill in the story with your own experience to see what is true for you...Some people get very little from the story, while others get a great deal! It's not the story; it's what you take from it that's so powerful. That's up to you, of course."

The same could be said of this book.

Upon receiving this book through the Vine program, I wasn't sure how much I would like it and if it might be a re-hash of many other "Personal Power" type books that I have read. I can tell you that I am very glad I read Peaks and Valleys and did so in one sitting. Keep in mind the reason I have given this 4 stars is because it can be read in less than an hour quite easily so given its price point the value you will need to garner is from its message, and not from the overall amount of entertainment.

Peaks and Valleys is a parable for the good times and bad times that we all have in our personal lives, business lives, love lives, world, etc. Some spend more time on the peaks than in the valleys, but we all find ourselves in those valleys no matter how positive we are or how well things are going. They are unavoidable, especially during our financial crisis. The main message of this book to me is that we need to first understand this natural cycle, but also that when we are in those valleys, we need to continue to pursue getting back to the peak even if we may at times feel defeated. At the same time, we need to understand that we can benefit from being in valleys through understanding of ourselves, others and creativity in say, the financial crisis. The things we do during the times we are in the valleys will come back to help us later and do not always have immediate results. If we languish and stay negative, the valleys will last much longer; so we must persevere!

The other main message is that during the times we are on the peaks, we must stay humble and appreciate what we have.

I won't say much more other than you should read this book. Even if you roughly understand the message and have heard it before and live it fairly consistently, the parable is good and the way it is done by Spencer Johnson helps you internalize the overall theme much better than any summary ever could. Once you get over the fact that this $19.95 book can be read in 45 minutes, buy it, read it and read it again-then pass it on.

"Peaks and Valleys" is a wonderful book, and can be read in a couple hours. It describes how to deal with the ups and downs of life - eventually making the good times more frequent and last longer, while making the bad time less frequent and of shorter duration.

Many of the peaks and valleys are of our own doing. The old phrase about "Your life/outlook/happiness is 5% what happens to you and 95% how you react to it" is offered in a slightly different format in the book. True any way you say it.

The advice is simple to digest and simple to apply, if you are willing to not give up and envision your sensible plan whenever you are in a valley. Easier said than done.

The book succeeds in repackagiung a lot of common sense in a palatable format. Some may say it brings nothing new to the table. I disagree, just as if you know all of the ingredients for a gourmet meal, it doesn't mean you can cook it. We all knew the ingredients to happiness, this book tells us how to prepare them.

One final thought. A book's value cannot be measured on its size - and this is surely a short book. The author truly seems to want to spread his philisophy to the masses. Wouldn't it have been better to price this book at $5, sell millions of copies, and make the real money on supplementary products? The printing costs must be tiny compared to a much bigger, heavier book. Yet they are priced the same. I believe the concept in this book has legs, and getting the book to more people would be the start of a huge movement. Many people will put the book down at the book store because it is priced as high as a much larger book. They will surely miss out on an inspirational lesson.

Author Spencer Johnson, M.D. has written somewhat of a parable. The story is about a young man who is unhappy with his life and the valley in which he lives. The young man wants to climb to the peak of the mountain that he can see from the valley. He's sure things will be better once he gets to the peak and he wants to see the sunset far above the place where he lives.

Once at the peak he finds he is still not happy, however, and worse still, he has missed the sunset. From nowhere an old man appears. You missed the sunset the old man says, but have you looked to the sky to see the sparkling stars?

No, the young man has to admit, he hadn't.

The old man shares some of his story and asks the young man why he has chosen to climb the mountain. Through questioning, the old man causes the young man to think more about his life and so starts the story told in much the same way Og Mandino writes.

The story is a quick read, interesting - that's what keeps readers turning the pages, and shares much thoughtful material that will make readers consider how they have been viewing the peaks and valleys of their lives.

I think this book can be very helpful. I got some insight into what I've been doing wrong and right while reading. A worthwhile read and a book you'll probably want to share with someone after you've finished it.

Along with Ken Blanchard, Spencer Johnson is the king of the quick powerful books on management and leadership, Peaks and Valleys is no exception. Told through the eyes of a young man who resides in a valley, we follow his journey as he learns practical tools from the most "peaceful man on earth." This man helps him learn to navigate through both the good and bad times - otherwise known as peaks and valleys.

One of my favorite quotes in the book reads, "You change your valley into a peak when you find and use the good that is hidden in the bad time." There are many such inspirational quotes packed into the book's 101 pages. Another example of an excellent tip, is to make reality your friend. This suggests that you constantly ask yourself the truth of any situation whether it's good or bad times.

Peaks and Valleys is a excellent book that the reader can finish and be uplifted in less then an hour. For those that have trouble finding a "connection" remember the introduction of the man going to the cafe to meet a friend. Remember that she said "it's not the story; it's what you take away from it that is so powerful."

The key to this book is summed up in an idea of Robert Goizueta: The bad times we're having now are because of the bad things we did when times are good, but good times are coming because of the good things we're doing now that times are bad.

We all have our ups and downs, but what we do during them makes the difference in how long they last, how high we can soar and how low we sink. The most crucial thing is to understand that in a changing world, you can't count on good times lasting forever. But you also can't live as though bad times will never end. Spencer Johnson gives practical advice for thinking about where you are now and finding the right mindset to get past the tough times and to not get lazy or slack during the good times. By finding the right balance, you can have a calm inner life even if the world outside is constantly changing.

My one quibble with this book is that it is a bit too general and allegorical: Many of Johnson's other books seem to give a fair number of the little details that make them a story where you pick up lessons. In this book, the lessons are often front and center with the story supporting them, instead of the lessons emerging from the story. I would still recommend the book, however, for anyone who's working through tough times and needs some practical advice to get moving again.

Years ago, when I first read, "Who moved my cheese?", I found it to be quite useful and thought-habit altering. The concepts were distilled into such a simple and approachable allegory that anyone and everyone could use immediately.
I did not find the same to be true with Peaks and Valleys. Peaks and Valleys is also presented in a short story, but is more complex with more concepts to remember. To address this, the book includes a small foldable "wallet card" with the tenets of Peaks and Valley's printed on it so you can keep it with you and remind yourself as needed. Once you have fully absorbed the concepts, your final task is to pass them on to another person who needs them. The information is universally useful. Everyone can benefit from such solid advice starting with, "It is natural for everyone everywhere to have peaks and valleys in work and in life." Progressing to gems such as, "The most common reason you leave a peak too soon is Arrogance, Masquerading as Confidence. The most common reason you stay in a valley too long is Fear, Masquerading as Comfort." Good stuff and this little book is chocked full of em. This book would make a great gift for anyone who is either "on top of the world" or "down in a rut".

All in all, a very worthwhile read and an excellent gift for many situations.

Dr. Johnson co wrote, with Ken Blanchard, The One Minute Manager and if they didn't invent the short fable business book, they certainly popularized it. Peaks and Valleys is another such book. Its value extends beyond business to your personal life.

It is a fast read, and interesting and gets it points across quickly and painlessly. The problem with peaks and valleys in business is that you don't always spot them until it is too late. This book's greatest value could be helping you identify when you are going into a valley or leaving a peak, recognizing and acting on opportunities, confronting and capitalizing on reality, and pulling yourself out of the valleys which cannot be avoided.

Johnson writes that you cannot always control external events, but you can control how you react to them. He shows how to use the good hidden in the bad. That is one of my guiding points and I used it when I cannot control the situation. There are many benefits that can be gotten from most situations - even bad ones. Find the good and consider that the price paid for it is the bad. That can quickly make a negative attitude positive.

Arrogance, overconfidence and lack of continual work effort are reasons for leaving a peak too soon. So too is not considering the situation fully and understanding your position. Fear and not recognizing reality keeps many in valleys far longer than they should be.

The book ends with a moral lesson - share with others.

I read several editions of Spencer Johnson's One Minute Manager and believe they provided valuable insight to managers. With so many people feeling down these days, this book arrives at an optimum time. Alas, it's not an uplifting read. Some pages grip while others (too many) drag and this book has only about 100 pages. Something this short shouldn't drag.

If the story had taken place in the city without using peaks and valleys, it might be a better and more interesting story. The story feels generic and repetitious. Johnson makes his point a few times especially when he writes about how the character helps his company survive tough times. That was one of the stronger parts in the book.

While reading some parts of the story, my eyes started to glaze struggling to absorb the story and its lessons. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't read the book. The folding bookmark that came with the book is more than enough to tell me what I need to know. Besides, many people are familiar with the points made.

It's an OK book that gave me very little after finishing it.

Authors first book was much better.
This book is in parable format and was an attempt to do someting great but it just kind of layed there, and makes you feel kind of played with.
Here are some of its points that of course you already knew.

"It Is Natural For Everyone Everywhere To Have Peaks And Valleys At Work And In Life."

"Between Peaks There Are Always Valleys. How You Manage Your Valley Determines How Soon You Reach Your Next Peak"

"My Valley Is Fear"

"You Can Have Fewer Bad Times When You Appreciate And Manage Your Good Times Wisely"

"What Does Not Kill Us Makes Us Makes Us Mean Nasty And Threat To Evil Doers" (Not Realy in the book just wanted to see if you were listening, sorry)

All good points but... kind of leaves you with that look on your face, you know the one.
Next book please.

Have a magical day.

Peaks and Valleys is a small book that contains a simple parable about a young man and an old man. Though some may find the book to be too simple to be of great value, the truth lies in the story itself. While reading the entire book takes less than an hour, the value is not in the length of the book, but in the reader's understanding of the parable. It is a simple lesson, but one that we would all do well to remember. Is it "common sense"? The reader may find that the parable indeed does convey a tale and truth that we might consider "obvious", but the value of the parable is that we do not "commonly" think of our ups and downs this way. Peaks and Valleys provides a simple story that everyone can understand and apply to their own life. It doesn't matter if you are talking about money, relationships, or something else, the parable rings true for any and all of life's up and downs. Read it, share it, pass it along. Everyone can benefit from the story.

Spencer Johnson's latest modern day parable "Peaks and Valleys" doesn't quite have the same hard hitting impact that "Who Moved My Cheese?" may have had but nonetheless it makes for a fast and inspiring read for those in need of a friendly motivational boost.

As in most of Johnson's works the message is quite simple - During the high points of your life (the peaks) don't let your guard down and prepare for the worst so that when you do hit the inevitable low points (the valleys) you can weather the storm and ride it out faster than those caught like a deer in the headlights.

Fans of Johnson's prior works will enjoy the breezy tone of this book and may appreciate the fact that it can be read cover-to-cover in a hour. Those of you new to his books should start with his seminal 'Who Moved My Cheese' and if you find his messaging and style agreeable then definitely do give this one a try.

Spencer Johnson, author of "Who Moved My Cheese?" returns with another small but punchy book about success, and how to live your best life. Johnson uses the parable of a young man discovering the benefits of positive and negative "peaks and valleys" along the path of life. Most of us view the bad times as, well, simply bad, but Johnson's quaint story proves that we have a lot to learn from the valleys of life as much as we do those wonderful mountaintop moments where everything seems to fall into place.

The book is short, and may not be meaty enough for someone looking for a more detailed "how-to" book, but sometimes parables prove to be better at driving home important life lessons, and in this case, Johnson understands that. It's a fine book to read, but may fall a little short of "life-changing" for those who don't respond well to this style of self help.

If you aren't interested in reading a parable inside of a story to gain insights into this book's practical lessons, you can

(1) just read page 90 or

(2) read the book of John from the Bible and pray for guidance.

I believe the latter will do you more good.

I graded the book down because accomplishing the psychological state that Dr. Johnson describes requires either spiritual support or mastery of many more skills than are described in this book.

Here's an example:

"Uncover the good that is hidden in a bad time, and use it soon to your advantage."

The fact that the good aspect of difficulties isn't obvious should be a clue that this isn't easy to do.

With Bible reading and prayer, I find that most people can become adept at making this kind of change pretty quickly. Without those resources, it takes a lot of training and exercises to make people adept at seeing opportunity in difficult circumstances. This book won't do it for you.

I do agree that it's better to set your mood independently of your circumstances and to use an objective, untroubled mind to determine how to contribute more to others in a loving, constructive way.

The book's writing (independent of the content) is simple, charming, and pleasant. Although the book lacks the simplicity and visceral connection of Who Moved My Cheese?, I found it to be well designed for displaying the big theme messages that it emphasizes.

But I can offer hope. Dr. Johnson usually rewrites his books with each printing. The tenth printing will undoubtedly be a lot better than this one.

This book will provide you with a very unique some way of living life that will change how you love I absolutely truly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to except change and live a better life

I've read the various books of Who Moved My Cheese, the One Minute Manager, and now Peaks and Valleys and I personally feel these are books you could put on a well-respected person's blog and be done with it in just a one-pager.

The concepts aren't new, rather, common-sense, however these line of books seem to be popular because they are presented in quite the unconventional, yet conventional way. How many business professionals read elementary-level stories for themselves, years, if not decades after college, etc. ? But I suppose it works - a quick read and you're left with lessons learned at the end.

Do you remember any of Aesop's fables? Good - because the fable approach still works well into your senior! :-)

"Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You-At Work And In Life" by Spencer Johnson, M.D. was a quick and easy read - and well worth my time! I have read some of Dr. Johnson's other books ("Who Moved My Cheese" and "One Minute Manager") and felt changed after each one. I learn from Dr. Johnson and his easy to read style and have recommended his books over and over again! "Peaks and Valleys" is no exception!

"Peaks and Valleys" is a story of a young man in the valley meeting an old man on a peak and how this man's knowledge of peaks and valleys is passed on to the young man. `Peaks' are the good times in our lives; `Valleys' are the bad. The story teaches you to get out of `valleys' sooner, stay on `peaks' longer, and how to have more `peaks' and fewer `valleys' in your life. You learn how what you do today really does effect what happens tomorrow.

I highly recommend this book (and others by Dr. Spencer Johnson) to anyone, anywhere, going thru anything in your life! This book should be read by all! It is quick to read and has a wonderful message we can all learn from!

- 1smileycat

Peace and financial success; that's how Mr. Johnson measures the success of his "Peaks and Valleys" idea. The young man in Mr. Johnson's story ultimately became one of the most peaceful and financially successful people in the world by following the "Peaks and Valleys" philosophy (p. 93). Not only him, but anyone who was willing to listen carefully and execute these ideas managed to carve out a hefty return on investment as well.

To put it in perspective, if this young man had achieved peace without financial success, would Mr. Johnson's approach have resonated with as many readers? What if the young man achieved financial success without peace?

Unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of thinking that has led this country astray. The truth is, many people will not achieve financial success as defined in "Peaks and Valleys". Most people, however, certainly have the potential to achieve happiness through peace and fruitful relationships with friends and family. After all, isn't the true measure of success happiness?

This book is a must reading, and as the book cover says, a real GEM. One of the positive points of this book is that it is right straight to the point in just 100 pages. We all know how sometimes these kind of books go around and around in circles, beating around the bush, repeating the same point over and over, to fill out 300 pages. This book is not. This book is to be highlighted every page, every single line. We are living tough times now. The question is: what do you do when you are down, so when things recover, you are on the top of the game again? I can't praise this book enough, which has helped ME reconsider my whole professional situation and that is already giving me great results. Read it!

Spencer Johnson concentrates this time on how circumstances, Peaks and Valleys, affect our performance and how we can behave to improve our odds in those circumstances.

Mr Johnson uses once again the proven tool of the parable to make his points. The main character living in a Valley and feeling depressed decides to climb up the surrounding mountains, feeling better by doing so. Up in the mountain he finds an old man who lives in the peak and has enjoyed a successful life. The old man teaches the young man, and his experience and perspective help the young man to overcome his crisis and start looking for new Peaks.

The book points out that Peaks and Valleys are a fact of life, and the main issue on dealing with them is that we become focused on ourselves and our circumstances instead of looking ahead and focusing on being of greater service at work and more loving in life.

The book is nothing special nor the contents new, "Who moved my Cheese?" by the same author shows a similar story and is more original, or "Good Luck" by Rovira and Tries de Bes brings better the point that we are in command of a good part of things that happen in our life.

Chapters are quick and easy to read, and they finish with some short recommendation or wisdom, in any case if you want to help somebody out of a Valley it might be worth a try.

Those familiar with Spencer Johnson's work will find little new in this slender volume. The wisdom of learning to adapt, persevere and adjust one's attitude is told in a generic Fairy Tale format with non-identified characters ("the old man" and "the young man"). Before too long the young man at his "peak" becomes and old man sought out for his wisdom by a new young 'un. Along the way we learn that, to be successful, we need to enjoy the journal, treasure peaks while they last and know that valleys don't endure forever. Simple stuff in a simple format and absolutely nothing that we don't already know.

An excellent book and a quick read. The book concentrates on how to achieve peaks (happiness and joy)and remain happier longer and how to make the valleys (sadness, depression, frustrations) in your life to last a shorter period of time as well as how your joy continue to grow and your sad times have less of an impact on your life, but turning the negatives in life into positives simply by changing your perspective on what is happening to you.
The book is the story of a man who lives in a valley, he is happy, but eventually becomes frustrated with his life in the valley and wants to know what life would be like on a peak. In story form, you experience the man's challenges of success and failure as he tries to remain on the peak.
I highly recommend this book for anyone with a positive attitude who wants to remain positive during hard times. I also highly recommend this book for people who can see no joy in their life. It will help who ever reads the book find inner peace and happiness.
I have all ready shared the book with three people, all have found ways to improve their joys and reduce the effect of the bad times.

Peaks and Valleys: Making Good and Bad Times Work for You--At Work and In Life by Spencer Johnson, M.D. is a slender volume, a narrative told in the form of a parable meant to teach valuable life lessons.

To be honest, I approached this book with extremely low expectations. I had read, and loathed, his best-selling Who Moved My Cheese? I did not anticipate enjoying this book at all. So it is with some pleasant surprise that I say I liked this book enough to not hate it.

Admittedly, nothing Johnson shares is new and the parable makes the profundity of the lessons come off as almost trite. Anyone with a modicum of familiarity with Greek philosophy (Aristotle, Plato, and Epictetus in particular) and/or Buddhist teachings will not find anything new within these pages. What Johnson manages to do is take great ideas and synthesize them for the masses, rather like pop music. If you prefer classical, avoid this book. You won't enjoy it. But if you are not likely to ever curl yourself up with the classics then you'll probably find this book interesting and maybe even enlightening as it addresses how our perceptions define our circumstances, driving home the simple truth that our circumstances do not define us so much as how we respond to them.

All in all, not a bad book but not brilliant. For brilliance, I'll stick with what's been said before by far superior teachers. And if you read this and love it I encourage you to make time to read Plato and Epictetus.

If you enjoy reading parables, you'll enjoy reading Spencer Johnson's latest book, Peaks and Valleys. The author has several number one bestsellers including "Who Moved My Cheese?" He knows how to tell a good story.

You've heard the old saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Whether or not you're in the right place in your life to appreciate the wisdom of Peaks and Valleys will determine how much you like or dislike this book. Spencer Johnson shares valuable wisdom in just 112 pages.

The story basically goes like this: A discouraged young man meets a wise old man on a mountain peak. The old man shares his wisdom about life's peaks and valleys. The young man then sets out to put his newly learned lessons into practice. The key he soon realizes is to find a comfortable balance between the lowest valleys and highest peaks.

This well-written story is a quick read - probably can be finished in an hour or two. The subtitle of the book really says it all: Making good and bad times work for you - at work and in life. The key piece of wisdom I took away from Peaks and Valleys is in knowing how to find an inner peace and balance between the everyday peaks and valleys in my life.

I recommend this book if you'd like an empowering boost of self-motivation and day-to-day wisdom.

Adaptability is the key lesson to this little gem of a book, and I am thankful that I got to read it before it was published. This little gem of a book just solidifies the philosophy that your happiness is your own damn fault to quote another favorite author Larry Winget. It was a fast read and I could not put into words how reading this book made me feel. It is definitely appropriate in this current world environment which is undergoing an era of drastic change. I have read it three more times and everytime, I find new insights into managing the peaks and valleys of my life. The book is a Keeper.

The Spencer Johnson Audio Collection: Including Who Moved My Cheese? and Peaks and Valleys

Told from the standpoint of a man who found himself living unhappily in a valley he had previously enjoyed. As he aged, those surroundings and events began to make him increasingly unhappy though he didn`t know why.

Peace, happiness and fulfillment were now absent from his life. Unhappy and dissatisfied with the present, he thought back upon the days of his youth and thought about the wonderful times he'd spent on the mountaintop. Being completely stifled at this stage of his life both emotionally and spiritually, he decided that a trek to the mountain top would be helpful. Though initially fearful of the journey, he prepared quickly before he could talk himself out of it.

The trek up a mountaintop is scary for everybody. This short but powerful story shows us that when we're stuck in situations or relationships that make us feel stifled, we need to step out of our comfort zone and listen to our inner voice. However uncomfortable the process may be initially, the process of expanding our minds, exploring new territory and interests almost always pays off with a level of happiness we didn't know was possible.

If you've awakened today to a life that no longer works for you - you're unemployed, in unhappy relationships or just wanting more for your life, this is a book for you. It's an easy read - about 45 minutes- but delivers such basic advice for reframing your life that I think it should be a mandatory read for everyone.

Like in his earlier book "Who moved my Cheese?", Spencer Johnson tells parables to get across some simple truths. I think this book is actually better than his previous one as it offers some realistic ways to respond to bad situtations, which is a plus today as thousands of people across America have had their "cheese" moved and are having a hard time getting it back. There is some valuable gentle wisdom here that at times reminded me of John Maxwells books. No miracle cures here but a realistic book for both good and bad times.

The timely message gives such a simple yet powerful way for all of us to evaluate our current peaks (successes) or valleys (shortcomings or failures). You will find yourself quickly applying the story in the book to your own situation-and finding solutions within yourself.

Organizations will also find it very useful as they wrestle with finding a framework on how to deal with their current issues or challenges.

Bottom line... have a pad and pencil ready as you read this book. You will take lots of notes and make many plans to reach your professional and personal peaks-and stay there longer.

This was a fast read, I finished it in 2 days. I'm not a big fan of selp-help books because they often are either just common sense (and if a person doesn't have it, the lessons will probably be lost on the person reading it) or too drawn out and littered up with big words and hard to stay interested in lessons that are black and white in a grey world.
I like that he weaves lessons into a story. So that you can think for yourself and process what the meaning is instead of it being force fed to you. Good book.

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed Spencer Johnson's books before and this one is no different. It tells a simple story with many interpretations, but the main one is;good things can come out of bad and it's not what happens to you but how you make things happen. Sounds trite but it's true. This is a good read for someone who's lost a job, a loved one or going through a life altering event.
I've used it to teach classes on managing change in both your personal and professional lives. It was a class favorite.

This story is about an unhappy young man who meets a wise old man while visiting a mountain peak and the life changing lessons he learns. It's a small book with large letters basically written in a rush to perhaps monetize on the current economic downturn. Although it's a self help book, it doesn't offer any practical techniques. If you are looking for a easy read full of common sense and basic observations it fits the bill, if you are looking for a more serious book try "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

"Peaks and Valleys" is a simplistic parable. Though it is easy to understand, it has a deep meaning. Facets of the book can be applied to different portions of one's life. The one flaw one might suggest is the book being too simplistic.

I really enjoyed this book but I couldn't help but compare it to "Who Moved My Cheese?"

While this information is valuable in its own right I didn't find it as profound or as moving as his original work.

With that being said, The message is something that is really needed for out time.

The theme reminds me a lot of "The Season's Of Life" by Jim Rohn.

This was good information and well worth the money for it.

This is a phenomal book. I had a great opportunity to read Peaks and Valleys in our corporate book club this past month.

It is an easy read but that is not to say that it isn't deep, powerful, and meaningful. The principles that are taught are general so they can be specifically applied to individual experiences that we are all encountering.

On page 59 it is taught that when we are going through a troubling time we don't have to wait until later to look back and laugh. The least we can do is laugh in the moment and ease the pain a little more.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who has any remote interest in improving their lifestyle. And to those that have a strong desire for self improvement it will be even more rewarding.

I am not a big fan of these over-employed simplistic parables written for big corporate sales. There is something pandering and a bit condescending about them. Of course, it is all common sense - it's just in how the lesson is relayed. This one will probably be a big hit because it's timing is perfect in this economy. If, like me, you groan when you see an office full of Who Moved My Cheese and FISH, you won't be swayed by this.

This is an easy book to read. This is a simple story illustrating an important and yet simple concept. The main theme of this book is about how we manage our peaks (good times) and valleys (bad times) throughout our lifetime.

First we must accept the fact that good times and bad times happens. Second, as good and bad times come and go; we must accept that fact that good times ends and so does bad times. What matters to us is how we respond to the times and manage it such that we stay at the peak longer and we stay at the bottom shorter.

This is about a youth who is an unhappy man He lives in a valley and meets an older man who resides on a peak and this is where the change begins

At first he doesnt understand who the oldster is..his success..his happy life, but in time his awareness grows

The parables teach the young man how to live and tools to reach a balanced life

Good approach to teaching wisdom stories

As the saying goes "Big things come in small packages". Peaks and Valleys is quick read that gives a different insight to the ups and downs of life. The goal of the "peaks and valleys" story is to understand: 1) How to get out of your valleys sooner. 2) How to stay on your peaks longer 3) How to have more peaks and fewer valleys in the future. I found myself taking notes as I read and can see myself applying the points learned to my professional and personal life. This book is a great read if have been struggling with your own ups and downs.

Light and easy parable, which serves as a good reminder for those of us who have read more deeply on this subject, but, through stress. etc., have strayed a bit. FOr those who have not been introduced to the principles (which are throughly covered in other reviews), this is a good introduction to show the possibilities and basic principles. This stuff really works, but you do have to refocuses yourself when things go off course (as the book covers). I enjoyed it and will certainly reread it.

I really enjoyed the book. It is one of those that you might think you know all of this, but when in a valley you tend to forget or you struggle seeing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. This book reminds you of that. One of the things I got out of the book was that when on a peak we sometimes cause the next valley and while in a valley we should be focussing on creating the next peak.

Another reminder was when the character reached the peak, but he was to late and missed the beauty of the sunset. He was dissapointed and felt as if he had failed, but then he is reminded to look elsewhere - look up - and see the beauty of the stars.

I have been out of work for almost a year. Unemployment can have a different range of emotions. The parable helped change my attitude about my situation and take charge. I have made decisions for a better change. I don't feel guilty about making changes in my life by reading books, visiting family and friends and going to the beach. Of course I'm looking for a job and feeling hopeful. I love the phrases Make Reality Your Friend and A Personal Peak is Triumph Over Fear. Of course changing your thinking and attitude is hard and it normal to fearful at this time. I read this twice and got different things out of it both times.

I read Who Moved My Cheese and loved it. That is why I bought this book. HOwever, I find that this one is so "geared" towards the present ecomony and professional advice that I am finding little help as far as relationships and understanding various people and myself. I admire the author, but I feel he was more concerned with the above mentioned message than relationships message. True, he does say this approach works in all matters in life,however, it is difficult to apply it to more than your work peaks and valleys.
I hope this helps if you are looking at the book for the more personal aspect of daily living. Great if you are seeking advice for how you probably got into fininacal trouble in this trying time. Just my opinion, but that is what this page is about. Right?

I received this book years ago as a gift. In about 100 pages Johnson nails it! Life will always have Peaks and Valleys. What Johnson says is spot on, "It is what you do in the valley . . . "

Wendy Weikal-Beauchat - Courage for the Journey: Wisdon for the Broken Road

Someone sent me a free copy of this book, so I read it, hoping it might provide some useful insights on how to manage the inevitable ups and downs of life. I had previously enjoyed Spencer Johnson's earlier book "Who Moved My Cheese?" and could identify with the futile persistence of metaphorically looking for cheese in cheeseless tunnels. But in this case, my hopes were not rewarded. The discussion of peaks and valleys, potentially a valuable topic, is done at the most superficial level in a tone that seems condescending to the intelligence of most readers. The book is both unedifying and annoying, not a good combination.

In form and format, the book is a classic enlightenment parable. Here a young man who is unhappy in his physical valley climbs to a peak and speaks to a wise old man. The young man's starting level is such that he needs to ask the wise old man "What exactly do you mean by 'peaks and valleys'?" Maybe the target readership is people who would need to ask that question.

At various points, the author puts in a capitalized adage, in case we have missed the point of the previous few pages. Here are some examples:

"It Is Natural For Everyone Everywhere To Have Peaks And Valleys At Work And In Life."

"Between Peaks There Are Always Valleys. How You Manage Your Valley Determines How Soon You Reach Your Next Peak."

"You Can Have Fewer Bad Times When You Appreciate And Manage Your Good Times Wisely."

"My Valley IS Fear."

I'll spare you the rest. Unfortunately, starting each word with a capital letter does not make an idea more profound than it would be with a small letter. Or less banal.

I assume that like me you try to be careful about how you spend your time and your money. In my humble opinion, this book would be a waste of both.

This little, in every sense, book is 99 pages long. That's with large type, lines spaced well-apart. Reading in a rather studious manner, it was a 45 minutes read.

Read Page 90 and you'll get the whole message, only with less sentiment,
sunrises, sunsets, or moist-eye mentions, in a quick 1-2-3 outline style.

A whole page? 23 words would do: If you're in a valley (a bad place), apply
that experience while you envision the peak (a good place) you want to be.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS' format laces together a parable format (think sensei and grasshopper-acolyte) for passing on wisdom with loads of sentimentality ('His eyes moistened' kept repeating) and renderings of too-many too-well-worn platitudes over and over again. Far more fluff than facts.

Its platitudes are recognizable as common sense today. Or trite. Most are found in many self-help books already. There are, by the storeian count, 30,548 such books
on the racks waiting to point the way to wherever.

Say, here's a tip: Writing Successful Self-Help and How-To Books (Wiley Books for Writers Series) Written by Jean Marie Stine. I've read her very well-done book - New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook: Guided Practice in the Five Basic Skills of Drawing There's a workbook book too. Maybe you can write a book and next for V&P will be a map.

(Oh, if you write that book and it doesn't sell, well, there's How to Heal a Broken Heart in 30 Days: A Day-by-Day Guide to Saying Good-bye and Getting On With Your Life (I actually read it. It kept its promise. Gave it 5-Stars!)

The only thing I found remarkable in P&V is that, as proclaimed on the back inside flap, Dr. Johnson's formula has sold over 46-million copies of his find happiness/ success/whatever books in 47 languages.

If you're past a ninth-grade reading level (where this book seems aimed in style and grammar), you might like a better though more challenging, sophisticated read: Just type in 'self help' in the book search window at the store; they have a wide variety of such books, enough to fit most-every specific need. When you search, note that many reviewers complain of the old same-old same-old repetition of advice. Sorta like P&V struck me.

I truly hate writing a negative review. So I followed a thread in the book which solicited comments and suggestions: An email address. After reading about Dr. Johnson's impressive Harvard credentials and 46,000,000 books sold in 47 languages, I asked if I missed something. Even included a copy of my review
(this one is a bit revised). Alas, no reply.

Dr. Johnson has created another masterpiece.

"Peaks and Valleys" follows the highly successful format of "Who Moved My Cheese ?" ; profound messages delivered simply.

This book is easy to read, yet leaves you with a sense that something very special is written between the lines.

At its basic level, this is a simple story, drawn from ordinary life experiences. Beneath the surface it presents the reader with practical values in hope and positivity that are the essence of Dr. Johnson's work.

Highly recommended.

I love these parables. They teach a lot of basic truths in a fun and entertaining way. This one about peaks and valleys is particularly relevant in these economic times. However it is during these times that we plant the seeds for future successes.

If you enjoyed any of Spencer Johnson's other books (Who Moved My Cheese, The Present, Yes or No, The One Minute series, ...), you'll like this book. An enjoyable story with a good lesson - an easy and fulfilling read.

As i read alot of books in positive psychology , this book can be recommended as an introductory book to the concepts of positive psychology although written by a wise expert who is not a scholar in the field. I would label his best selling book : Who moved my cheese as an easier read & more entertaining.

There isn't much here you don't know already. But if this gives people some comfort in tough times, no harm done. As Artie Johnson used to say "When the lion is in the bush and the tiger is in the tree, the wise man does not go into the bush or into the tree".

I found this book simplistic and annoying. Everyone has peaks and valleys in their lives, true. However, I strongly disagree with the author's premise that the valleys are always caused by something you did. In today's economy, many people are in "valleys" as a result of things outside of their control (their division is "outsourced" to a cheaper part of the world, they have cancer but are unable to afford health insurance, etc.) Climbing to a peak again is not that simple and, for some, may never happen - despite their efforts and hard work.

I will recommend this book to any person in the middle of his/her carreer, 40s is an age that implies a need for self review, the book aproach is a sounded way to face this review. Valleys are always there and the way to get up seems to be harder at this time (40s)so the book will help to face the second half of a life with a better aproach.