Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond [Hardcover]

Stuart Avery Gold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2005

In the tradition of Who Moved My Cheese? here is a parable about change, overcoming obstacles, and making a leap of faith.

This simple, inspirational tale follows the journey of Ping, a frog in search of a new pond, preferably one good for long-distance jumping. Along the way he meets Owl, an insightful teacher who shares his wisdom, encouraging Ping to take an inner journey before pursuing his goal. Not everything goes as planned, but Ping learns how to "go with the flow, because the flow knows where to go."

Ping represents everybody who has encountered a setback, needs to take a risk, or is struggling with the challenges of change-that is to say, he is all of us. Owl is the mentor who helps him find meaning and leap to new heights. The adventure they embark on together is both engaging and revealing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A glib amalgamation of Taoism, business advice and self-help axioms, this brief, cutely illustrated business parable seeks to capture fans of Who Moved My Cheese? Gold (Tiger Heart, Tiger Mind, etc.) follows the adventures of a frog named Ping, who's forced into risky adventure when his pond dries up, compelling him to seek out a new place to hop. Along his search, Ping comes under the tutelage of Owl, a wise old bird who teaches Ping about "the Way" and the "intentional life" and who often speaks in Yoda-ish constructions (e.g., "Persistent you are. I'll grant you that"). Meditation sessions with Owl lead Ping to a host of revelations, including the promise that he "will build [his] risk-taking confidence, starting with small risk, working [his] way up until [he is] comfortable and confident in the taking of larger risks." Inspiring to some, soporific to others, this book will probably move fastest at airport bookstores. (Dec.)
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Review

"Gold's writings are a blend of business advice and spiritual teachings for the 21st Century entrepreneur." —Newsweek

"Ping combines the tradition of Who Moved My Cheese? with Jonathan Livingston Seagull…Stuart Gold's writing style is moving and witty." —New York Post

"Gold taps into the spirit of self-discovery to encourage readers to take risks." —Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Newmarket (December 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557046824
• ISBN-13: 978-1557046826
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,084,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing new, March 8, 2009

By 

Susan Keeping (Kitchener, Ontario) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way of Ping: Journey to the Great/ A Frog in Search of a new Pond (Hardcover)

I am not one for "pop psychology" and I feel this book falls into that category. Everything that is talked about in this book seems to me to be common sense. I kept hearing things like "the other man's grass is always greener", "slow and steady wins the race"; empty platitudes that you hear often. I learned nothing new from reading this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Who Moved My Frog?, April 14, 2009

By 

EgusHdus (Hua Hin, Thailand USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ping: A Frog in Search of a New Pond (Hardcover)

Oh, my. Everyone here raves about "what a great idea this is", "reminds me of...", "just like", "similar to ...."

Yeah, well that's the trouble. It IS similar to....

And this "Ping the Frog" is no traditional fairy tale character which make ME think it was the product of some WISEGUY, sitting around thinking, "H-m-m-m-, how can I write one of those crappy, throw-away mis-management books, without an original thought in MY head, and still make a bundle? I know! I'll STEAL really good concept, and then produce not one, but TWO books, and then try to spin off some marketing on the merchandising!

Isn't America great?"

Folks, boycott bad writing and thievery. Re-read "Who Moved My Cheese".

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Read Richard Bach instead, July 4, 2009

By 

Karen A - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Way of Ping: Journey to the Great/ A Frog in Search of a new Pond (Hardcover)

Ping is intended to be a parable about 'realizing your true nature and never-ending potential.' An effective parable has literary merit, and is driven by metaphor. In this case, the story of frogs seeking enlightenment is a transparent vehicle to provide the hero, Ping, with opportunities to lecture on a kind of stew of Taoism, Buddhism, Zen, and Norman Vincent Peale. The writing is poor and the lectures are tedious.

Sorry, but for this reader this is not a successful book.