Our Iceberg Is Melting

Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions

By: John Kotter, Holger Rathgeber

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

The revised and updated tenth anniversary edition of the classic, beloved business fable that has changed millions of lives in organizations around the world.

Our Iceberg Is Melting is a simple story about doing well under the stress and uncertainty of rapid change. Based on the award-winning work of Harvard Business School’s John Kotter, it can help you and your colleagues thrive during tough times.

On an iceberg near the coast of Antarctica, group of beautiful emperor pen­guins live as they have for many years. Then one curious bird discovers a potentially devastating problem threatening their home—and almost no one listens to him.

The characters in the story—Fred, Alice, Louis, Buddy, the Professor, and NoNo—are like people you probably recognize in your own organization, including yourself. Their tale is one of resistance to change and heroic action, seemingly intractable obstacles and clever tactics for dealing with those obstacles. The penguins offer an inspiring model as we all struggle to adapt to new circumstances.

Our Iceberg Is Melting is based on John Kotter's pioneer­ing research into the eight steps that can produce needed change in any sort of group. After finishing the story, you'll have a powerful framework for influencing your own team, no matter how big or small.

This tenth anniversary edition preserves the text of the timeless story, together with new illustrations, a revised afterword, and a Q&A with the authors about the responses they've gotten over the past decade. Prepare to be both enlightened and delighted, whether you're already a fan of this classic fable or are discovering it for the first time.

Critic reviews

“Whether you work in a business or the business of life, everyone from CEOs to high school students can gain from what they take from this story.”
––from the foreword by Spencer Johnson, M.D., author of Who Moved My Cheese?

“. . . companies should buy a copy for everyone from the CEO to the stock clerk.”
––Michelle Archer, USA Today

“I ordered and distributed sixty copies, evaluated its effect on our change effort, and then ordered five hundred more. . . . This is a gem.”
––Heidi King, Department of Defense

“The penguins in this book will not only steal your heart, they’ll make you a smarter person.”
––Mary Tyler Moore, actress, producer, director, and Academy Award nominee

Engaging and Entertaining

I just finished Leading Change and now have read this delightful metaphor for the topics from the main book from Kotter. I think listening to both has real value, though this book feels pretty good standalone. This one goes less into the details of pitfalls that the master book goes into, but it does make the overall process and best steps more memorable. The narrator is talented, and in addition to providing a nice, even read, also delivers lots of fun voices to help you make sense of the large cast. Overall a great buy and a good experience.

Fun listen, loved the voices

A fairly quick and fun listen, loved the voices and the water splashes, etc. Too cute! The narration (and sounds) really brought the book to life. Interesting and insightful story for sure. I was reading this for a book club at work and it really illustrates what a corporate culture can be like and how teams need to work together for one common goal. Worth a listen!

easy to understand

funny and easy to read and understand. You can relate the roles and personalities to real business challenges.

Worth a listen

I like the fable style of storytelling. This one is a little bit of a stretch to make their points, but in their defense, the authors are very upfront about that and make little references about it throughout the story, so, I didn't mind. The characters are endearing, and the narrative makes the concepts memorable. This audiobook is a creative way to understand and navigate change, making it less intimidating. For leaders and teams dealing with transitions, it's a helpful and enjoyable resource, and Worth a Listen.

Breathe of fresh air, creative, and memorable

Great book and articulated very well. Palpable and highly relevant in all environments today. Suitable for any title or position. I look forward to sharing and listening to what others have to say.