The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize,…

After reading this book, I gave away seven garbage bags of stuff and have parted ways with some furniture. The minimalist lifestyle appeals to me, since I’m constantly moving to different locations. However, I have no intention of going minimalistic when it comes to my books and office space. There is no way I could have a Zen Office. I’m an IT person with dual monitors, large tower computer, scanner, printer, laptop, net notebook, tablet, two ereaders, four pair of full size headphones, external DAC, AMP and speakers. You get the idea - it’s not gonna happen. Other than those two areas - I'm game.

The most helpful part of the book was the philosophy of the minimalistic lifestyle. This book promotes only keeping things that are essential or things that make your life easier. You are ‘allowed’ to keep beautiful things like pictures, but this can be tricky. If it’s a beautiful picture in the basement, then you need to get rid of it. There is also an entire chapter on approaching sentimental and collectible items. I was able to get rid of my Kate Bush boxset; I've been packing this thing around for fifteen years now. I have no regrets getting rid of it - so far.

Separating with things you’ve paid good money for can be painful, but it can also be fun and save you money in the future. For example, I rarely watch television so I decided it was time for a divorce. Along with the television, went the DVD and HD-DVD player. My theory is if I want to watch a movie, I can watch it on my computer; If people come over to visit, they will have to talk to me, read, or bring their own entertainment. It's all about getting creative and rethinking your habits.

The most surprising aspect of a minimalistic lifestyle is the impact on the environment. This is something I never thought about before. It’s not just about the material an item is made from, but the transportation, storage, and disposal spent during the lifecycle of the item. This really made me rethink a shopping spree I went on recently. Thinking about the functionality of an item, and its impact on the environment, keeps impulsive buying in check. I'll never buy things the same way again.

Inspiring – But Some Recommendations Are Common Sense.
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There isn't much to say about the book, believe me, I have tried. There are some good tips, and some good psychological "therapy" if you will. It did inspire me to stay up until 2am finishing the book in one go, and to get up early to start cleaning my spare room- but I found that no matter how hard I tried, I still could not let go of memories. I'll go back and re-read some of the highlights I made in the book, and try again. To be honest, her website is just as inspiring, if not more so...and it's free. I don't regret buying the book, though. www.missminimalist.com ( )

There isn't much to say about the book, believe me, I have tried. There are some good tips, and some good psychological "therapy" if you will. It did inspire me to stay up until 2am finishing the book in one go, and to get up early to start cleaning my spare room- but I found that no matter how hard I tried, I still could not let go of memories. I'll go back and re-read some of the highlights I made in the book, and try again. To be honest, her website is just as inspiring, if not more so...and it's free. I don't regret buying the book, though. www.missminimalist.com ( )

Although the author is light years beyond me in minimalizing her possessions, she was able to help me detach from much of the "just in case," and "I'm too sentimentally attached!" and, "it's too good to get rid of!" When I was 20-something, my possessions fit into my backpack, but even then it felt too spare for me, so I don't know if I'll ever be a minimalist. This book helped push me into the next level of decluttering what I currently own, including not bringing it home in the first place.

The room-by-room approach has been discussed in other books, but this author was so joyful and excited that she was inspiring! She had innovative methods (for me) and was supportive, challenging and forgiving to those who are in process. A good read and a great help! ( )

I started becoming more interested in the idea of minimalism when I literally stumbled across Francine Jay’s blog, Miss Minimalist. When I became aware of the book, I had been hoping for more minimalist philosophy along the lines of many of her blog posts. Really, though, it’s more of a guide on how to streamline and declutter your life, written perfectly for the audience who should (and likely will) read it most - people deeply ingrained in, and sick of, the seemingly neverending race to acquire more stuff.

The lion’s share of The Joy of Less is a room-by-room pseudo-guide on how to effectively declutter your home. For those with so much stuff they wouldn’t even know where to start, this book will be a godsend. Seeing as I was looking for more minimalist ideas, which Jay touches on in the beginning, I mostly skimmed over the room portions. However, the schedule-decluttering tips at the end were quite helpful.

What makes this book genuinely entertaining, as well as an excellent introduction into this “unusual” lifestyle, is Jay’s barely-contained enthusiasm about the whole thing. I enjoy listening to or reading the thoughts of people who are passionate about a topic. This is something more than your average self-help book. Hopefully, The Joy of Less will start bringing minimalism into the mainstream, and more people will embrace the concept of living lightly and freely, not chained down by the endless cycle of consumerism. ( )