A Memoir by The Minimalists - Everything That Remains

The messages delivered in this book is nothing less than life changing. It permits us to evaluate the meaning of life no matter what point we're at- and how to change our lives for the better. It answers the question of why we need to change, and it will forever impact my life

This book is incredibly eye opening. It's not just a book on minimalism, while that's a huge part of it. It's a narrative on the lives of two guys who found minimalism, and the struggles and benefits they found on the way. Really opened my eyes to what the whole thing means to me. Very excellent read.

I enjoyed reading "All That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists" because the words are genuinely delivered with witty sarcasm. A lot can be gleaned from the wisdom the author attained in his quest for greater meaning in life. I am inspired to strive for minimalism and look forward to reading future publications.

Such a refreshing read! Opens your eyes to possibilities and makes you reflect on your own life and discover where you can make changes... can't wait to implement some of his suggestions on de-cluttering the STUFF and PEOPLE in my life that don't bring value. Life-changing!

I have a friend who introduced me to minimalism. I had so many questions but he moved. This book is like his story. Most if not all my answers have been answered about the life of a minimalist. The ebook is interactive where Ryan will tell you of a website section where you can read essays and see photos of what Joshua is writing about. I really enjoyed the book.

Joshua Fields Milburn definitely captures his voice and his cohort, Ryan Nicodemus in their first full memoir. Their other books are a collection of essays, some off their website, but this one delved far deeper into their own personal stories...it made this read so fulfilling. I have recommended this book to so many people!

I follow The Minimalists on social media, and occasionally read their blog. I'm very into minimalism, and read as many things as I can on the subject. I wanted to like this book. I expected to like this book....but I didn't. Sounds trite, but they really could have been a little more minimalist with their words. Too much flowery language that didn't work. The ideas were good, but it could have been done so much better. That said...they've written a book, and I have not.

This is a very convincing book on adopting an alternative lifestyle that is very different from what the author's believe is the current "American Dream," the dream of wealth, material goods, and consumerism at its most rabid form. The argument to pare down what we own to simplify our lives is very strong, and it makes sense. We absolutely attach meaning to things, and it is emotional to part with material possessions but ends up feeling very liberating when all is said and done.

The more difficult aspect of this book, and the one that I particularly struggle with, is following your passions in terms of "work," or rather, how we make do financially. The authors are able to adopt a freeing, very liberal lifestyle because they are authors, and much of what they cherish towards the end of the book is a direct result of their new profession, rather than perhaps following their passion. I believe there is a difference here.

At the end of the day, not everyone is passionate about being a janitor or a garbageman, but they are nonetheless important in our society, even a minimalist society. I am glad these two get to write, but I find it extremely difficult to apply to my own life in terms that make sense. I am not an author, nor do I have an e-commerce business which I can operate while traveling the continent and the world over. I feel passionate about some things, but those pursuits are not particularly liberating in the sense that I can live in a Montana cabin for 6 months. I see this part of the book as an unanswered question for the majority of readers.

Another aspect that I think the authors missed is how environmentalism and urbanism play into their concepts of minimalism. Reducing waste, recycling, and protecting the beautiful wilderness with which the authors clearly enjoy are all concepts that very much align with the principles of minimalism. But we are all new to this and after two years of this new lifestyle I should not expect the authors to address this. Perhaps in their next book Josh and Ryan will have begun to embrace the enormous environmental impacts that minimalism can contribute to.

In all, a very thoughtful book. It does come off preachy at times, but it is because of their passion and it feels oddly appropriate. The authors are sharing what they believe, and that is valid and I found it very worthwhile, and yes, entertaining (I read this over a weekend).

4.5/5 stars.

I was intrigued by this memoir. It introduced me to minimalism a la Millburn/Nicodemus. Newly retired, I have already pared down my things somewhat and simplified my daily schedule, but am ready for a more thoughtful and purposeful examination of what things need to remain in my life in order to help not hinder this business of living well. The authors don't beat you up with how to's and how much to give up. Rather, they encourage asking yourself what activities and relationships and things are worthy of your time and energy. A good first book to kick start the process.

I am relatively new into my minimalism journey. I enjoyed reading about how his life changed during his journey too. I read while on an airplane and then vacation and it was a great read. Simple enough to read while I was traveling but it also made me think.

This book was great. Joshua Millburn highlights some very interesting perspectives of living a simpler more stress free life with the absence of stuff. He notes that the absence of things is not necessarily what minimalism is, it is the way you live, how you view things, how you interact with people. This book has helped me think of new ways to achieve happiness, to value the people around me, and to soak up life in a different way. I will be passing this book along to a friend.

Everything that Remains is a great read with an excellent message. The Minimalists are truly likable guys that have a quality I value and find lacking in most people: genuineness. What they have to say will inspire you to simplify your life; to examine the whole picture and ask difficult questions. While intellectually one might understand these core concepts, putting them into practice is difficult and overwhelming. Hearing stories of success (at any age and in any prose) serves as a roadmap that is both useful and enlightening.

This book has inspired and uplifted me. The candid reflections and honesty of sharing, combined with the picturesque descriptions of places, people, times and events have brought me great joy and I am sad to now be finishing it. What I love is that I own the book without needing additional space in a bookshelf - my kindle is definitely something that has survived my simplification. This book makes it even more valuable for me ?

I liked the journey to one's transformation in every day living.
The book has inspired me to have a more meaningful life.
I've discussed and shared this book to many of my friends. I feel that it has also changed their way of thinking and possibly living. I am so happy to have shared and discussed this book, I hope that they in turn pay it forward.

I really enjoyed this book, and learned a great deal what's important in life. I realize, that it's not too hard to give up certain things that we value because once you find more value in life, (time, relationships, health, and Passion) everything will fall into place, and make more sense.

I have poured over the words and truths represented on [...] and in this book. I highly recommend both to anyone longing for more value and less clutter in life...literally and figuratively. The Minimalists have validated how I feel about simplifying life, but spent years doubting.

Good reading for everybody. Whether you adopt the lifestyle or not, the questions raised are worth thinking about and answering. The only con to this book comes from the writers composition. He is enamored with new words, some obscure. It is my feeling that when you are attempting "to add value" to someone else's life, you need to "speak" in the everyday so that your point is not interrupted by "Huh...".

More than just a Minimalist's treatise on living with less. A good little story with some practical and thought provoking ideas on why we over buy in quantity and why we overspend for the "just in case" needs that never really present themselves.

This book totally gave me a new perspective on the things we keep in life. I got the kindle version with audio so I could switch back and forth, and I have gotten rid of SO MUCH STUFF!!! It is a blessing to have this awesome new perspective. Definitely worth the read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found inspiration. I now view my life differently. I am filled with resolve to live a better, smarter way. I like the writing style. This is one of my top reading experiences. I'd like to meet the authors.

They say they are inexperienced writers, I say they are excellent writers. The message is simple yet fantastic. I have been a minimalist most of my life: sometimes by need, sometimes by choice. I enjoyed reading others thoughts to help refine my own.

I attended their meetup in Kansas City, but bought the book online so I could carry it with me for later review. The book is well written, easy to read and very insightful into Josh's life. Their are great ideas for everyone along with some ideas that may feel like pablum to others.

I recommend everyone read it make up their own minds if they want to spend the valuable time pursuing more stuff that doesn't add value or spend their time pursuing value add activities. Either way the time will pass and in th end they either have more stuff or more valuable memories.

I found this enjoyable, It gave me a better understanding of Joshua Field Milburn's background. It's also the first 'TheMilimalists' book I've read and it inspired me to purchase another. I should mention that I both listened and read the book at the same time because I purchased the audio as together, Why you ask? I'm not sure, but I enjoyed the prose and style of narration of both.

Joshua Fields Millburn is a very talented writer. His journey from the American Dream (Nightmare) to an intentional life filled with more meaning than stuff is nothing short of heartwarming and inspiring. Millburn's style is flowery, flowing and full of juicy metaphors. Highly recommended!

I loved this book and would certainly recommend it. Not only does it help you and motivates you to be in charge of your own life, but also gives true facts that what we see as 'overnight' success really isn't as 'overnight'. Very good book!

Initially I thought This was going to be strictly a memoir and honestly had a hard time getting into it. Reading further in and getting some background on these guys really helped to drive the overall message home. A great read for anyone who is entertaining the idea of this lifestyle or has been living it out for a while.

I happened upon their podcast when a friend on Twitter re-tweeted it. According to Joshua, this is the book you should read first to learn about his and Ryan's beliefs and experiences. This book is convincing. The peak into the world of minimalism is refreshing, given our current life driven by consumerism, instant access, and immediate gratification. The lesson is not only simplicity, but also patience and thoughtfulness.

Initially I thought This was going to be strictly a memoir and honestly had a hard time getting into it. Reading further in and getting some background on these guys really helped to drive the overall message home. A great read for anyone who is entertaining the idea of this lifestyle or has been living it out for a while.

I happened upon their podcast when a friend on Twitter re-tweeted it. According to Joshua, this is the book you should read first to learn about his and Ryan's beliefs and experiences. This book is convincing. The peak into the world of minimalism is refreshing, given our current life driven by consumerism, instant access, and immediate gratification. The lesson is not only simplicity, but also patience and thoughtfulness.

Just finished reading the book and I am inspired. It really made me stop and think about how much of my life is being put in the back seat. Life's too short to keep driving the same road everyone else has driven down. It's time to go off roading.

Nothing has broken through my passive consumerism quite like the books of The Minimalists. This particular book was an excellent and engaging display of the basics of their philosophy, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This book has enabled me to completely change my perspective on so many different spheres in my life.
Has been absolutely amazing and would recommend this to anyone looking for maximising their lives and their time.

A valuable, heartfelt message- written well ,clearly, and deliberately- although sometimes the descriptions of scenery or thoughts were just too much metaphor for a minimalist- minimalism is, perhaps, a spectrum of a lifestyle this book introduced us to, through the sharing of personal details of growth by the author, I thought this experience for me would be a n experience of spiritual growth, although the author and his commenter do not directly address the issue of spirituality- it seems more philosophical to them; and finally, which may seem somewhat obvious by now, my favorite part of the book was the run-on sentence - you've got to love an author who breaks the grammar rules!

Going through the pages of this book, I saw myself reflected on some of the stories. I've gone through a similar experience, lost a lot of weight in one year, got rid of a lot of stuff that lingered from past lives. And I can tell you that it's so hard to get rid of things that you think you need to live. They just make you drag. But the journey doesn't end, it never ends, I still struggle everyday wanting material things, like a new computer, a new smartphone. These stories help you keep your mind clear and determined to keep on track.

I definitely liked this book. While I never accumulated all that much stuff, I have worked slowly to truly declutter my home (and mind). I'm inspired to keep going and be insanely lean and mean so I can attain that kind of freedom the book talks about travel more. Even lead a more nomadic life perhaps. On a side note I thought writing was a little to verbose at points but since I like the writer and the material it was easily forgivable.