And Simplify (Updated and Revised) - A Minimalist Guide to Declutter

I like her attitude. She's not a tyrant about getting rid of "stuff", but provides easily understood direction on how to approach minimizing. After reading only a couple chapters I attacked one closet and it's such a pleasure to open that door now. Amazing how obtaining a little space can be so satisfying.

I love this book because she gives realistic and practical ways to make decluttering a task that will not overwhelm - she does not suggest simply organizing or rearranging. The exercises she guides you through help you understand the psychology behind "stuff". You can take it as far as you want it - learn to live with less (and love it) or become a true minimalist.

About half way through I realized that it was getting very redundant and boring. The same principles were repeated for every room of a house. Same rule/principle - different stuff. Some items like how to deal with gifts were actually repeated. I had to skim the second half of the book to get through it. Some good advise but it could have been much shorter.

For those that are hoarders or on the 'real' messy side of things with their stuff this would be a good book. For me, it offered advice on what normal people already know about too much stuff, clutter, do you need something or just want it. Mostly common sense like if you cannot see your kitchen table you have issues with having things in their rightful place when brought into the home.

Thought-provoking, and an invaluable aid in the process of getting my "stuff" (and my life) in better order. The best part: a newly blossoming ability to focus on "the one thing" I really want to do right now!

I am an impatient typeA person and want to jump in immediately with any project. This author convinced me to take time to read the chapters about the rationale and attitudes. It was awesome to see the results!

A must read for all people in the western world where materialism prevails! It was exactly what I needed to help get me started on a de cluttering of my house and lifestyle. Thanks to Francine for putting this guide on paper.

This is one of those books I'm glad I bought instead of checked out at the library. I have underlined some sections and I have re-read it more than once to inspire and remind myself and keep my things down to a minimum. I wish I could say I followed this regarding all of my things, but the truth is that there are some things that I just enjoy having lots of. I know there is not much use value in orange skinny jeans or red patent-leather heels, but until they no longer fit in my closet they give me too much pleasure to part with.

My kitchen is now so easy to find things in because my cabinets are not crowded by stuff I don't use. The section regarding horizontal surfaces being magnets for clutter is so true. I no longer keep "stuff" on my kitchen counters so there is always room for everyone to work in there- even on family dinner night when everyone helps. My bathroom, laundry room, and office are also much easier to navigate- so much so that my parents and cleaning lady have noticed and commented. Excellent book. I recommend.

I keep reading books in this genre because I haven’t found the perfect one yet. This is my favorite so far, after reading around seven or eight others. I really like Francine Jay’s writing style and her method of going by letters.

But so far, none of these declutter books haven’t solved the fundamental problem. How do I get rid of this stuff? I need super specific info (and that info is probably going to be different for every city). What can I safely throw in the garbage? What should be recycled? What can be fixed? Where can I give things away? How do I sell things without too much effort?

In the end, Jay had the same problem. She took some of her stuff back out from storage.

The author's philosophy on living a de-cluttered life is most convincing and compelling. For years I have been personally divesting and purging my "stuff" that I have collected over the years. Her book has giving me a new impulse toward that end resulting in more aggressive activity in the minimization process. I have engaged in many activities in my life and find it difficult to let go of objects of my past. Francine's way of approaching that conundrum is most helpful and effective in reducing some nostalgic objects I may not want to go as far as she does but I find the book a delight in scope and in depth. I have recommended this book and her other book to some of my friends and relatives one of whom I think could really benefit from it.

It would be so nice to be able to personally chat with her either in person or by email or telephone.

This book is at times a bit repetitive, but it is alsp full of good ideas for decluttering your home. I particularly liked the idea of keeping your entire wardrobe in just a few colors, so that you can easily combine the various items and have them matching. This is a great guide for creating minimalism in your home.

Albeit, the acronym, STREAMLINE, can be an effective way to go through each room of your house to reduce the clutter, the authors process of rehashing this principle over and over for each room in your house is simply a waste of precious reading time.

The writer made it easy to apply her suggestions. I loved the style of writing. It was as if we were having a conversation. I was able to work along with her, chapter by chapter, in clearing out my excess.

So many ideas and hints and mind blowing creativity came within reading this book, I have cleared so many things besides clutter and simple living- It bring the artist within me.

This book is a must read as well.

I truly, recommend this book. ( Fantastic)

This book was a blue print for my downsizing process. Whenever I would panic I would read a chapter and be inspiredvall over again . Thank you Francine Jay for inspiring all of us to have a more simple life so we can enjoy the "real" moments of our lives. Fantastic!!

This is a great lifestyle changing book. After reading a couple of chapters I began to get rid of a lot of clutter that I had at home. It has also stopped me from spending unnecessary money on things that I would like to have but don't really need. It sets you off with the right mindset so that it gets easier to declare your home and get some wonderful space back.

I didn’t learn anything “new” that I hadn’t already read in similar books. I found the author preachy. Eventually I skimmed the last 1/3 of the book just to finish it, and ironically donated it so that it wouldn’t clutter my house.

I love this book!

Finally a woman who is savvy and stylish writes a book on how to have less stuff but more joy. Many men have written books, but I feel they miss out how being female fits into living minimally. Makeup, clothes, shoes etc.

I am 40, live with a 8 YO and a 4 YO and my hubby. So I need something really thought out, not just a whim of an idea on how to minimalise.

Its a really good read and she has some great tips I hadnt read about. I love how she suggests you can actually just appreciate things, you dont HAVE to buy them. What a concept.

I have started culling spaces and am on a huge high. We (2 kids and I) have been donating to the library, the kindergarten, the charity shops.

Its different to other books, as your not looking to just throw stuff out, you are looking at things that need to earn their right to be here in my home.

I am a huge fan and its great to have someone write this book who clearly walks her talk. Francine even suggests books to read on her website, a bag that she travels with and lately her new small abode.

Great work Francine.

Sara

Francine Jay (aka Miss Minimalist) has written a delightful, instructive book to help you create your best life by removing the chaos, clutter and stress that is holding you back. Using her STREAMLINE method is a simple enough for a newbie declutterer tackling the kitchen junk drawer and in-depth enough to speak to a decades-long minimalist like myself, who is desiring to peel another layer off the onion. Francine motivates with inspiration. You never feel that she is judging the mess in your closet. This is a book that speaks to every age: baby through elder and every situation from how to deal with toddler birthday presents to the down-sizing empty nester. Wherever you are starting from, you can clear a path to a better life with Francine's advice.

For a minimalist book, it contains A LOT of fluff. Just get rid of s*** you don't need. We all know what it is. Make a donate, trash, keep pile. Start small. One drawer or box at a time. Don't buy appliances you don't use frequently (e.g. Fancy Cappuccino machine, juicers, waffle irons, etc.).

Great look at minimalism. The author did an excellent job of not pushing an extreme view of the concept and to find YOUR comfort level. There are many similarities in her approaches to decluttering with the Marie Kondo book, "The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up ".

Absolutely the bomb. I literally have been able to cut back on so much spending. I truly believe I don't need things in every color. I am feeling great about purging my house...one step at a time. I feel less stressed, especially with the open space I found since letting go of "crap."

While the method to simplify is excellent, the author should have applied the same philosophy on the book too. There's just too much fluff and sentences/paragraphs that don't add much to the content and distract from the main ideas/message. If the author would of simplified the writing and condense it to what is necessary, it would be a five stars book in my opinion.

Although I have not read the whole book, this is becoming part of my 'spare time' reading. I have learnt to say 'no' if someone asks me if I want an item they are throwing out, as it is not something I actually 'need'. As well as sorting and becoming ruthless with 'so called' sentimental items.

I happened upon Francine Googling Minimalism. Her book is great but her Blog is Awesome!!
The look is minimal and clean. The words, inspiring!! Before this I had studied and tried to
apply Feng Shui to my life and surroundings. But being a Christian the Buddhist element of Feng Shug
just never felt right. Minimalism, is just minimalism. It's clutter clearing, and organizing
without having to conjure up good fortune with things you'd rather not put your faith in.
I wish I had known years ago how much could be gained by being a Minimalist.
It fits perfectly with a Christian life.
Gods Blessings to you all!!

I started reading Francine Jay's blog several years ago and I loved her approach. When I saw that she wrote a book on minimalism, it peaked my curiosity and I wasn't disappointed. Since Francine is now a mom, she has gained wisdom on how to simplify life as a family. I love her book and would recommend it to everyone. My husband and I don't have kids and we still benefit from all the practical tips that are found in her book.

In the spirit of minimalism I'll be brief

This book has helped me along my path. If you want to be able to flip the bird to corporations, the banks, big government and advertisers this book can help.

The information isn't new. You can find it on the net on minimalist blogs. However this book brings it all together very neatly.

As the title says - worth every penny

Shallow and trite ideas, repeated in simple terms. I like the concept of "simple living," but this isn't a convincing philosophical argument for simplicity, nor a guide that provides me with an action plan to implement simplicity. Not sure what I'm looking for, but this is another case of a book that doesn't resonate with me.

I enjoy studying and moving towards a simple life, calm, centered, and not more complicated than it needs to be. I hoped for suggestions, instructions or examples of how living with less can add joy to our lives. The book does offer suggestions, but rather than feeling thoughtful and making me feel inspired and optimistic, it is stressing me out (I'm on chapter 7). The writing style is choppy to read. Rather than come across as relaxed and friendly, I find it intimidating and alienating. The examples are often about 'more time for social interactions' and 'what if you could travel anywhere??' - nice for some people, but I'm a quiet soul, prefer my "home base" and traveling suddenly with only a backpack does not inspire me to pare down my lifestyle. I don't need a high shock value lead-in for motivation.

I'm not an editor, but I also am having trouble with many short sentences and plenty of over-the-top punctuation (! or ? etc) and too casual in style. I guess for a book with sections entitled "Philosophy", I expected a better synthesized and educated argument - with clear key points - to be presented, albeit in a way for all of us to understand.

For all that the book chapters make sense to 'declutter, organize, and simplify your life' I have a hard time picking out the To Do list from the abstract 'what if' scenarios and random commentary. Where I would expect inspiring examples and positive reasoning for why to simplify, instead I find I can barely follow the thought process in the book. Maybe I haven't spent enough time reading "sound bites" on the internet or Twitter or Facebook... I'm still thinking I will finish reading the book, but maybe I should just declutter it and have the 2 hours of my life back... hmm...

I have been reading Francine's blog for months. This book is perfect if you really want a guide to a minimalist life. Do not buy this book if you are looking for a book to help you organize your clutter and excess.

The first 25% of this book was an overview of the philosophy of minimalism, and it was awesome and inspiring. It got me pumped to look at my material possessions in a new way, and it gave me psychological permission to get rid of a mountain of crap that I realized I really don't want anyway. I felt like I had a new lease on life.

But after that first section, when she starts taking you on a tour of how to de-clutter room by room, to me it became an excruciatingly dull read and a little insulting to my intelligence. The level of detail she goes into is completely unnecessary for anyone who has a lick of common sense. It honestly felt as if she was 'padding' the text just to make the book longer.

There were actually some good tips interspersed in there, so some people might find it worthwhile to wade through all the fluff. But this would have been a better book if the author had exercised some minimalism in her writing, and not talked down to her readers so much. After such a great start to this book, it was a shame that by the end my opinion of it had dipped so low.

I live in an apartment that tends to get cluttered quickly because I don't have a basement or other designated storage space. I really liked the first part of the book which was more general, but when she started talking about specific parts of the house, she lost me.

I would have liked a stronger emphasis on the philosophy of minimalism and how to *think* like a minimalist, instead of detailed descriptions of stuff I don't have in a home I don't own. (A kayak? Really? I don't even own a bicycle.) I thought the decluttering tips were written for people with only mild clutter issues. Someone with a large job to tackle would quickly bog down. She talks about emptying a room and putting back only what belongs - that would be impossible in my little apartment, or impossible for anyone with real clutter issues, or a busy family to deal with.

There was a part in the end section where she described twenty houses and each homeowner had a mower to cut the tiny lawn. She said it would be more minimalist if there were one lawnmower that all the neighbors shared. I had to laugh. With all the advice columnists fielding letters about someone's nutty neighbor doing nutty things, would anyone really want to share a lawnmower with twenty other households? That's a setup for homicide. How's this for minimalism: live in an apartment complex where maintenance takes care of the lawn care for you, or hire a service so you don't have to own lawn care tools.

In a lot of ways, minimalism is a luxury for people who are financially stable and successful, who can afford to hire a service, or eat out instead of cooking at home. If one grew up underprivileged and collects stuff against (possible) hard times or has issues with tossing/donating items that still may have use or monetary worth, minimalism may be a very difficult philosophy to adopt. Why do many of us have stuff? Because it is cheaper to make things at home for ourselves than outsource that labor. At least, that is the illusion! As the author lays out, there are hidden costs in caring and storing and disposing of that stuff. Some of the costs are psychological, as the stuff makes our living areas less pleasant. The trick is to pinpoint what is most useful and keep that, and recycle the rest as efficiently as possible. Minimalism is about being aware of what one needs, what works and what doesn't, and ruthlessly culling the duds. That's about it. The critical skill and key to minimalism, then, is learning to identify the most useful items. Clutterbugs need help there.

The first section of the book was good reading, but I didn't think the author dug into the foundation of minimalism and the attraction to stuff as deep as she could have. I was left wanting more of the first part, which applies to everyone no matter if they live in an apartment, house or yurt.

I really enjoyed reading this book as I prepared to declutter and downsize to a home that is the right size for my family. I got a lot of pressure and guilt from family members who had given me the various gifts, hand me downs and "heirlooms" that were weighing me down. I sold much of these items and felt freer for it, reading helped me stick to my guns. Having said that, there is not enough information here to warrant an entire book. I could have read it all in a feature length article in a magazine. I didn't need to read how I could apply these rules to every room in the house.
Some great ideas, and a lot of filler.

She believes socks have feelings and need to rest after a hard day's work. In spite of this and many such doubtful (to say the least) assumptions, I must admit she gives quite a few very useful tips I was able to use. My advice: wade through the seemingly delusional & sift the useful.

It is a good book and lots of great suggestions. My husband is the one who really wanted to purchase this book and he really likes it. I personally am not enthused about any declutter type of book. I don't consider a home decorated with things that give me enjoyment and peace to be about storage. This book is called minimalist living which is as far as I'm concerned another way of saying declutter. Yes, I believe a home should be organized, clean and not overly done. I will say that I am thinning out some of the items we have collected over the years, but I do not plan on getting rid of almost everything. The book is humorous at times and she does have some good suggestions. I do not believe in going to any extreme in any case. If this minimalist living is the type of living you are interested in then this is a very good guide. For me personally I will use some of the suggestions but not all of it.

The Joy of Less is a good read, but I have to stop short of calling it a solid or great read. Why? I believe in keeping things in their place, I'm somewhat of a neat freak, or so my wife says. We've been married for 44 years and we have many memories connected to what the book calls "treasures." it isn't realistic to consider being a minimalist when we know that our kids will treasure many of the things we leave behind. I agree there needs to be a common sense approach to hangings on to our things, but the book falls short and glazes over this part.

I bought the book with great expectations hoping to finally get organized. First chapters were o.k. but each room she went to, was a repetition of the initial chapters. I finally gave up reading when I got the the "Bathroom" chapter.
I did try to clean out a cupboard, -- but now I regret having thrown out all my shopping bags and just having a couple left.
I don't think I will ever be a true minimalist. Anet

The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify by Francine Jay is a recommended inspirational guide to living with less.

Also known as Miss Minimalist, Francine Jay has updated and revised her original The Joy of Less published in 2010. I've been curious about the minimalist movement for several years. After spending years moving approximately every 4-5 years, I am naturally inclined to declutter and reduce the sheer volume of stuff I own. This book seemed like it would be a great match to inspire me to do more of what I already do naturally. The Joy of Less accomplished the goal of inspiring me to greater minimize my belongings, to cull what is not needed, but it wasn't a perfect fit for me as an individual.

The Joy of Less is "about decreasing the amount of stuff you have to deal with in the first place. Furthermore, you won’t have to answer quizzes, make checklists, or fill out charts - who has time for that? And there won’t be dozens of case studies about other people’s junk; the focus here is on you." According to Jay our stuff can be divided into three categories: useful stuff, beautiful stuff, and emotional stuff. We need to decide what category our things belong in and deal with them accordingly.

Jay Streamline method is the highlight of the book and could be adapted to many different households and lifestyles. She shows how to use this method and them takes you through a room by room tour on how to use it
STREAMLINE consists of:
Start over
Trash, treasure, or transfer
Reason for every item
Everything in its place
All surfaces clear
Modules
Limits
If one comes in, one goes out
Narrow it down
Everyday maintenance

I think most of us have heard the phrase, "A place for everything, and everything in its place." This is one of the most important minimalist principles and it works alongside the "One In-One Out" rule. This is a strong point of Jay's book - she breaks down the concept into steps that will help anyone interested in decluttering succeed at it. Jay does get repetitious in sharing her thoughts, which might bother some readers, although it is helpful for those who are simply flipping to the chapters they are interested in reading. Jay does maintain a positive, chipper, up-beat attitude throughout the book.

While Jay has some great points, she also made a few nonsensical statements that puzzled me and left me scratching my head. To support her premise that all of our stuff may be draining us of time, she asked: "How many precious hours have we wasted running to the dry cleaners, how many Saturdays have been sacrificed to oil changes or car repairs, how many days off have been spent fixing or maintaining our things (or waiting for a technician to make a service call)? How often have we agonized (or scolded our children) over a broken vase, chipped plate, or mud stains on our area rugs?"

Routine car maintenance to ensure your vehicle is in good working condition is just a given for many people. Or if your job requires a wardrobe where clothes need to be dry cleaned, that doesn't preclude having a well-planned minimal wardrobe of quality items. What, rather than repair items we replace them (and wait for delivery)? And we have no vases, plates, or rugs so we won't need to tell children to not track in mud or play ball in the house? (Basic family rules shouldn't be thrown out like they are clutter.)

Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

I hate this book! I purchased Two of the hardcover books for me and for my daughter. I did this because it was the 'newer edition' rather than get the digital edition. What a waste! The printing is so faint it is unreadable. Yes, unreadable! Do I like the book? Is there useful information? Who knows. In a lifetime of reading, I have never had this happen before. What a rip-off.

I'm half way though the book, and my home is getting clutter free day by day !
The book has already made EZ lay out ideas , that if you stick to the books plan, 4o percent of my stuff will be out the door!!

While contemplating purchasing this book, I read a review claiming this book was much more helpful that Marie Kondo's. My first reaction was: BLASPHEMY! Marie Kondo changed my life and changed how I viewed "stuff". But after reading Francine Jay's The Joy of Less, I see his point. What was most helpful for me was a combination of both women's work. Francine Jay's book is more helpful when it comes to decluttering and deciding what to throw out and what to keep; Marie Kondo was more helpful when it came to actually organizing and storing my things, and creating a home that radiates happiness. Francine Jay's philosophy is the better and more motivating one. I am highly organized by nature (like, since birth), so The Joy of Less helped me figure out my real problem - falling prey to a culture of consumerism - and ultimately, I hope, made me a better person. If I had to recommend just one book, it would be The Joy of Less, but I would recommend following it with Spark Joy.

I stopped "listening" to this books when I read that I can convert all my paper books in byte....I know that less is better and decluttering is good and so on but everybody knows that if it's books it's not hoarding! Everything else I have already managed but still I disagree also in the coffee machine, if you leave far from Italy, Nespresso is the only choice.

Ho smesso di dare retta a questo libro quando ha suggerito che convertire tutti i libri di carta in ebook poteva essere una buona soluzione....va bene che "meno é meglio" e cosí via, ma lo sanno tutti che se sono libri non si puó parlare di accumulo! Per il resto ero piú o meno d'accordo su tutto, ma anche la faccenda di non comprare una macchinetta del caffé non regge, perché se non vivi in Italia la Nespresso é l'unica soluzione.

Most of the information was helpful. However, when you get to the kitchen area, the author wants you to pare down to only a plate and one set of utensils per family member. Very extreme and a bit ridiculous. Do minimalist carry a plate, knife and fork where ever they go? Also thought the prospect of emptying the entire room of furniture extreme. Finally, a true minimalist would get this book at the library.

This is by far the best decluttering book I've ever read. It really works. This book is mostly geared towards home owners which you can tell by the mentions of things like, garages, basements and attics. For NYC one bedroom apartment dwellers like myself obviously these things don't apply.

The author sticks her nose up at rental storage facilities and states that it's silly to spend money on space for stuff you have that you don't even use enough to keep in your own place. This makes a lot of sense and it served me well for a couple of years... Until I wanted to start traveling and camping at least once a year. Then I found I needed to buy all this stuff. I tried to be minimalist about it, but things like a warm and cool weather sleeping bags, Travel blankets and towels, travel pillows, tents, luggage, etc... Some of these things aren't really safe or possible to rent for hygenic reasons. So by the time we got all this stuff I was really stressed out because we were DROWNING in stuff. I wanted nothing more than to throw it all out and live the simple life of a monk- but travel and long term camping were things we really wanted to experience more often. We ended up renting a storage space... it was the best thing we ever did. Not only do we put all our camping and travel stuff in it, but we also put our winter items like clothing there during the summer time. The author states that having a storage space is a bad idea because it will only encourage you to buy things that are unneccessary for you to own as you know you'll have space to store it. And she was so right about that... after we got the storage space suddenly a ski and golf set started to look real good- but luckily we caught ourselves in time and remembered what the author said. So that's definitely something to look out for. But as long as you're smart about it -if house dwellers can have attics and garages to experience the joy of less with why can't we apt dwellers have a storage space? The moral of the story is that Apt people will have to make a few adjustments here and there with this book. Different people will have to make adjustments anyway to suit their needs, but since this book is so obviously geared towards home owners apt people will especially need to make them. Still the best book I've ever read on the subject anyway though.

After being introduced to minimalism from a friend of mine on YouTube, I began to take interest in what it really means to live a minimalist lifestyle. I wanted to figure out how I could incorporate some of the concepts into my life without having to get rid of all my precious stuff! This book does a great job of explaining the mindset. The author also walks you through each room in your house and talks you through the decluttering process step by step. For me this part was very useful because each room serves a very different purpose to me. The bathroom, my bedroom, my living room, my kitchen, my guest room, and not to forget all the closets and outdoor shed. I am still in the process of getting rid of more and more, but what this book does is teach you to be mindful when bringing more stuff into your house. We don’t end up with 6,000 possessions in one trip to Target. They accumulate over time. All the the store purchases and impulse buys at the thrift store had slowly started to pile up in my house. For the last 3 weeks I have filled my outdoor garbage can to the brim with items I deem no longer necessary. It feels good and I hope that as time passes on I will see more empty space in my house. I highly recommend this book if you are looking to jumpstart your minimalist or even just a decluttering journey.

Helpful tips in the intro chapters. Got very repetitive. Also, did not like the concept of not buying items that are made in third world countries because, "They may make only pennies per hour, and have no hope of pulling themselves, or their families, out of poverty." <-- how does boycotting the companies that employ them help that situation? The companies are giving them jobs! By boycotting the products, you are hurting the workers. I disagree with the author's economics.

This is a great book to help you to downsize your material possessions. Ms. Jay’s book has helped me to realize that making excuses to keep things that are no longer needed is blocking me from having a fuller, and more care-free life! She has created a system where it is easier to sort things, and store things (and get rid of things), and her book is packed with lots of great ideas! I really like her concept of modules—consolidating related items in one area. She makes the suggestion of having a first-aid module, or a craft module, or a DVD module, etc. Having similar things together in one space, or one box, is a time-saver, because it makes it easier to find things. Getting rid of unnecessary items that are covering up the things you do need, also saves time.

The minimalistic view of life is something I really believe in. The fact that your mind, creativity and relationships can be changed when you empty the space you live in. wanting less is helping you to gain freedom and see life clearly.

People always wanted to own more stuff, to buy and to keep. But it don't bring you happiness. You are like a boulimic, busy to put stuff into your life because you are afraid to miss or lack.

But as soon as you understand that you don't need all the objects, all the new devices or the last fashionable clothes, you start to breath again.

This book is interesting if you want to learn more about the minimalistic lifestyle and how to declutter. Nothing new under the sun but it's well written and the advices are well put.
If you want to change your life, this book will help you to go room by room to clean your space as well as to clean your relationships.

It's a good one to understand you don't need to buy and possess to fulfill yourself and be happy. A good way to find freedom from the marketing and advertising pressure and to become your true self.

Easy read and gives a slight twist to the decluttering process. The slight twist was what I needed to get beyond the standard "Keep, Trash, or Treasure" mantra. That part of the book was very good. However, the author is a little out to lunch with a few things that made me laugh out loud. For example, the boomerang effect for dealing with children's misplaced things was hysterical. The only thing that teaches a child is "that if I leave it in the living room, it'll magically appear in my room later. Why would I ever put anything away? Someone else will do it for me." LOL!!! The author does go into the full cost and effect of consumer waste, but it steps over the line into a sanctimonious lecture. This is explained throughout the book, but then to add insult to injury, she devotes a whole chapter to bashing the reader over the head with it at the end.

Feeling weighed down recently, I purchased 4 books about decluttering: Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less, the joy of less, Unclutter Your Life in One Week, and The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul. Here is a comparison of them.

Less is not really about decluttering so much as Zen. The book is more about less busyness than less stuff. It is about mindfulness. It is about facing fears. It is business-oriented. For someone interested in cultivating a minimalist approach to living, Less does not have that much to offer.

The 100 Thing Challenge is more the sort of book I had in mind to buy. Written by a man who spent a year living with only 100 possessions, it is an anti-consumerist tract. It has some limited practical advice, but it is more about the experience of doing without things than a how-to.

The Joy of Less and Unclutter Your Life in One Week are both how-to books, but they are rather different in focus. The Joy of Less takes a single systematic approach to decluttering (represented by the acronym STREAMLINE) and shows how it might be applied to decluttering various parts of your home. Unclutter Your Life in One Week has a more shot-gun approach, suggesting a variety of different methods for organizing and reducing clutter. Both books are written by women but their focus is quite different. The Joy of Less is addressed primarily to women. Its style is like that of girlfriends dishing, and the examples it references (e.g., beauty products cluttering up the bathroom) are clearly women's concerns. On the other hand, Unclutter Your Life in One Week is addressed primarily to men. It talks about suits and business matters, and its style is bullet points and talking points. Another significant difference is that The Joy of Less is oriented toward a total lifestyle, including environmentally-friendly purchases, while Unclutter Your Life is more narrowly focused on organizing one's life. One book is written by a NYC gall and the other by a DC gall. Can you guess which is which?

Are any of the books worth buying?

What I was really looking for was a book that would delve into research a little and identify what areas of life make the most difference in minimalizing and what that difference might be. None of these books took that approach. The how-to books are based on sensible advice and suggest that you will feel better by living in a simpler, more organized space, but that is all hearsay. Maybe you are a creative person with a lot of hobbies. Will throwing things out really improve your life?

These books might be helpful to you if you aren't good at organizing your things already. At one time or another, many of the suggestions in Joy of Less or Unclutter Your Life are things I figured out on my own. I think if you have a natural propensity to live a minimalist and organized lifestyle, none of these books are going to have anything of value for you. But if your living space is overflowing with things you can't figure out how to deal with, you might learn something from either of these how-to books. If your problem is that you buy too many things, you might want to check out the 100 Thing Challenge. Other than Less, all of these books also have accompanying websites such missminimalist.com, unclutter.com, and guynameddave.com

If you are interested in the sustainability impact of minimalism, you might also be interested in No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process or Better Off : Flipping the Switch on Technology (P.S.).

I've been reading several books in the same vein lately, and this one stands out as one of the more practical to everyday life. The philosophy is excellent and Jay's passion for the subject is evident. If you're leaning towards this way of living her enthusiasm and easy method will likely spur you into action.

I have one gripe with the book, and it deals with the very repetitive nature of the chapters on applying the rules to each room in the house. We already went over the system and a single example 'how to' would have ben fine. Specifics on each room could have been a page of bullet points instead of many pages saying basically the same thing as the chapters before. That, after all, is minimalist. :)

That came off as more critical than maybe it deserves, because this is the best book on applied minimalism to the average American/Euro that I've read. I recommend it without a doubt!

Big fan of Francine Jay, have always loved her writing, and I always recommend the book Miss Minimalist as one of the top minimalist books of all time. Followed her blog for years and missed her when she took a break to raise her child. I've read more minimalist books than I'd like to admit, and I vlog weekly about minimalism. I've been a minimalist for many years.

It is surprising to me that this book is $10 and the classic Miss Minimalist, only $1. This book is very tedious and repetitive. I would have thought the other book would have been since it was just a compilation of blog posts, but it was all fresh and original.

It is difficult to get through minimalist books that are not minimalist in their approach. This book is not at all to the point. Instead, long-winded and hard to stick with. The middle is very dry, but she pulls it together towards the end, leaving you with a good impression of the book overall. Still, I expected more -- or rather, less. I did not leave with good ideas like I did with Miss Minimalist. It was a monotonous walk-through of exactly how to declutter, which none of the information was original or necessary. She went through each category of the house in the same manner and could have summarized the method in one chapter.

I very much enjoy philosophy, so I enjoyed some of the philosophical parts, but she didn't need to go into the sustainability of minimalism so in-depth. It deserved a paragraph at most.

Overall, for most of the book, it feels as if she is droning on, much like a four-hour sermon, and so it loses its effectiveness and impact. It takes the joy out of minimalism, which is ironic, given the name. I hope when Francine makes her next book, she will take the approach of Leo and keep them succinct and personal. I will never complain a book is too short. Instead of giving us exact instructions, it would be nice if she just told us what she does/has exactly for recipes, possessions, and schedule. Then we could glean inspiration and figure the rest out easily.

I was provided a copy of this book by GoodReads. Given the popularity of the recent bestseller The Magic of Tidying Up, I wasn't surprised to see other books on the market in a similar vein. I didn't realize this book was initially self-published which I give a huge kudos to the author for doing well before the "minimalize" movement.

I was torn between rating this book 4 and 5 stars. The main reason I went with a 4 was due to the fact I felt overwhelmed sometimes. Lots of info which can turn you off, but in all fairness, the author was probably trying to touch as many bases as possible. Not everyone gloms onto the same aspect of organization and like most "help" books, you take what you like and leave the rest.

As someone who is constantly trying to stay in the zone of being organized, but usually goes off grid once in awhile, I found her explanations and suggestions very helpful. I plan to use her approach and concepts and see how well I stay on course. : ) Overall, it's a great reference for anyone looking to de-clutter just about any (or all) aspect of their life.

I've read plenty of articles on getting rid of clutter, but the clutter remains. Francine Jay's book, however, gave me an idea that I think will work: when you're ready to de-clutter a room, first empty it out fully (haul your stuff into another room), and then start over the way you'd want the room if you just moved in that day. Next, bring back in just the stuff you really want.

What makes this idea work is the psychology of it: once you reinvent the room the way you want it to be, you won't want to junk it up again with all your extra crap. That start-fresh approach works better than just culling out items one at a time, because the one-at-a-time strategy is too gradual and you agonize over every knick-knack. (At least for me, anyway.)

I also enjoyed Jay's sense of humor and the way she works in so many funny examples of clutter ("Will we ever really need 20 pairs of chopsticks?") You'll chuckle and nod your head in agreement with all the ways she exposes the clutterer's rationalizations, such as hanging onto a foundue pot you haven't used in ten years because you spent a lot of money on it and you might need it again in another decade or so, or a broken chair you'll never get around to fixing.

Finally, I appreciated Jay's points that minimalism isn't just a style, it's a call to arms to reject the wasteful, polluting, soul-sucking and wallet-emptying consumer mentality that bombards us from every direction.

Often I find myself overly obsessing about a product that I really want - spending hours on researching reviews, looking for the best price, and ultimately wasting my time. This book is not just about de-cluttering, it's about learning to look at products and things in a different way. I was starting to accumulate things in my house that I never use anymore. I found myself in the last few years buying things, using them once or twice, and then never using them again. I was a bit skeptical about picking up this "self-help" book, but the author brings up a lot of philosophy and advice that can literally change your life, yet offers practices that are easy to apply in real life. I have certainly felt the benefits of minimalism already - just after reading half the book! I highly recommend this book. De-clutter your house...de-clutter your mind!

An easy read that gives you a philosophy for decluttering. I thought I was already pretty good at decluttering, but I hung on to some stuff. She convinced me that I should question everything and gave some good reasons.

As for the writing, she loves exclamation points (!), as well as the word "tchotchkes"--she LOVES that word and uses it over and over. I've never heard of it until now.

Anyway, I recommend it if you can grab it at your local library.

She has a wonderful way of looking at things. From challenging you to think about what you would actually pay to replace if it was all lost, to encouraging you to realize how much you already own when you feel the need to buy more (she suggests trying to number your things when you think you don't have a lot), Francine works on challenging your rationalizations for why your stuff matters, and encourages you to get rid of those things which don't.

I really enjoyed most of this book. It started out strong with the "streamline" technique and had a lot of good information. Reading this definitely gave me some great ideas and made the decluttering process easier. The author went room by room using the streamline method for each room. While she repeated herself quite often, the points that were repeated were important. 5 stars for the first part of the book and THEN......
I got to the last section where the book took a very hippie-like turn. This is not what I expected in this type of book. The author then started preaching about going green, recycling and sweatshops. While this information may be useful to some, I believe it should belong in another book.
If you are needing help getting rid of clutter and overcoming the struggle of letting things go, I would definitely give this book a shot. If you are into the hippie life, then the end will be an added bonus!

This book helps with the guilt, sentimental attachment, and other psychological reasons for why we hold onto too much stuff. The author helps you to let go of some of the mental baggage, which allows you to let go of the extra stuff! I let go of things that I've toted around since I was a teenager! My husband is impressed with how different our home is! We have more storage for the items we actually use, less clutter, and more space for living! Don't just reorganize the clutter, reduce it! There really is joy in less. Read this book; it will change your life!

This book changed my life and the lives of my clients! This was the first book I had ever read on decluttering. Decluttering is the number one thing a person can do increase their energy.Once you start decluttering there are so many things that will start shifting from that point. I often wonder where I would be if I hadn't read this book. Thank you, Miss Minimalist for the lives you have touched. I'm always so excited when Monday morning comes to read the Miss Minimalist blog. Francine is sweet, funny, and real:) She is a delight to read and inspires on so many levels with The Joy Of Less!

This is a wonderful book about simplifying in order to enjoy life more. What I appreciated the most is that Francine Jay doesn't lecture and doesn't tell us what we have to get rid of based on her own minimalist lifestyle choices. Instead she challenges the reader to simply ask the important questions about what is truly useful, what is needed, and what actually adds to the joy of daily life by its presence. When we look at our possessions through those lenses, getting rid of everything else becomes easier.

In Jay's words, "Anything you use often, and which truly adds value to your life, is a welcome part of a minimalist household...but remember: to be useful, an item has to be used. That's the catch: most of us have a lot of potentially useful things that we simply don't use."

The other message of this book is that with the aquiring of possessions comes responsibility - how to pay for it in the first place, the upkeep of it, moving it from place to place, and the added stress to protect it all from theft or breakage. Then comes the temptation to upgrade when we see the next ad for a bigger, better version of what we already own which quickly loses its appeal in the comparison.

The book is divided into four sections: Philosophy (you are not what you own), Streamline (a reason for each item and setting limits), Room by Room (a plan for decluttering each room), Lifestyle (making room for what is important). I benefitted most from the first two sections and am motivated to look at what is in our home with fresh eyes as I evaluate why certain items remain. Jay never asks us to get rid of anything that we truly like or need; but rather encourages us to consider letting go of the mediocre that holds no real value and maybe we don't even like anymore but we hang onto it out of obligation whether because of emotional attachment, because it was a gift, or because it was expensive.

I've read a lot of books on simplifying but this is one of the best for preparing oneself mentally and emotionally for the process of uncluttering all areas of life. Once one understands the joy of less and the joy of enough, getting rid of excess becomes an exciting journey.

I've only read the free sample and would love to read the rest but I'm shocked that the second edition only comes via hardcover!!! It's incredibly hypocritical that a book on minimalism doesn't come in electronic format. I don't want to buy the first edition because it want the section on family. If the author or publisher is reading this, please explain yourself or tell us when the electronic version will be available. I'd love to change my review.

This book has inspired me greatly! I have recommended, and will continue to recommend, this book to everyone I come in contact with that desires to live a more simple, less chaotic lifestyle... searching for freedom from stuff. Living with minimal things is not how I was raised, so deciding to minimize my belongings was a big decision for me. I have had to go beyond what I have been taught, by family and society, and find my own balance of stuff that suits ME and MY lifestyle. This book has been the exact thing that I have needed and has inspired me beyond anything or anyone else. I now feel the freedom to do things with my husband and children without feeling like I need to be home cleaning and organizing. With less stuff, there is nothing to clean or organize. At the end of the month, we actually had quite-a-bit of our pay check left over that allowed us to put more in savings or help someone else in need. As you can probably tell... I love this book!

I bought this book and then realized how insane this purchase was: if I am trying to CUT clutter from my life, do I really need another book on the shelf with "helpful" hints on how to do so? No, not really.

I've found that almost all of the hints and helpful advice in this book are common sense to most people already or are listed on websites about decluttering your life and simplifying the way you live --websites about green or clean living have many more helpful hints and won't clutter up your bookshelf! Save yourself some money and just check out some websites! You'll save time and get more useful information!

For years I've wanted to have less crap and I'd wade through it but not get very far in decluttering, so I was READY, but still just not ORGANIZED enough. This book helped me clean out more stuff in a week that I started it, than in a year of other books (yep, I have LOTS of books on decluttering). Author somehow helped me to get much more clear on what I want in my life, on how to judge if something is helping or hindering my path.

A truly down to earth minimalist guide that has something for everybody. Very detailed information to help you every step of the way and to understand the philosophy of minimalism as well as the psychology behind having so much "stuff".

The book is broken down into easy to digest areas. You may think you only need to read only one or two parts, but really you won't be able to put it down. It will have you rethinking how you live.

Remove the clutter in your life and learn to live better in the process.

Frugal Matters

I loved this book. I was actually surprised by the title. My New Years resolution was to become a 'happy minimalist'. I think the idea is catching on, maybe not such good news for the economy, but we have become so "stuff" oriented.

Francine really hits home. I thought she had been reading my mind. I love the idea of using one bowl, one glass, and one utensil. Why not? Think of the water and power we would save.

Thank you for writing this book, I am inspired!!

I love the idea of living with less, and the principles the author outlines are very sound. The main problem is repetition - she takes her STREAMLINE process and practically boilerplates it to every room of the house, adapting her peppy motivational speech to each room and adding a few tips here and there, resulting in a book which is 100 pages too long and yet lacking in the item by item checklists that some other books offer. Her perspective is holistic, including the all-important notions of maintaining spaces once they have been decluttered. It's just that the format of the book is unnecessarily wordy and loses its freshness about a third of the way through. I tried skipping to different chapters but quickly lost interest again. The upshot is that the book did get me thinking about my space and working to streamline it.

If I have read this book out loud to my husband over dinner for the next month, I will.

I've been a fan of Ms.Jay since I read Frugillionare. I have clipped coupons and been a bargain hunter for more years than I care to admit.

I wasn't sure if The Joy of Less would be meaningful to me since we downsized and eliminated a lot of our "excess" over six years ago. After reading this, I've realized how much "stuff" has been sneaking back into our little two bedroom townhouse. And, so much of it is my husband's stuff! Tools that moved with us and have been in the attic for six years now, cans of nuts and bolts and nails. I'm at fault too, too many bags of yarn and blocks of wood from my hobbies. But I can honestly say, after reading this, I've cleaned out my closet and out went the clothes and shoes I no longer wear, and I've tossed a bunch of kitchen items I thought I had to have and then never used.

My house still needs a lot of work, and I will never be a total minimalist, but I have more room and less clutter and I'm really happier. I think twice now about buying that extra item. Case in point, we recently remodeled our kitchen - a necessary task to keep the resale value up on our townhome. I wanted something to hold the wet sponge at the sink, and Target had several good and "cute" options at $10 - $15. What I finally did was to pull out a crystal ashtray that I inherited from my father and it works great! It was packed away in a cabinet and of no other use, except it reminds me of him and my stepmom, so now it's useful and looks great by my sink.

I'm also getting ready to put several things on ebay that no longer are needed and wanted. I've been looking up "values" and most of my treasures are not worth what I thought!

So, it I can convert my husband, this book will be worth it's weight in gold!
Wish me luck.

Thanks, Ms. Jay, for making us think before we spend and clutter our lives with unnecessary "stuff".

I've read several books on decluttering, but this one has helped motivate me more than any other! I'm not a hoarder, but my hobbies were out of control...now I'm in the process of "STREAMLINING" and it feels wonderful! I think it was the thought of my kids going thru my stuff that finally got me clearing the excess out. So far I've filled 3 large moving boxes and still going :) A very good book that makes you think and motivates :)

This book has truly helped turn my life around! With two busy kids, a husband, and full time job I was a certified pack rat! I never had time to clean up the endless piles that keep appearing in my kitchen - but this book helped me to break the old habits that allowed 'stuff' to pile up in my house!

This booked is packed with tips to help with every aspect of organizing your life - just using a small fraction of the ideas has already had a tremendous impact on our daily life. When you minimize the clutter and 'stuff' it truly simplifies your life and reduces stress. The methods Francine describes for organizing each area of the home helps to provide a road map to follow so you can tackle your clutter one room at a time. I am only getting started but I can already see the results!

When someone teaches that it's okay that the carpet has been installed improperly (in their own home, no less!) and wants to teach you that "it's good enough" to me screams of tacky and SETTLING FOR LESS - not LIVING WITH LESS. Reducing quality is not the same as reducing quantity.
This book is on the wrong track, or on the wrong track for me, not to mention all over the place. The grammar and writing is sub-par. (I did see worse writing in 50Shades but that's another review.) Did the author pay to have this published or is this stuff selling these days?
I purchased "KonMari, the life changing magic of tidying up", found it to be so much better at addressing the issue of "tidying up" and with KonMari one does not have to settle for shoddy workmanship or poor quality carpet installation, in fact the opposite - less 'stuff', but you're surrounded with only things that give you pleasure. In defense of the book, it didn't take me long to toss it to the Salvation Army, so I didn't read the whole thing. Life is too short.

GOOD STUFF: Francine provides plenty of information and examples in this book, without sounding condescending or arrogant. It's the best book on minimalism/organization I've read so far; it's very down to earth and the author seems to realise that each person has different needs. I found the part about heirlooms and gifts really good, since I frequently feel guilty getting rid of things of that nature. I've read some of the articles in her blog and I liked the book way more.

BAD STUFF: Sometimes she is a bit repetitive, and I think the book would benefit of some sort of checklists/specific storage and organization solutions when she takes you on a decluterring tour of your house, which you can find in other similar books.

I've read a lot of minimalism books, many of which I enjoyed. This is the only one that actually helped me declutter my wardrobe. Had myself a little party and cut my wardrobe size in half--not kidding, in half! I've never been able to get rid of clothes. I pulled everything out of my closets, started to get stuck the way I usually do, and went back and reread the "Wardrobe" section. Smooth sailing from then on. I will probably read it again in six months when I redo my decluttering.

The whole book about cleaning the house. Definitely not worth it. How to make simple thing complicated and write the whole book about it. It is not about minimalism. Minimalism is a way of thinking about ourselves, our surrounding etc. That book is about cleaning your house...and surprise: to clean the house you have to have twenty-something-points plan. In terms of philosophy: one of the advices given in the book sounds like this - if your hobby requires too much items, just....change a hobby. There are better books on minimalism on the store.com.

I've heard people say things along the lines of "This book totally changed my life," but I've never felt that way about a book until now. I think minimalist living is the way to go. Of course minimalism means different things to different people. What might be necessary or considered clutter to me will be different for someone else. I've been on a de-cluttering streak for a couple of weeks now and I have donated so much stuff to Goodwill. It really feels great to simplify my life. Trying to pare down my belongings to the essentials is challenging and it means breaking emotional bonds that I've formed with my stuff, but less stuff really does equal less stress.

The book is very clear and straight forward.
It has chapters for every space in your house but also goes beyond about how to declutter your schedule and your time... I like how it talks about the impact our consuming behaviors have in the world too...
I don't consider myself a minimalist and before this book I thought to be a minimalist you'll need to live with one change of clothes and in a very tiny studio... It makes you understand that you have to set up your limits in what you need and what's enough for you might not be enough for someone else...
I would recommend it even if you don't think you can be a hard core minimalist, this book has great advices and great techniques about decluttering and green behaviors
Can wait to start going through my stuff!

I recently purchased the Kindle version of this book. The author writes about minimalist living and how to declutter your home and life. Her writing is light and easy to read. However I feel that this book is good for those who needs inspiration and wants but don't know how to declutter. The author writes about why it's beneficial to clean out the excesses of our lives. In the beginning of the book, she does a good job inspiring me to become motivated in cleaning out my junk. However, the book can get a bit tedious as she goes into each room and advises you on how to declutter the room. Its got some good advice for those who don't know how to start tackling their overflowing objects. Overall, I feel that I can get info on decluttering from the numerous minimalist blogs on the internet.

Easy read but it really made me think. I may not be as minimal as the author but I have been cleaning and cleaning since I finished the book. Lots of trash created. It is so nice to have closet shelves with space and drawers with space. Thanks. It was just what I needed to get me going. This book and watching Hoarders are wonderful motivation to downsize my "stuff."

What a motivating book to declutter life! I come from a family of "pack rats" and this book in a great instructional guide on how to attack decluttering my house. I already started a room. I can't stress enough the author's great skill in motivational writing.

In these times of economic uncertainty, downsizing may bring an emotional upheaval when trying to get by on fewer things. Fortunately, Francine Jay makes this journey a trip to genuinely cherish in "The Joy of Less". She presents minimalism not as something barren and empty but as freedom and space that makes our lives more enjoyable. And where can this make more of a personal impact than our homes?

This book is in four parts: Philosophy, Streamline, Room by Room and Lifestyle. In Philosophy, she introduces the concept of minimalism and asks the reader to think about our possessions and the value we attach to them: Are we defined by what we own? How much is enough to possess and actually use? And how clutter keeps us back in several ways, not just physically but at the very core of our lifestyle.

In Streamline, she lays out a methodical and clear strategy of de-cluttering our homes. In fact, `Streamline' itself is a handy ten-word mnemonic to guide the process of, well, streamlining! Separating our possessions into Trash, Treasure or Transfer helps to identify what we need to keep and what we can let go - either to the dump or to sell or donate to charity. And everything we keep must make a strong case to remain and have a place it can stay. Which is not on a surface like a table or even the floor, that must remain clear of objects lest it attracts stray items like a magnet. Her concept of storage cuts across three realms: Inner circle, outer circle and deep storage for items used often, sometimes and rarely respectively. `Room by Room' takes the streamline concept and applies it to each room in your home, taking into account the different and unique purpose of them all. She goes into detail how each space can be overhauled into peaceful, calm and de-cluttered oasises.

She closes in her `Lifestyle' section with a homily to expanding minimalism from de-cluttering to saving time from our busy schedules and even to a concept of `minsumerism', a means of reducing our consumption by the Three Rs of reduce, re-use and recycle. This is not an eco-rant on the sly but an instructive exploration of how a life of `enough' can pay dividends on the resources of the planet. She sums this up by comparing an ever-seeking, never-satisfied hunger for material acquisition as akin to a bull in a china shop, when in fact a more considerate approach is more like a butterfly, moving gracefully and lightly without leaving nary a footprint behind!

This is a great book from the writer of the `Miss Minimalist' blog (and NOT a reprint of what appears online). As we all face potentially stark choices of doing more with less in these trying times, we could all embrace `The Joy of Less'!

Living with less means living more freely. This book inspired me to take a good look at what I have, what I need and what I want. The answer I found is that I have much more than I need and way more than I want. I've been giving away, trashing or selling many belongings since I've finished this book. A new look on life feels great.

The book was repetitive, really repetitive. It would repeat ideas like the same way I am repeating myself right now. It had a couple of good ideas stretched out over the length of a novel.

Many of her ideas like having automatic debits to creditors come straight out of your bank account are exactly the opposite of what is recommended by financial advisors and security experts. Comments like this clearly indicate that none of this book was ever researched.

As the book lacked in content, so too did it in writing. Sentences like "Imagine drawing an imaginary line," can be found throughout. About two thirds the way through the book, when I read this line, I imagined that I finished it and quit reading.

This is the first book I have read on the topic of minimalist living and it has had a major influence on my family's life. The author makes her point clearly and convincingly (in my opinion). While I appreciate the effect that this book has had on my life, I'd have to say that condensing the book would have been beneficial. The chapters going through each room of the house contain abundant amounts of redundant material. I found myself skimming through many sections. The book was good, but quite redundant.

Ms. Jay is very committed to the minimalist/anti-consumer mentality. While I am trying to be less of a consumer (due to economic necessity), I could never exist with 4 plates in my kitchen. She helped me consider every item in my home, but in the end I decided that her style was too extreme for me. I like to have choices.

I think she has it exactly right. We all have too much stuff. Time to let go. I also appreciated how she supports people who are just willing to to start making changes but not necessarily ready to live out of a backpack Excellent motivation.

Wow! I wish I had this 2 years ago! I've been "de-cluttering" the house for 2 years now and Thanks to Francine "Miss Minimalist" Jay I have an ORGANIZED system to finish it and the realization that I WILL get it finished! Thanks so Much! I was so impressed with her ideas that I've just ordered her other book Frugillionaire.

This was not only the first book I read on the philosophy of minimalism, but also the best. It's about more than just 'decluttering' your environment. Read between the lines, take what you want from it and make it your own.

If you're going to steal another's work; at least, give the credit. I strongly suggest everyone read Don Aslett. This man was the actual originator of the decluttering movement...before it was the 'buzz' word. Not a single thing in here that I didn't read in his books 30 years ago.