Minimalism: The Path to an Organized, Stress-free and Decluttered Life

Starting with the history of minimalism, I found this interesting as I really had no idea anything had truly started the "movement"! Having never been a pack rat and certainly now living more of a minimalistic lifestyle than ever before I did know much of what was in the second half of the book on teaching/encouraging folks how to get rid of their excess and still enjoy an abundant life. Minimalism is a lifestyle and not just about how much stuff you do or do not have. It goes beyond stuff. It's how you spend your time each week and more. The author challenges the reader to track their time for a week along with many other things. What are the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle? Just what is clutter? Learn why you can't be too sentimental when starting down the minimalist road. With each chapter having a recap at the end it is easy to refresh your memory on what you have just read.After general strategies the author goes into each area of your home in greater details starting with the 'dreaded' closet! What is Project 333? Interesting, this is followed by the 12-12-12 technique. If you are not ready to go the whole hog, the author encourages/shows you how to take baby steps.In some ways this book, set of ideas, could be deemed a little on the selfish side as the author emphasizes the need to "truly find out what makes you happy" which is a very insular way of thinking. In my opinion, we were not put on this earth just for ourselves. Later in the book the author talks about evaluating relationships. For example, if you spend a lot of time in the company of a 'victim' you will likely become like that yourself. Whilst I totally agree that some friendships are not healthy and should be kept to a minimum this can, in reality, never be black and white and the author does admit this. Sometimes we may have a difficult family member that we love but boy, do they cause the air in the room to blow cold. Sometimes we have to love them through this and be strengthened ourselves by doing so. As for sharing with your extended family about your new minimalist lifestyle, quite frankly living it out should be enough. If they think you're crazy, let them. Show by example how much happier and relaxed you are with less stuff!The information/numbers on technology is quite staggering. Is the author suggesting not using it at all? NO! BUT she does encourage you to unplug once in a while! Get out and smell the roses. Enjoy human contact and interactions face to face.This is NOT your typical short book on the subject of minimalism. Be ready to dig in and get serious. Is it well written? For the most part, yes but it could also use an edit as there were several mistakes. There is no linked index on the "GO TO" button on your Kindle so not easy to find the section you want unless you go to the Table of Contents at the beginning. Easy read which may not be so easy for some to put into practice.I downloaded this book onto my Kindle. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so. Thanks, Liz

Gwyneth Snow's book, "Minimalism: The Path to an Organized, Stress-free and Decluttered Life," joins a host of other how-to works that have been written recently on decluttering one's life, downsizing, tiny-house living, and other related topics. What makes her book different is its attempt in the first few chapters to tie this form of minimalism to the minimalist movement in art, which, according to what she writes, started in the 1960s, and found its way into music, fashion, and other areas. She also claims that a minimalistic lifestyle has become predominant among the Millennial generation.While I find what she says interesting, I don't see that she has drawn a clear causative connection between minimalism as an art form and what has come to be known as a minimalist lifestyle, which is the term currently being applied to an age-old desire to counteract materialism and acquisitivism, and has been known as voluntary simplicity, downsizing, and the like, and which has been the goal of most forms of monasticism for nearly two millennia. Indeed, writing several centuries B.C., the author of Ecclesiastes (traditionally believed to be Solomon) spoke against the consequences of such acquisitiveness as follows: "All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied" (Eccles. 6:7).Regarding her claim that the minimalistic tendency is characteristic of the Millennial generation, my experience in rearing two millennial children, having numerous millennial nieces and nephews, and having taught millennial students as a community college teacher, is that millennials are pretty much like other generations when it comes to the breakdown between those who practice an acquisitive lifestyle and those who are living as minimalists.The issue I have been addressing to this point is in reaction to the first quarter or so of Ms. Snow's book. The rest of the book gives advice about the various ways in which one can become a minimalist, including practicing minimalism in regard to one's wardrobe, furniture, and the like, minimalism in one's relationships with other people, and minimalism in the use (and abuse) of technology. The advice she gives is similar to that found in a host of other books on minimalism that have been written over the past few years and does not break much new ground. However, what she says is well organized and easy to follow, and her chapter on minimalism and technology does contain some interesting suggestions. So, if this is your first encounter with minimalism, her book is worth reading. If you're already practicing minimalism or have read several other books, you won't find much that you haven't heard before.I would also like to note that while this book is written clearly and on the whole is pretty well written, there are several grammatical and word usage errors (particularly in the first half of the book) that could have been avoided with a more careful copy editing.

The book has good ideas about how you can declutter your life and create space for more useful things that add value to your life. I like the fact that it was all round.

Quite a good book, only let down by it's wordiness! Is there such a word? There are many chapters from decluttering each room, your bookcases, food cupboards, fridge/freezer, your family, your friends, your mind, you get the picture. I don't think it covered cars, now that would've been really handy for someone I know! This is a kindle edition.

This us a great reference guide to starting on a minimalist path. Having read it from cover to cover I implemented a 15 minute daily de-clutter schedule for myself. Works great for me. Absolute beginners, like myself, will love the simplicity of the advice given here. If you're thinking a minimalist lifestyle may be the way to go, this is the book for you.

Whilst the author provides from useful advice on organising different areas of the house, I almost felt this book would be more appropriately listed among interior renovation, that on developing a minimalist lifestyle. That said, the information about the origins of minimalism in the Arts at the beginning was interesting and not something I'd come across before.

Really didn't like anything about this book. Skimmed most as it was a long winded exposition of the obvious. Some of the history was vaguely interesting. If I wasn't in a good mood this morning I would have given it less stars.

Good intro to minimalismBut quite repetitive in partsRecommend for people new to the concept as oppose to anyone experienced in it