The Well-Ordered Home: Organizing Techniques for Inviting Serenity into Your Life

by Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett, Carole Honeychurch (Editor), Michele Waters

Presents a collection of simple tips, anecdotes, exercises, and steps designed to help readers organize their their homes for better efficiency, peacefulness, and well-being. Original.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

119 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She is a Research Associate, and Affiliate Research Associate Professor of Psychology, specializing in women’s health at the Family Research Lab, University of New Hampshire. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in Health Psychology and Trauma Psychology, editor of the Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly, and is on the editorial boards of Journal of Human Lactation, Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, and Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a La Leche League leader, chair of the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Taskforce, and the Area Coordinator of Leaders for La Leche League of Maine and New Hampshire. Dr. Kendall-Tackett specializes in synthesizing current research on breastfeeding and related fields, facilitating the provision of evidence-based care. She is an academic researcher who also works clinically with mothers as a Lactation Consultant/LLL Leader. Dr. Kendall-Tackett has a long-standing interest in maternal depression, the lifetime health effects of childhood abuse, the link between trauma and chronic pain, and the psychological aspects of breastfeeding. Her current work examines the relationship between stress, depression and inflammation, and how this combination increases the risk of depression in new mothers. Breastfeeding, with its stress-lowering effects, is protective of maternal mood. She is also interested in psychological trauma related to difficult birth experiences and the long-term impact of childhood abuse on women's experiences of mothering and breastfeeding. Dr. Kendall-Tackett has authored more than 170 articles or chapters and is the author or editor of 17 books on maternal depression, family violence and breastfeeding. Her most recent books include: Non-Pharmacologic Treatments for Depression in New Mothers (2008, Hale Publishing), The Psychoneuroimmunology of Chronic Disease (2008, American Psychological Association),Writing for a General Audience (2007, American Psychological Assn), Intimate Partner Violence (2007, Civic Research Institute), and Breastfeeding Made Simple (co-authored with Nancy Mohrbacher, 2005, New Harbinger). A full listing of her books is available at www.GraniteScientific.com or www.BreastfeedingMadeSimple.com.

Reviews

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book on the recommendation of one of my new favorite bloggers, and because I love organization and reading about organization. Unfortunately, most of it was kind of lost on me as I already do about 90% of what the author talks about (the rest just doesn't apply to my life). Fortunately, it was a quick and simple read so I didn't lose too much of my life to it. I think this would be a great book for someone whose home is chaotic--it has good basic information and it is concise enough that nobody can procrastinate taking action for too long. If your home is already relatively orderly, probably not the best use of your time.

[Mishqueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good quick summary of almost all the basics of organizing and order. There are only a few recommendations that I think are a matter of opinion and lifestyle, but will still work with many people (just not me).

I think the book covered quite a bit of the most important things, and concisely. Kudos to the author. I didn't give it 5 stars even though I was very pleased with the amount & type of information because 1)I'm a star stinge, and 2)I just can't give an organizing book 5 stars if it's not illustrated (even better, lovely photos instead of diagrams).

[Nissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a concise overview of common-sense techniques for simpler and more orderly living. Each chapter was no more than two pages long, was easy to digest, and contained enough information to instruct without overwhelming. Her main point is that you don't become organized by reading about it, you become organized by taking a look at the way you live now and thinking about how organizing can make your life easier. An added benefit of her method of organization is savings of both time and money. A quick read, full of common sense and practical advice.

[Marjorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written by a psychologist/stress expert, so I had expectations of something different, but it was mostly conventional organizing advice. If you've read other books about organizing, you are unlikely to find much that is new here.

The best thing about the book is that it is written in a calm style and encourages readers to take on manageable, not overly large tasks. That did help make me feel a bit more motivated to tackle my mess, so the book has some value even though there isn't a lot of new information.

[Cocoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a reader who isn't already using most of the techniques in this book. I have read other books about home organization but found many of them added to my sense of feeling overwhelmed. I find this book to be clear and succinct. The author is less directive but instead asks helpful questions to help the reader find what will authentically work for them.

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the title. Unfortunately, that's as far as it goes. As I read this book, I kept thinking it was a copy of Don Aslett's books. Sure enough, a couple of his books are listed under sources. Oh, well....at least the title is inspiring.

[Richard Curry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A welcome primer on organizing. Makes a nice coffee table book, inspiring you to use "Active Storage" and other routines and concepts to keep getting better organized, starting from where you are now.

[Reginald Mead · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some good ideas in this book, but it also contained a lot of unrelated tangents. Some of the advice was also outdated (never run out of film) or just plain wrong (stock up on cat food, but don't worry about dog food because "dogs can eat anything").

[Del · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mweh. I've probably read too many of these. Not much new in this one.

[A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book sucked.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read (short book and short chapters), and I skimmed a few of the chapters. Okay advice, but nothing new.

[Linnae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good techniques if you're really just starting out. If your home is already fairly orderly, not much new here.