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

by Gwyneth Snow

This book will provide you with a brief history of minimalism and its origins. It covers how the minimalist movement evolved over time, what modern day minimalism looks like, and its benefits. It will also provide you with strategies and techniques to declutter, to get more organized, and to be able to live in a stress-free and minimalist home. It will also show you what a minimalist lifestyle could look like - it covers a wide range of topics including minimalism in money, health, relationships, and much more. The only goal of this book is to empower you to find joy in simplifying and to find happiness in fewer things that truly matter. You'll get a "Minimalism Toolkit" for free with this book. Enjoy!

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Reference, Psychology, Personal Development, Ebooks, Personal Growth

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2017

Reviews

[Don Gerstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, I have read a number of books on Minimalism, and this has been my favorite so far. The cover photo of a plain chair with a couple plants on a table (and everything a clean, white color) establishes the mood immediately, and author Gwyneth Snow continues with a smooth writing style that effortlessly moves readers from one chapter to the next.

This is not to imply that there will not be any effort on our parts if we decide to employ minimalistic principles in our lives. Ms. Snow recognizes the potential challenges and addresses them. The opening chapters provide a brief introduction to Minimalism, what it is and how the idea became a movement and a vehicle for conscious change.

The author then moves on to the action stage of the book, where specific areas are targeted and multiple ideas are offered to encourage readers to begin their journey toward a more peaceful life. For me, this was an important aspect of the book (being offered choices on how to begin learning to live with less). Everyone is different, and a method that works for you may not resonate with me. Presenting different ways to accomplish the same thing makes it easier for most of us to find something that works, and then stick with it.

Obviously, the ultimate goal is not merely to unclutter your home, but also to introduce the same principles into the rest of your life. Ms. Snow delves into this area by including chapters on health, money, and relationships. Including a chapter on technology was timely. While many people do not recognize the addiction (my words, not the author’s) to devices, the book details the staggering amount of time we all “donate” to our electronic things.

I appreciate the author’s breezy yet no nonsense approach, and backing up her thoughts with a bibliography at the back seemed appropriate. If you have not investigated Minimalism before, this would be a wonderful place to start. Five stars.

[Jaiseri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a great book to read if you want to declutter your life. Sometime we see that our life is full of less important stuffs and more important ones don’t get enough space. From your wardrobe to relationships, you can use minimalistic approach and get rid of less useful or toxic elements away from your life. Its definitely a good read.

[Heema Shirvaikar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to watch the documentary on Minimalism on Netflix and had decided that this was something I wanted to explore more about because ever since I have graduated from being a student to a working adult, I have not been able to control my expenses having found this whole new freedom to purchase stuff without feeling too guilty about spending my dad's money - but that has slowly escalated into buying things for the sake of it, hoarding things and shopping stuff just for a distraction or as a means of procrastination. And ironically, even though I buy stuff thinking that purchasing it will make me happy, my bank balance which is in shambles by the end of the month leaves me feeling extremely depressed and angry at myself.

So I picked this handy little book on Kindle which was for - whooop - FREE!

It's a really nice concise guide to minimalism. The chapters are short and crisp, the writing is good, not preachy or patronizing. In fact, I gave it one extra star just for the way it has been written! She also tells you about the history of minimalism, how it started from a form of art and developed into a philosophy which makes it really interesting and intriguing! A very very good start for someone like me who is looking to explore it and incorporate it into their life. The chapters are short and sweet and divided into different themes - the first part just talks about minimalism in general - it gives you a brief background on the development of minimalism, it's advantages, the potential challenges you might face, and setting realistic goals for yourself. The second part deals with detailed steps, information and suggestions on how to make your home a minimalist space - the chapters individually deal with different aspects of the home, like the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, office, etc. and some really great tips for decluttering each of these spaces. The third part deals with incorporating minimalism in your lifestyle - and this one is my favourite part of the book - it talks about incorporating minimalism in terms of our health, the food we consume, our relationships and our interaction with technology among other things. It's long enough to be informative, and short enough not to get repetitive or boring. A nice book to read leisurely in parts.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an odd book. One funny bit in the intro was the author saying she hoped that by acquiring this book, the reader might get on the path of minimalism. But you shouldn’t need to buy or own a book to embrace minimalism.

The book was a little disjointed - it ranged from an essay on minimalism in the arts and music to whittling your nail polish collection down to 6-8 bottles. Many times, she talked less about decreasing the stuff in your life and more about organizing the clutter. I don’t think that’s minimalism.

For someone who’d never read anything at all about how to start on the path of living with less, maybe the book would be of some use.

[Fahad Alabri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it. It is like the ABCs of minimalism. If you ever anything more professional about minimalism or declittering, then this book would not add alot. You probably should start with it.

[Jenny G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very helpful

If I hadn’t already read some books on the subject, I would have been lost. The writing style reminds me of a rushed college essay. There are also MANY typos as though the text was run through a spell check yet not proofread. I would suggest other books on the topic over this one. There are some good points, but the area I was really interested in, decluttering, was minimally covered. There are many storage tips given and a lot of extra information that may be helpful to people completely changing their lifestyle, but not for me.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

From all the short books I've read about minimalism so far this was the best one. A bit of history about minimalism movement (very informative!), quite many suggestions and ideas of applying minimalism in life and a lot of steps to start implementing it.

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good hints

Because I have downsized so much I found the book to be more of a guide to making the most of what I have started.

[Manasa Surakala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clutter is what is around and within us. It's important to declutter both gradually as they are dependent on each other. This book talks about minimalism in many areas such as home, relationship, food, health, money, etc.
Few ideas are actionable and realistic to implement such as:
1. Donating stuff where it's put to a better use gives a relaxation to our anxiety and guilt of letting things go.
2. Asking people what they are passionate about instead of what do they do.
3. Being "Unplugged" from all technology for extended hours
Suggest to read more through the second half of the book for ideas that are suitable for you to implement.

[Magdalena Golden · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a must-read for anybody who wants to self-publish a book and thinks they can skimp on a proofreader. The writing and editing are absolutely atrocious.
Here are some quotes from just two consecutive pages:
"Instead, I opted to keep my activity tracker, because tracking my exercise have me a moral boost."
"It makes feel good about working out"
"In order to this this effectively"
and so it goes, all throughout the book 🤦‍♀️ (of course complete with such classic gems as "You're increasing efficiency, and your minimizing waste")

And then there are those passages that are just the same thing repeated a million times, e.g.:
"This chapter is going to look at how you can best organize your kitchen so that it’s a space that you’ll enjoy, rather than just find only functional. After reading this chapter, you’ll have a few strategies you can use to organize the kitchen in the best way possible. Let’s take a look at some of these techniques that tackle organizational aspects, as well as decluttering and minimalist living techniques."
Congratulations on writing three sentences that mean pretty much the exact same thing! 🏆

So, now you're thinking - maybe despite the terrible writing at least there is some real value in the content? Yeah, I'd say about 2% of the book is actually sound advice. But mostly you get such groundbreaking discoveries as "the towels (...) can be reused multiple times before they’re put through the laundry." whoooa! 🤯

So why did I bother to read this book till the end if it's so bad? Well, it was suggested by one of my students for our English as a Foreign Language book club so I ended up committing to reading it. And we managed to turn it into a learning opportunity where my (B2-level) student was correcting all the mistakes that she could find and, remarkably, proved that her English is better than the author's 🤦‍♀️

No, seriously, I'm rarely this negative about a book but I highly recommend you stay clear of this garbage 🤮

[Sudhir Pai · Rating 2 out of 5]

This little book starts off promisingly, elaborating on the history of minimalism as a philosophy. But somewhere along the way it makes a jerky turn which transforms it from a black book on minimalism to a rule book. Suffice it to say, the road downhill ruined what was starting to be a pleasant ride. Perhaps if the author had applied a little minimalism in presenting her content, the book might have earned one star more.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not realized how closely tied decluttering is with minimalism. First the advantages of living simply are touted. The central chapters are on decluttering. The final chapters put it all together.


Part 1: Understanding Minimalism

Chapter 4
Minimalism Benefit 1: You’ll Spend Less Money
Minimalism Benefit 2: Less Stress in Your Life
Minimalism Benefit 3: Cleanliness
Minimalism Benefit 4: Paying Respect to Mother Nature
Minimalism Benefit 5: Doing More
Minimalism Benefit 6: The Ability to Endorse Quality over Quantity
Minimalism Benefit 7: Access Your Stuff More Easily
Minimalism Benefit 8: Less Stuff to Sift through in the Future

Part 2: The Minimalist Home

Chapter 13: … Storage Areas
Categories
1. Clothing
2. Holiday items
3. Important documents
4. Keepsakes
5. Sports
6. Party supplies
7. Cleaning supplies
8. Tools
9. Original packaging (things still in warranty)
10. Hobby related equipment
Set a limit for the number of items in each category.

Part 3: The Minimalist Lifestyle

This book is easy to acquire. I bought it on Amazon Kindle for $0, and when I finished it was still $0.

[Shamail Aijaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one..

The idea given in the book is not innovated 40-60 years back in America but it was already there in Islam 1400 years ago. My expectation from this book was a little higher instead of going into details of organising and minimizing the stuff but the author has done a good try writing on this subject...

Take Away: --------------------

Minimalism did not begin simply as a philosophy; rather, the origin of minimalism begins within the art community in the 1960s. The previous art era had begun to offer little in terms of innovation. The art of the previous era could be described as abstract expressionism, and rather academic in the sense that there were conventional ideals that had to be met for art to be considered “good”. Imagery, symbolism, and emotional appeal were all key aspects of what comprised the abstract expressionist movement.

Denial of expression of any kind meant for most artists that the artwork to the untrained eye appeared plain and simple. For example, there was little story behind the piece itself. The meaning within the work could be found through the material of which the work was comprised, as well as the shape of the piece. This meant that some works of art were simple geometric shapes, while others were pieces of the world taken and put into a museum.

You may be surprised to learn that one of the pillars of the minimalist movement included ideals that were mostly found within a Russian art movement. Constructivism emphasized the technical abilities of modern building materials.

Minimalism has also touched the fashion world, and this can be best seen through the broad qualities of accessibility and austerity. One of the key characteristics of minimalism within the fashion world was the idea that fashion should be accessible to all people, regardless of wealth or status.

One fashion connoisseur writes about how the kimono was the perfect representation of this type of fashion standard during the minimalism era. “‘…the kimono…eliminates gender distinction, and negate(s) the sexuality frequently imbued in Western clothing’…its emphasis on proportions and volume paints a picture of a genderless, ageless, and weightless body”

Owning certain material things and living a certain lifestyle can achieve a sense of temporary fulfillment, the urge in all of us to want more and have more can cause stress.

It is logical to say that the things we spend the most amount of time on are the things that are most important, or things that help us achieve what’s important in our lives. For instance, if an important goal in your life is to save up and buy a house as quickly as possible, then it is logical to assume that you will spend most of your time at work, earning money, trying to get promoted, etc.

The modern day minimalist movement means to be content with less – to be truly happy and appreciate what you already have, rather than define your happiness through comparison to others.

Spend less, own little tangible goods, and lead the happiest life that you can. It’s that simple.

The many advantages that minimalism can provide to your life including more conservative spending, less stress, a greater sense of environmental awareness, house cleanliness, and greater consideration for your family and friends in the future.

A great way to put your expectations in check is to think about your worst-case scenario. By imagining your worst-case, rather than your best-case scenario, you’ll be able to visualize a life where your circumstances are only going to become more favorable. You’ll force your brain to quit daydreaming and come back down to earth, and you’ll also become more content with your actual level of progress in the process. If you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy thinking about worst-case scenarios, find a ‘half way mark’ to your expectations and try reaching that first. Think about your best-case and your worst-case scenarios and meet these two standards in the middle. This will help you to reach a minimalist conclusion that not only makes sense but also is doable.

At scientific evidence that seeks to explain what clutter means in your mind. This is a growing field, and organizational psychologists are now employed to teach people not only about the importance of decluttering, but also how clutter influences the mind. It turns out that there is a lot of emotional tension behind what we choose to keep and what we choose to discard. What you end up saving rather than throwing away can have an emotional impact on how you’re psychologically able to interact with the world. The idea behind the validity of this social science is that if you know the reason why you are keeping certain goods, then you will be better equipped to let go.

When we decide to let go of our stuff, we are at the same time emotionally indicating to ourselves that it’s time to move on.

Exercise: As a minimalist, do what you enjoy the most when it comes to exercising. Figure out what fulfills you the most while ensuring an active lifestyle. And do that proactively. Cut out all other distractions.

Food: Maximize efficiency when it comes to food by some of the following techniques: Keep a clean and decluttered kitchen; plan out your week’s meals; maximize use of cooked food, reduce wastage; use simple techniques such as freezing rice, flour, and even fresh produce and herbs to maximize their usability.

In my opinion, money is important. Whether the concept of wealth is a big corporate conspiracy (!), or a meticulously devised social construct, I have to admit that money plays a big role in my life. Not the amount of it, just the concept itself. I equate money to time and freedom. When I think about earning money, I feel like I sacrifice my time, and in some cases, my freedom, to obtain it. And therefore, in my mind, when I spend money, I feel like I am giving up my time (and sometimes freedom) to obtain a good or a service.

I personally use an app called “Wally”, which is a daily expense tracker. So, every time I spend some money, or my credit card is charged, I just whip out the app, and make a quick note. It takes less than 5 seconds to record my spending, and I ensure that every single purchase is noted – not matter how small. After a couple of days, recording this becomes second-nature. And the end of the calendar month, you can go back and see where you’ve spent the most amount of money.

The term “unplugging” refers to a situation where you as an individual choose to remove yourself from a situation where you interact with technology. Unplug to disconnect. Some people decide to commit to going one day out of the week without turning on a technological device or using the internet in any way.

One of the biggest reasons why unplugging is considered to be a positive idea in the eyes of prominent researchers today is that interaction with technology and, in particular, social media can leave an individual with feelings of jealousy or loneliness. Let’s take a minute and think about Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, ask yourself how much time you spend looking at other people’s photos and updates. Then ask yourself how this information can often make you feel. The reality is that while Facebook does certainly bring the world closer in the sense that you can be friends with people all over the globe, people often only post personal updates on Facebook and other forms of social media only when they’re proud of something or when they are looking to show-off in some way. You might end up feeling even more disconnected from the people you know, which is ironic as technology is supposed to solve the disconnectedness. You might start comparing yourself to the situation and circumstances of others. And all of these feelings are negative, and chip away at your self-esteem. Taking a couple of days out of the week to just unplug can be healthy and relaxing.

FOMO is an acronym that stands for “Fear of Missing Out”. When you are on social media and can see other people having fun without you, you might wish you were included. Also, when you’re not on social media for a while, you feel anxious about missing an update from a friend or about an event, and becoming a late recipient of that information. Researches are actually starting to identify FOMO as a disorder. These researchers also largely think that one of the primary reasons why FOMO is becoming more and more prevalent in young people is because of the constant advancements that are being made within the technological realm. Instead of constantly thinking about what other people are doing and wishing you could take their place, wouldn’t it be even better if you were able to enjoy what you were doing at that time? This is another simple pleasure that unplugging can offer you.

Having a space and a time when you can have your thoughts to yourself without the distraction of technology can be a truly liberating experience. When you don’t have distractions like text messages and emails bombarding your brain every three minutes, you’re able to find clarity, calm. Sitting in silence can help us to abstain from giving into the constant noise that’s around us. If you experience a lack of solitude in your life, then this tactic of unplugging truly does help. For more advice on this topic it would be a good idea to go back to the chapter on minimalism and health and consider giving meditation a try.

Reducing Physical Books from Your Life I know, some people out there (myself included) love the feeling of a good book in their hands. The pressed pages and the physical feel of the book itself both contribute to a better reading experience. These things are nice, but the reality is that for a minimalist, books are largely seen as giant space takers. While it may take some time to get used to reading your books on a screen, when you replace your large stock of books with a book reader or other type of mobile reading device, you are able to clear so much of the clutter away. These days, you are even able to get newspaper and magazine subscriptions delivered to your devices, which makes it easier than ever before to read without having to have the clutter that comes with this otherwise relaxing activity.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides some valuable information. Not very well written but it has its moments.

[Gordon Alley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be Still and know that I am God...

During the Covid-19 lock down, finishing this book was insightful. We all should be an the path of an organized and stress-free and decluttered life.

A man’s life does not consist of the things that he possesses. This morning we asked the children to put away their stuff- toys, legos, games, etc.

Now they are practicing and “playing” with the important things of life- music and studies.

One is practicing her violin and another is sitting down reading a book. One is tuning his guitar to the piano and practicing “Ode to Joy”.

So many times the clutter of stuff- toys, television, social media complicates our life so much that we have no other time to do the needful things of life.

When there is no stuff to organize and life is simple, stress disappears and much accomplishment is made giving all the feeling of being a well-done profitable servant of the Lord! Be thankful for good books. They make a man better!

[Orion Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the principles of minimalism cause to me they seem to like up with many of the same principle found in scripture. Not that God doesn't want us to have an abundance of more than enough of things. It's more about not wasting, and getting ride of things that are more of a distraction from the things that really being you joy, and so you become more productive rather than wasteful. She mentions a quote that I think she said is from practices of Yoga which is something like "He who keeps something he is not using is stealing from the world." While I don't think that is literal, I understand what it's saying.

[Kiyotoshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book taught me a lot about how things contribute to your happiness and how we should deal with things that detract from that happiness. For example, the relationship between friends. There are givers and takers, and givers who give too often (usually to takers) burn out. Keeping this in mind, givers should sever any connections that are not beneficial to them. This will make your daily life happier and more stress free. Another thing I learned was how to use space efficiently and calculate what is worth keeping/keeping in the room. There are more things I learned, but that is for you to read. 4/5 stars, will probably read again.

[Kritika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is aimed at introducing its reader to the principles and history of minimalism, and presents guidelines on how minimalism can be incorporated into different arenas of day-to-day life. It begins by tracing the history and origin of minimalism, from art circles to its evolution as a lifestyle movement.
The book elaborates on embracing simplicity to increase organisation and efficiency, and usher mental peace and calm into ordinary life. It is written more like a manual for a beginner with tips and tricks to adopt a minimalist approach with respect to their material, emotional and physical needs. The author has applied minimalism to every sphere of mundane life through this text’s chapters, ranging from home decor, eating habits, spending patterns, technological use, professional life and relationships. The strength of this book lies in how the author doesn’t constantly preach about the philosophy of minimalism constantly, and instead focuses on practical applications of the concept. So, while one may not entirely be a converted minimalist, but they could still definitely take a lot of lessons to minimise chaos and unnecessary distractions.
The essence of this book can be summarised in this quote by the author - “A key aspect of minimalism is to get rid of excess in order to create space for what truly matters.”
In conclusion, this book is a helpful and enlightening read, with to-the-point references, explained using simple language, or to put it better, in the most minimalistic way possible.

[Melissa Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing groundbreaking.

Read like a book report. I didn't learn anything I couldn't have found while googling 'how to be minimalist' online.

[Hitesh Sardesai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book. Path towards simplicity

This books gives good idea and steps to adopt simplicity. Simplicity is the lifestyle .

Thank you very much .

Hitesh Sardesai

[Rita Cardeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simple and logical approach to a minimalistic lifestyle. Totally recommend!

[Mamunuru Shankar · Rating 3 out of 5]

No prizes for guessing what this book is all about! While all of us have generous doses of the virtues of simple living from our upbringing, minimalism promotes it as a philosophy. At its core, minimalism seeks to rid life of its excess. While what is “excess” is always a matter of subjective interpretation, we intuitively know the essence of minimalism. It doesn’t advocate obsessive austerity but encourages being decluttered and contented with life appreciating everything that it has to offer. This book, however, is not for the poor nor for retired people surviving on annuities. For them, minimalism is not a choice but a necessity! Neither this book prescribes renunciation for the well-to-do. In a way, it presents minimalism as an attitude and intends it to be a matter of choice. It should not be misunderstood as living in poverty. A minimalist is not poor, has all the things he requires, and is well nourished. However, he is not crazy after collecting material goods for their own sake or as a matter of personal vanity. He realizes that consumerism beyond a point leads to a sense of inadequacy and boredom. He consciously chooses a minimalist way of living by keeping his personal requirements to a minimum preferring decluttered living spaces leading to stress stress-free life. He is relatively indifferent to the standards that society expects him to maintain and doesn’t look around for validation.

More than considering it as a philosophy, the author believes it is efficient being minimalist. It conserves your resources, stabilizes your finances, and appreciably reduces your anxiety levels as, from the limited possessions at your disposal, you have nothing much to lose. However, a minimalist lifestyle is easier described than lived. We need to develop a sense of detachment towards acquiring material goods and more importantly, we should develop a sense of reluctance to hoard and hang on to our possessions. All these prerequisites for achieving minimalist living are not particularly easy and can be attained only incrementally with consistent effort. To be fair, the author concedes that much, and advises the reader not to be hard on himself indicating that realizing minimalism is a gradual process. She suggests the reader target attainable goals and stack them over a period of time. Eventually, minimalism should become your second nature- yes, a tall order!

The practical tips suggested for minimalism read like self-help instructions and can be skipped if not specific to the reader’s context. The minimalism the author proposes in the realm of human relations may be suitable in the West where individualism predominates and is not practical in the context of Eastern societies. However, the tips for managing social media and the internet can be tried with profit.

Frankly, most of the principles and practical suggestions made in the book are well-known to many of us. For instance, everyone is aware of Henry David Thoreau for his utterly simple life with nature in a log cabin and Mahatma Gandhi for his spartan life in Sabarmathi Ashram. They exemplified and elevated simple living. Anyone who worked for Japanese organisations is aware of their 5S which is an acronym for five Japanese words, seiri (sorting), seiton ( systematise), seiso (shining), seiketsu (standardise), and shitsuke (self-discipline), which signify order, cleanliness, purity and commitment. In our own lives, we are aware of many relatives and friends who by conviction are very simple in their living and, true to the prediction of the author, are happy and contented. That said, the book, in a way, collates all the aspects of minimalism and presents them as a package which, incidentally, is the case with many self-help books. The problem, however, sadly, is with implementation. For many of us, while the spirit accepts, the flesh rejects! That is how most of the self-help books remain unimplemented in real life and their precepts lie dormant on book shelves!

[Anitha Ponraj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book :Minimalism : The path to an organised, stress free and declutterd life
Author : Gwyneth Snow
Edition : Kindle
Pages: 148

"Minimalism " the word striked a cord with me as I came across this book,as my husband's life style is the definition of it and I am the exact opposite of what this term means. Curious, I started this book to get a glimpse of what it advocates and if it is possible to try to follow the tips given in the book and try to cut down the ever growing clutter around me.

Starting with the history of minimalism and dicussing its benefits the book moves on to setting realistic goals to achieve it. It further explains about the author's personal experience in trying to declutter the space around us in a more practical approach. There are points that all of us can follow and the books guides to get creative in ways by which we can make our own way to get a hold on minimalism which deems fit for us.

As much as its difficult for someone like me who has always loves holding on to things from decades ago. This books helps me to look at the other side of this habit and making it easy to let go in a way it doesn't affects my personal sentiments.

No, I am not saying I made a drastic change after reading this book, but it really did help me to take little steps towards minimalism by making me to look at things in a different perspective and trying to get rid of all the clutter the adds up without us meaning to.

This is a good book for everyone like me who loves organising things and still holds on stuffs and looking for ways to undo the clutter around us.

[Nancy DeValve · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some helpful things in this book and I found the chapter on minimalizing social media and internet use especially helpful. I think I must be pretty minimal already because pretty much every thing she suggests, I've already done. I'm not sure I'm ready to go down to 10 outfits, but I do wear every single thing in my closet and my closet is very small, so I don't feel like my clothes are out of control. I use every pan and utensil in my kitchen. I do have way more books than any true minimalist would have!
The book was written well enough, but needed another edit. There are so many errors in the book with wrong words being used, misplaced words, etc.
Also, as a Christian, I just want to add that this is not a Christian book, but that I really believe that it is compatible with biblical principles (her encouragements to Eastern mysticism aside). Believers should really be leading the way in living simple lives. I do not agree with her slant on minimalizing your friendships....just get rid of all the negative people. As believers I don't think that that is what God calls us to do. I think he wants us to love and encourage the difficult people in our lives (I'm not talking about abusive people, just difficult people).

[Uchant Hasanah · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are 3 part in this book. First, understanding minimalism. This part is like an introduction before going deeper into the world of minimalism. You will know about meaning, history, modern-day minimalis movement, the advantage, and how to set your realistic goals in minimalist life. Second, the minimalist home. This part talk about what we should do with the rooms in our house. How we ducluttering and organizing. The author discusses the details of every room from the bedroom to the garage and basement. We are invited to practice directly into the room. Third, the minimalist life style. This part describes a minimalist lifestyle and application in health, finance, relationship, technology, and interior design of our house. We will find lots of tips here.

This book is light and easy to understand. Its more of a "how to", so its easy to follow to put into practice. At the end of the chapter, there is always "key highlights", so we get the main point of the discussion. I enjoy this book.

[Willow Rankin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate what this author tried to do with this book, and I did actually learn one or two things, which is why the two stars not and the one star.

However, minimalism only works if you declutter first, and this book was essentially an advert for buying more organisation systems and tools to organise the clutter. This is not minimalism, but instead is organising. Sure there is an element where this is required, but for a book on how to declutter, this aint it.
Further, whilst the author does briefly touch on sentimental items, unlike the incredibly popular KonMarie method, this does not explain how to let go of these items.
Where it does get an additional star for me is the use of taking the philosophy into other areas of your life, such as diet, exercise and money. However, these concepts are only glanced upon, and instead feels rather rushed and lacking in detail.

For me, this book is not worth a re-read, and is poorly written and does not stick to the theme it tries to convey.

[Sriram · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review on "Minimalism: The Path to an Organized, Stress-Free, and Decluttered Life":

The book discusses concepts of minimalism and its implementation in the reader's life. Minimalism first evolved in art and architecture and eventually impacted multiple facets of common man's life.

I liked when the book said "Before implementing minimalism into one's life, decluttering the mind is important". So minimalism starts from our thinking and knowing us better than quenching our temporary desires.

Minimalism is not only consuming things as per our needs. But it's also letting things go of our stuff which we no longer value in our life. So letting go is powerfully freeing in the journey of minimalism.

Not only on tangible things, minimalism helps us to get control over overthinking, excess use of digital devices, bad habits, relationship issues.


Favourite quote from book -
"Minimalism is all about cutting out the excess from your life—ensuring that you maximize whatever you purchase, and that what remains in your life has meaning, utility, and purpose."

[Dhawal Joshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually I don't read such books but this one caught my eye while scrolling through the kindle store and I decided to get it and give it a read. It is a decent collection of concepts and information about minimalism from the Internet. It's quite little but tried to touch most aspects about the topic.

I liked the way the Author first explained the concepts and philosophy of minimalism, then diving into history and moving slowly into the modern era. Later on beginning with the little tips and solutions for the ones who are interested in this ideology. Coming from your Average & Typical Indian family I am fairly accustomed with the concepts that are described here, its not labelled here as much but most people follow the similar lifestyle.

Get only what you need and just leave the excessive not needed clutter behind. I'd say it a really nice one time read for the one who wants to try out or just accustom themselves with the concept and the ideology of living minimalistic.

[Angus Mcfarlane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know how this book ended up in my Kobo account but I decided to give it a read. I am not even sure I want to be a minimalist, so the tone of the book – how to become one, assuming I’ve already decided to start the journey – made it uncomfortable to start with. But, once I started I thought I’d persevere – there is a lot of clutter in the house at the moment so I thought some coaching tips on how to get a start on this, and a bit of motivation to get onto it, might be worthwhile. So, while the motivational tips didn’t really appeal to me as I went through, I gained a vision for what my house might look like with some sorting and sifting. The advice for each room is a bit micro on the detail for my liking but I can imagine it appealing to some who are looking to systematically and dispassionately reshape their home. (Alternatively, it might be a useful recipe for dealing with a downsize or the chattels of a deceased relative). Not compelling for me, but better than I expected.

[Fabio Saraiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been six months since I've decided to take my first steps toward minimalism, and I haven't regretted this decision so far. This book surely brings some practical yet too simple perspectives for those who want to follow this path. I've also had my problems while reading some of the suggestions like "If the product has passed its expiration date, that’s a good indication that you might want to use it up quickly" (you shouldn't use it at all, especially food!) and "The space above the toilet is perfect to put a cabinet of some kind where towels or toilet paper can reside" (I totally disagree with that. Toilets are dirty and you should not keep something you wrap yourself naked into so close to where you take a dump!). Other than that, it is a great start.