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Make Space: A Minimalist’s Guide to the Good and the Extraordinary
A Minimalist Life is a beginner’s handbook to minimalism. It teaches readers that minimalism is not just a series of actions but also a total mindset shift. It recognizes that modern day abundance has not increased our level of happiness—in fact we are less happy than generations before despite having more—and it argues that embracing less will allow us to live more fully. The author gives us the tools to achieve this complete life-changing mental shift, teaching us how to search for items and thoughts that add value to our lives and how to get rid of non-essential physical and mental clutter. The holistic book marries minimalist philosophy with practical tips, activities, and action points, such as crafting a minimalist budget, reducing possessions, decluttering space, and clearing the mind of negative emotions.
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First published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
June 20, 2017
It's hard to argue with the philosophy behind this book. To remove the unnecessary elements in your life and in simplifying, you begin to appreciate the things that you have. I think it sounds great in theory, and probably is truly wonderful in practice. I'm simply not inspired by this book.
Let me begin by explaining what my goal was in selecting this book. I am not a minimalist and I do not aspire to become one. I find joy in the random, the spontaneous, and the unexpected. I have never found comfort in routine, but I would like to find a balance in my life when it comes to my relationship with possessions. In trying to understand the mindset of a minimalist, I hope to break the sentimental attachment I have to many things in my home and begin to let go of things that I don't need.
Not only was this not the right book for me, I didn't necessarily see any unique insights that other books on the subject do not already cover. I have never read Marie Kondo's books because I know that I'm not in a position for a full life-changing overhaul at this point in my life. So, I can not compare this book to the Kondo method, but the author mentions Kondo's book and encourages readers to keep items that spark joy. The more that I read, the more I felt like the author had adopted the Kondo lifestyle, became a fanatic, and then began to write about her new lifestyle to try and encourage others to do the same. There's nothing wrong with that, I think it's great when someone can make a living doing what inspires them. But what works for her will not work for everyone. She encourages people to leave their jobs and travel if that's what brings them joy. She talks about becoming debt-free and how she will pay for her next home outright rather than taking a mortgage. I can't even begin to see where I would start down either of those paths in my current financial situation.
Beyond feeling that the advice was impractical, I also was bothered by the structure, or "curation" of the author's life. She mentions that reading or watching the news brings negative energy into her life, so she has found a way to only expose herself to positive information. She talks about removing negative people from your life and suggests making a list of people to determine which relationships do not help you move toward your desired state and reducing or eliminating your exposure to these people. To practice some if these things absolutely would be to cut one's self off with reality. Friendship goes both ways and to look at a human being and evaluate what they bring to your life is bothersome to me. People are not trinkets, they are individuals whose lives intersect with our own, for better and for worse. Of course there will be people who bring negative energy into our lives, but we know who they are without making a list and ranking them. People should not be discarded and treated as clutter.
For me, this book became tiresome before I reached the halfway point but I powered through to the end half-heartedly. If you live a minimalist lifestyle, or aspire to do so, and want to read something to stay focused or reinforce your beliefs, this is probably not a bad choice for you. If your goals are not on that scale, I recommend looking into some other resources.
I received an advance copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Let me begin by explaining what my goal was in selecting this book. I am not a minimalist and I do not aspire to become one. I find joy in the random, the spontaneous, and the unexpected. I have never found comfort in routine, but I would like to find a balance in my life when it comes to my relationship with possessions. In trying to understand the mindset of a minimalist, I hope to break the sentimental attachment I have to many things in my home and begin to let go of things that I don't need.
Not only was this not the right book for me, I didn't necessarily see any unique insights that other books on the subject do not already cover. I have never read Marie Kondo's books because I know that I'm not in a position for a full life-changing overhaul at this point in my life. So, I can not compare this book to the Kondo method, but the author mentions Kondo's book and encourages readers to keep items that spark joy. The more that I read, the more I felt like the author had adopted the Kondo lifestyle, became a fanatic, and then began to write about her new lifestyle to try and encourage others to do the same. There's nothing wrong with that, I think it's great when someone can make a living doing what inspires them. But what works for her will not work for everyone. She encourages people to leave their jobs and travel if that's what brings them joy. She talks about becoming debt-free and how she will pay for her next home outright rather than taking a mortgage. I can't even begin to see where I would start down either of those paths in my current financial situation.
Beyond feeling that the advice was impractical, I also was bothered by the structure, or "curation" of the author's life. She mentions that reading or watching the news brings negative energy into her life, so she has found a way to only expose herself to positive information. She talks about removing negative people from your life and suggests making a list of people to determine which relationships do not help you move toward your desired state and reducing or eliminating your exposure to these people. To practice some if these things absolutely would be to cut one's self off with reality. Friendship goes both ways and to look at a human being and evaluate what they bring to your life is bothersome to me. People are not trinkets, they are individuals whose lives intersect with our own, for better and for worse. Of course there will be people who bring negative energy into our lives, but we know who they are without making a list and ranking them. People should not be discarded and treated as clutter.
For me, this book became tiresome before I reached the halfway point but I powered through to the end half-heartedly. If you live a minimalist lifestyle, or aspire to do so, and want to read something to stay focused or reinforce your beliefs, this is probably not a bad choice for you. If your goals are not on that scale, I recommend looking into some other resources.
I received an advance copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2017
There was a lot that I disagreed with profoundly in this little book. Most importantly this author believes that minimalism isn't anti-consumerist. For her it isn't. But for me one of the great joys of minimalism is that it is absolutely and utterly anti-consumerist. Helping a friend de-clutter clothes recently I said to her, 'You don't need to buy any more clothes for the next ten years - if not for the rest of your life.' We all have too much of everything. This for me - is one of the great joys of being a minimalist... that we don't have to be consumers. Regina argues that we can still be consumers as long as we are mindful consumers - well yes, but for me it's more exciting to face consumerism head on and say 'enough.' We are not born to shop in spite of what the media tells us every day.
My second profound disagreement with this book is in the section on decluttering friends (and even family!) The mere idea of putting everyone you know under 3 lists 'positive' -'room for improvement' and 'negative' is absolutely not the way (from my perspective) to evaluate your friendships. 100% of the people I know (including myself) and I'm sure Ms Wong too, are on the 'room for improvement' list. How could we be otherwise? She even has a list of reasons we may not want to know people, 'people who are ignorant and boring' 'people who have no dreams or expectations and who are tired of life' etc. From my perspective we must not look at people in this way. Classical Buddhism teaches that the people who cause us most difficulty are our 'precious pearls' as they are the people from whom we can learn the most. If we avoid everyone who is 'negative' we will have to live on a very small island. St. Francis teaches that our job is to love everyone - and the lonely, the depressed, the those who have 'lost their dreams and are tired of life' are the ones who need our love the most. So if I were talking to Ms Wong I would suggest that she try looking at her three lists and dedicating a year to loving only those on the 'negative' list and see what happens. She says that she moves away from family and friends that 'do not help her move towards her desired state.' She advises that we "Explain how you would like them to help and support you better." She writes. No, don't - ask those who are suffering and 'negative' how you can best support them. As you can see - I feel strongly about not writing people off the way we discard a cardigan that no longer sparks joy.
Those are my two main crits of the book. Putting these disagreements aside -I did find the book helpful. On practical matters I found Regina's reminder to include digital decluttering timely. Her simply positive suggestion of de-clutting the email 'in' box for 15 minutes every day is very welcome. Mine tends to build up until I waste a day doing it. I also found her financial section good and I've not seen this sound practical advice in any other book on minimalism. Also wonderful that she included 'time' and 'value' as two considerations when considering 'stuff.'
Finally on reflection, I very much enjoyed the book as a whole and her encouragement to look at every single aspect of life from the decluttering perspective. I've always loved Thoreau's advice, 'Simplify, Simplify' and this little book (and it's great that it's little and short and an easy read) is like a reflection on that which embraces more than just physical space.
So - despite two major areas of disagreement - I'm still giving this little book Four Starts as I'm grateful to Ms Wong - not only for the renewed inspiration to live with less but because I'll also have more time because of her and she will have succeeded in her desire to bring more quality into this reader's life. And that is certainly worth 4*'s.
My second profound disagreement with this book is in the section on decluttering friends (and even family!) The mere idea of putting everyone you know under 3 lists 'positive' -'room for improvement' and 'negative' is absolutely not the way (from my perspective) to evaluate your friendships. 100% of the people I know (including myself) and I'm sure Ms Wong too, are on the 'room for improvement' list. How could we be otherwise? She even has a list of reasons we may not want to know people, 'people who are ignorant and boring' 'people who have no dreams or expectations and who are tired of life' etc. From my perspective we must not look at people in this way. Classical Buddhism teaches that the people who cause us most difficulty are our 'precious pearls' as they are the people from whom we can learn the most. If we avoid everyone who is 'negative' we will have to live on a very small island. St. Francis teaches that our job is to love everyone - and the lonely, the depressed, the those who have 'lost their dreams and are tired of life' are the ones who need our love the most. So if I were talking to Ms Wong I would suggest that she try looking at her three lists and dedicating a year to loving only those on the 'negative' list and see what happens. She says that she moves away from family and friends that 'do not help her move towards her desired state.' She advises that we "Explain how you would like them to help and support you better." She writes. No, don't - ask those who are suffering and 'negative' how you can best support them. As you can see - I feel strongly about not writing people off the way we discard a cardigan that no longer sparks joy.
Those are my two main crits of the book. Putting these disagreements aside -I did find the book helpful. On practical matters I found Regina's reminder to include digital decluttering timely. Her simply positive suggestion of de-clutting the email 'in' box for 15 minutes every day is very welcome. Mine tends to build up until I waste a day doing it. I also found her financial section good and I've not seen this sound practical advice in any other book on minimalism. Also wonderful that she included 'time' and 'value' as two considerations when considering 'stuff.'
Finally on reflection, I very much enjoyed the book as a whole and her encouragement to look at every single aspect of life from the decluttering perspective. I've always loved Thoreau's advice, 'Simplify, Simplify' and this little book (and it's great that it's little and short and an easy read) is like a reflection on that which embraces more than just physical space.
So - despite two major areas of disagreement - I'm still giving this little book Four Starts as I'm grateful to Ms Wong - not only for the renewed inspiration to live with less but because I'll also have more time because of her and she will have succeeded in her desire to bring more quality into this reader's life. And that is certainly worth 4*'s.
August 13, 2018
Eşyalarla bağlantılı anılar nedeniyle bu konuda sıkıntı yaşayan bir #yengeç burcu olarak bu konuda yardıma ihtiyacım vardı ve bu yüzden kitap bana iyi geldi.Sadece 100 eşya ile yaşayın akımı gibi bir şey değil bu.Diyor ki;eğer kitaplarınız sizi mutlu ediyorsa,sayısı kaç olursa olsun kitaplarınız kitaplığınızda durmaya devam etsin.Bunun dışında sizi yoran,enerjinizi düşüren her ne varsa onlardan kurtulun diyor.
November 3, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't quite satisfying. It was definitely chaotic. For example, I'm fairly sure that three different statistics for clothes worn / clothes owned ratio were given on three different occasions in the book. But it also jumped from subject to subject, from material possessions to emotional well-being back to material possessions, name-checking Marie Kondo, Swedish lagom, Japanese notion of this, Chinese notion of that, Buddhist notion of yet something else in the process. Quite frankly, I felt that there was not enough material in here to justify making this a book - a series of blog posts, sure, but not really a book.
Generally, the concepts described here are fairly reasonable, if not always terribly original. It's a decent enough primer on minimalism and mindfulness, with the caveat that in some cases it's easier said and done, especially in the case of a person not living alone and needing to mind others in her life.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't quite satisfying. It was definitely chaotic. For example, I'm fairly sure that three different statistics for clothes worn / clothes owned ratio were given on three different occasions in the book. But it also jumped from subject to subject, from material possessions to emotional well-being back to material possessions, name-checking Marie Kondo, Swedish lagom, Japanese notion of this, Chinese notion of that, Buddhist notion of yet something else in the process. Quite frankly, I felt that there was not enough material in here to justify making this a book - a series of blog posts, sure, but not really a book.
Generally, the concepts described here are fairly reasonable, if not always terribly original. It's a decent enough primer on minimalism and mindfulness, with the caveat that in some cases it's easier said and done, especially in the case of a person not living alone and needing to mind others in her life.
November 17, 2017
I went into this reading with considerable scepticism. Hadn't I already read enough books about minimalism and decluttering. Could the author tell me anything I didn't already know?
Yet I downloaded the audio book version as I had nothing to lose. Didn't cost me any money as it was a library loan. Furthermore, I guessed (correctly, it turned out) that this was the kind of audio book I could have playing in the background while cooking, washing up, ironing etc, so it didn't even cut into my limited time for reading print or ebooks that require more concentration. This is one of the many things I love about a good audio book. That and having something to distract my hyperactive brain on those awful 3 AM wake up days... but I digress ...
Here's what I liked:
1. The author covers much more than the practical, domestic and physical side of decluttering, which many books on minimalism focus on. The author's emphasis is not on clearing out your home for the sake of it, but about carefully considering how your possessions, your purchases AND how you spend your time tie in with *your* true joys and even ambitions.
2. It was this nuanced and personalised approach that made so much sense to me. As the owner of hundreds of books, for example, I was immensely relieved when the author pointed out that this was not a minimalist "sin" as long as I truly get great pleasure out of my books -- out of buying, reading and having them in my home.
3. At the same time, the book reminds me that there may be (indeed, are!) many old books that no longer fit in with my interests and that I hold onto for the wrong reason -- much like keeping items of clothing that I have never worn or no longer wear but feel guilty about tossing out because I spent 'good money' on them. This is where the author offers excellent, practical advice on rethinking our attachment to our 'stuff' so that we can focus on the benefits of letting go of what no longer serves us instead of being stuck with the guilt of having purchased something we no longer want or need.
What I didn't like:
As often happens with audio books, the voice and reading style of the audio narrator, can be irritating or not to your taste. The audio-narrator of this version (Willow Nash) sounded too much like a stern headmistress for my liking. I couldn't help feeling "lectured", instead of "guided" in a friendly supportive way.
And that detracted from my enjoyment of the listening experience. I have now purchased a print version of the book so I can choose the kind of voice in my head when reading Regina Wong's pearls of wisdom.
Yet I downloaded the audio book version as I had nothing to lose. Didn't cost me any money as it was a library loan. Furthermore, I guessed (correctly, it turned out) that this was the kind of audio book I could have playing in the background while cooking, washing up, ironing etc, so it didn't even cut into my limited time for reading print or ebooks that require more concentration. This is one of the many things I love about a good audio book. That and having something to distract my hyperactive brain on those awful 3 AM wake up days... but I digress ...
Here's what I liked:
1. The author covers much more than the practical, domestic and physical side of decluttering, which many books on minimalism focus on. The author's emphasis is not on clearing out your home for the sake of it, but about carefully considering how your possessions, your purchases AND how you spend your time tie in with *your* true joys and even ambitions.
2. It was this nuanced and personalised approach that made so much sense to me. As the owner of hundreds of books, for example, I was immensely relieved when the author pointed out that this was not a minimalist "sin" as long as I truly get great pleasure out of my books -- out of buying, reading and having them in my home.
3. At the same time, the book reminds me that there may be (indeed, are!) many old books that no longer fit in with my interests and that I hold onto for the wrong reason -- much like keeping items of clothing that I have never worn or no longer wear but feel guilty about tossing out because I spent 'good money' on them. This is where the author offers excellent, practical advice on rethinking our attachment to our 'stuff' so that we can focus on the benefits of letting go of what no longer serves us instead of being stuck with the guilt of having purchased something we no longer want or need.
What I didn't like:
As often happens with audio books, the voice and reading style of the audio narrator, can be irritating or not to your taste. The audio-narrator of this version (Willow Nash) sounded too much like a stern headmistress for my liking. I couldn't help feeling "lectured", instead of "guided" in a friendly supportive way.
And that detracted from my enjoyment of the listening experience. I have now purchased a print version of the book so I can choose the kind of voice in my head when reading Regina Wong's pearls of wisdom.
March 30, 2018
Couldn’t get past the authors wealthy privilege.
July 9, 2017
*Note: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I had a hard time seeing this book as practical advice. The first few chapters focus in on more about decluttering and organizing than living minimally. I mean, the concept of practicing minimalism is there and the steps toward achieving a minimalistic lifestyle were communicated effectively, I just felt like I personally do not live minimally, yet am a (sometimes pretentiously) organized person and these are concepts I have used for myself. When cleaning a space that I know has not been of use in x amount of time and is beginning to become more about storage than practicality, my number one priority is to cut it’s inventory by at least 50%. That is, to literally discard at least 50% of the items that clearly aren’t necessary or needed any longer, or else I’d have been using them.
This book teaches minimalism as if it were simply about decluttering and organizing. I agree with it’s methods because they are sensible, but part of me, and maybe a very uneducated part of me, considers the fact that I have naturally been adhering to these methods for years and am still one of the biggest victims of materialism that I know. Maybe it comes down to me interpreting minimalistic living as a cure for materialism and that in and of itself is the error. That isn’t to say that this isn’t an insightful bit of writing. I, particularly, enjoyed the highlights about how, evolutionarily speaking, we tend to naturally hoard things in a survivalist way. I would have liked to have read more about the scientific-psyche side of why we seem to head for materialism over minimalism, as it seems we’d better tackle the problem and all it’s limbs if we got to its head, first.
Another thing I wanted to add that kind of bugged me was a fantastical sense of “If you didn’t put this away in a safe place, it mustn’t be important, so just get rid of it.” This concept relies on the assumption that every adult is responsible and organized. The example I have to offer is the author’s take on deleting your entire email’s inbox in hopes of feeling more “free” once you’ve cleaned it out. Starting from scratch, for me, does not equate embracing or embarking on minimalism. In fact, if there is an email that was lost, unflagged and then deleted for a sense of feeling liberated, that goes against the ideal that is being taught here by saying “keep the things that are valuable to your happiness”. Maybe it’s just me and my non-minimalistic perspective but I found this to be irresponsible advice and not serving of the purpose of minimalism at all. I agree that neatness and necessity should carry over to the digital world but I do not think that in order for you to jumpstart your feelings of freedom requires you to be reckless.
I appreciated, genuinely, the portions on social media. I have reserved my own Facebook account for serious-friendships only and have had my friend count at a solid 9 individuals for as long as I can remember. These are 9 people I care about and talk to regularly and on intimate, personal levels. I think more people need to do this. The purpose of Facebook is realized and appreciated much more when you’re not feeling pressure to “perform” for old classmates and distant relatives. …Again, I am hugely materialistic and picked up this book in hopes to gain some insight as to why I suffer from it to such a degree in the first place. I’m having trouble understanding how stripping ourselves of clutter (physical, digital, etc.) equates to living minimally. i.e: I have been practicing these same techniques for years on my own and I still want to go out and buy a new diamond ring because I think it will make me happy.
Throughout this book there seemed to be an echo of “Live freely for yourself!”, and I can totally get behind that. But advising people to quit their jobs to pursue their dreams is just not practical and it’s much easier said than done, especially for those who have families and little ones to support. I had hoped this read would unveil something eye-opening and motivating on how to “say no to consumption” but instead I feel like I was told to replace one irresponsibility with another.
Things I agreed with, enjoyed and embraced from this book:
- Stopping the glorification of being busy.
- Feeling as though life and happiness only truly happen 2/7 days a week. (Weekends)
- Finding your own rhythm.
- The 80/20 Rule
- Living with intention.
- Citing of many other great reads that could all be of value to the reading audience.
- Daily affirmations.
- VOIDS!
- (The whole bit on enhancing your emotional well-being in general.)
- The entire finance portion: “Mindful Consumption” !
Overall, I would recommend it as a quick and insightful read, but it wouldn't be my first choice for someone who is desperately hoping to ignite change within themselves. This is much more an "in addition to" rather than a bible to adhere to and follow.
I had a hard time seeing this book as practical advice. The first few chapters focus in on more about decluttering and organizing than living minimally. I mean, the concept of practicing minimalism is there and the steps toward achieving a minimalistic lifestyle were communicated effectively, I just felt like I personally do not live minimally, yet am a (sometimes pretentiously) organized person and these are concepts I have used for myself. When cleaning a space that I know has not been of use in x amount of time and is beginning to become more about storage than practicality, my number one priority is to cut it’s inventory by at least 50%. That is, to literally discard at least 50% of the items that clearly aren’t necessary or needed any longer, or else I’d have been using them.
This book teaches minimalism as if it were simply about decluttering and organizing. I agree with it’s methods because they are sensible, but part of me, and maybe a very uneducated part of me, considers the fact that I have naturally been adhering to these methods for years and am still one of the biggest victims of materialism that I know. Maybe it comes down to me interpreting minimalistic living as a cure for materialism and that in and of itself is the error. That isn’t to say that this isn’t an insightful bit of writing. I, particularly, enjoyed the highlights about how, evolutionarily speaking, we tend to naturally hoard things in a survivalist way. I would have liked to have read more about the scientific-psyche side of why we seem to head for materialism over minimalism, as it seems we’d better tackle the problem and all it’s limbs if we got to its head, first.
Another thing I wanted to add that kind of bugged me was a fantastical sense of “If you didn’t put this away in a safe place, it mustn’t be important, so just get rid of it.” This concept relies on the assumption that every adult is responsible and organized. The example I have to offer is the author’s take on deleting your entire email’s inbox in hopes of feeling more “free” once you’ve cleaned it out. Starting from scratch, for me, does not equate embracing or embarking on minimalism. In fact, if there is an email that was lost, unflagged and then deleted for a sense of feeling liberated, that goes against the ideal that is being taught here by saying “keep the things that are valuable to your happiness”. Maybe it’s just me and my non-minimalistic perspective but I found this to be irresponsible advice and not serving of the purpose of minimalism at all. I agree that neatness and necessity should carry over to the digital world but I do not think that in order for you to jumpstart your feelings of freedom requires you to be reckless.
I appreciated, genuinely, the portions on social media. I have reserved my own Facebook account for serious-friendships only and have had my friend count at a solid 9 individuals for as long as I can remember. These are 9 people I care about and talk to regularly and on intimate, personal levels. I think more people need to do this. The purpose of Facebook is realized and appreciated much more when you’re not feeling pressure to “perform” for old classmates and distant relatives. …Again, I am hugely materialistic and picked up this book in hopes to gain some insight as to why I suffer from it to such a degree in the first place. I’m having trouble understanding how stripping ourselves of clutter (physical, digital, etc.) equates to living minimally. i.e: I have been practicing these same techniques for years on my own and I still want to go out and buy a new diamond ring because I think it will make me happy.
Throughout this book there seemed to be an echo of “Live freely for yourself!”, and I can totally get behind that. But advising people to quit their jobs to pursue their dreams is just not practical and it’s much easier said than done, especially for those who have families and little ones to support. I had hoped this read would unveil something eye-opening and motivating on how to “say no to consumption” but instead I feel like I was told to replace one irresponsibility with another.
Things I agreed with, enjoyed and embraced from this book:
- Stopping the glorification of being busy.
- Feeling as though life and happiness only truly happen 2/7 days a week. (Weekends)
- Finding your own rhythm.
- The 80/20 Rule
- Living with intention.
- Citing of many other great reads that could all be of value to the reading audience.
- Daily affirmations.
- VOIDS!
- (The whole bit on enhancing your emotional well-being in general.)
- The entire finance portion: “Mindful Consumption” !
Overall, I would recommend it as a quick and insightful read, but it wouldn't be my first choice for someone who is desperately hoping to ignite change within themselves. This is much more an "in addition to" rather than a bible to adhere to and follow.
November 21, 2020
I persevered with this book way past the point where it had really begun to irritate me, in the hope that it’d contain some actual wisdom, but then I decided that it was neither something useful or beautiful and so it needed to be thrown out.
It starts as a rehash of Marie Kondo’s decluttering method, and how we should only keep items that ‘spark joy’. So no new insights there. But living minimally is more than just having fewer possessions and it does go on to explore the philosophy of decomplicating our life to focus only on what adds value and happiness. All well and good. However, the preachy and privileged tone just grated so much I felt like screaming at the author ‘what planet are you on?!’.
Lines like ‘pain is inevitable, suffering is optional’ made me wonder if she’s ever had to deal with any kind of disadvantage, and her advice to just pack in your job and travel, or get rid of all your furniture and buy a total new set that pleases you more, were pure la-la.
It becomes a list of things to do to become a more positive and happy individual, with no real indication of how one is supposed to achieve that list in the real world. Do this, don’t do that. Not really very helpful at all and incredibly repetitive and superficial. On paper it all sounds wonderful and it’s difficult to disagree with, but it just goes from the bad place to the good place without much advice or reference to the journey that would be needed to get between them.
There were occasional nuggets that were thought provoking. I particularly resonated with the concept that time is the most valuable asset we have, as it’s something that can’t be replaced and is the same for everyone regardless of wealth or status. No one has more than 24 hours a day. So spending your precious minutes and hours with someone or doing something needs to be worth using them up for. Although I knew this, I did like the way the author put this across and it was one of the few really useful things she wrote.
In all, this book reads more like it should be an easily digested series of blog posts on the web, repeating itself several times and with no real depth to it. If time is so valuable I’m only sorry I wasted a few hours of mine on it.
It starts as a rehash of Marie Kondo’s decluttering method, and how we should only keep items that ‘spark joy’. So no new insights there. But living minimally is more than just having fewer possessions and it does go on to explore the philosophy of decomplicating our life to focus only on what adds value and happiness. All well and good. However, the preachy and privileged tone just grated so much I felt like screaming at the author ‘what planet are you on?!’.
Lines like ‘pain is inevitable, suffering is optional’ made me wonder if she’s ever had to deal with any kind of disadvantage, and her advice to just pack in your job and travel, or get rid of all your furniture and buy a total new set that pleases you more, were pure la-la.
It becomes a list of things to do to become a more positive and happy individual, with no real indication of how one is supposed to achieve that list in the real world. Do this, don’t do that. Not really very helpful at all and incredibly repetitive and superficial. On paper it all sounds wonderful and it’s difficult to disagree with, but it just goes from the bad place to the good place without much advice or reference to the journey that would be needed to get between them.
There were occasional nuggets that were thought provoking. I particularly resonated with the concept that time is the most valuable asset we have, as it’s something that can’t be replaced and is the same for everyone regardless of wealth or status. No one has more than 24 hours a day. So spending your precious minutes and hours with someone or doing something needs to be worth using them up for. Although I knew this, I did like the way the author put this across and it was one of the few really useful things she wrote.
In all, this book reads more like it should be an easily digested series of blog posts on the web, repeating itself several times and with no real depth to it. If time is so valuable I’m only sorry I wasted a few hours of mine on it.
November 6, 2024
When you say “minimalism” you might think of having few possessions and living frugally. However, there is so much more to it. Even the “possessions” aspect is a bit deeper.
Being my first interaction with minimalism, this book confirmed and encouraged a part of me that I did not consciously accept, that not everything in my current life is important to me and that I should focus better on what makes me truly feel good.
Minimalism represents finding out what really makes you happy, living accordingly and getting rid of the excess . Does an expensive car REALLY make you happy? Then you can consider its acquisition a minimalist act. Do you enjoy sitting in a chair all day and reading a book? Then you might be a minimalist. Do you continuously buy clothes that you do not need or not use? Think about it for a second, this might not be a minimalist approach for you.
The book will offer you different perspectives where minimalism can improve your life (or where its lack is affecting it) from possessions, relationships, job, money etc. It is very easy to read and understand and also the writer is very passionate about the topic. You can notice that this concept changed their life as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially in this day and age where we forget to find and prioritise things that are important to us and just jump into getting as much as possible, from all points of view.
Being my first interaction with minimalism, this book confirmed and encouraged a part of me that I did not consciously accept, that not everything in my current life is important to me and that I should focus better on what makes me truly feel good.
Minimalism represents finding out what really makes you happy, living accordingly and getting rid of the excess . Does an expensive car REALLY make you happy? Then you can consider its acquisition a minimalist act. Do you enjoy sitting in a chair all day and reading a book? Then you might be a minimalist. Do you continuously buy clothes that you do not need or not use? Think about it for a second, this might not be a minimalist approach for you.
The book will offer you different perspectives where minimalism can improve your life (or where its lack is affecting it) from possessions, relationships, job, money etc. It is very easy to read and understand and also the writer is very passionate about the topic. You can notice that this concept changed their life as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially in this day and age where we forget to find and prioritise things that are important to us and just jump into getting as much as possible, from all points of view.
September 8, 2019
I loved the first half of this book. Unlike some other books on minamalism, it doesn’t have a “smug” feel about it. In fact if you are new to learning about minamilsm I would highly recommend the first half of the book, because it really lays it out nicely for you.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t think minamilsim is the right way to describe this movement, in my opinion describing it as intent or intentionlism seems much more appropriate. So if you want some inspiration to get intentional with your stuff and do some decluttering this book will explain all of the benefits of why this is good for you. The second half of the book moves beyond “stuff” and goes more into the behaviour and attitude and how it can affect your happiness and satisfaction in life.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t think minamilsim is the right way to describe this movement, in my opinion describing it as intent or intentionlism seems much more appropriate. So if you want some inspiration to get intentional with your stuff and do some decluttering this book will explain all of the benefits of why this is good for you. The second half of the book moves beyond “stuff” and goes more into the behaviour and attitude and how it can affect your happiness and satisfaction in life.
November 17, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this little book. The author writes beautifully, sharing her thoughts, ideas, and approach to life through minimalism. There is much to take away from this book as I am learning about minimalism and how to embrace it in my own life.
December 9, 2017
Wow what a great motivating book to get started on minimalism. I really enjoyed the simplicity. I think the book was made even more enjoyable because as I was listening to this audio book I was decluttering my craft room. A great read and very easy to consume.
February 6, 2022
The book was a surprisingly tedious read for only being 83 pages in my e-reader, and I didn't encounter anything new or that hasn't been covered in other books. I agree with the other reviews that said this book is disjunct and oddly ordered - if we had perhaps started with why she felt like she needed to become more minimalist, it might have improved the connection the average reader would feel even though she is incredibly privileged (noted as a neutral observation, not a moral failure), owns her own place in London outright, and was once in the top 10% of earners in London. This could have been a bit more of an exploration of why even high net worth individuals do not feel they have "enough" and the pitfalls of overconsumption. The decluttering section is a quick rehash of the Kondo method, yet still manages not to include the important details to actually summarize The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up to a useful degree. Throughout the book, the author has placed quotes and referenced the works of other minimalism authors - read those instead.
July 26, 2017
I must confess I am a part-time minimalist and this was the first book I have read on minimalism. I try to keep a clutter-free home and be mindful of my purchases but I want to fully embrace the minimalist concept. Since this book is described as a beginner's handbook, I figured this was the perfect place to start. If you are tired of being bogged down by material and emotional clutter and are ready to simplify your life then this book is for you.
I think the author does a great job of explaining the main components of minimalism: less attachment to material possessions, clearing your mind of mental and emotional clutter, and financial freedom. Wong states, "Minimalism is not a deprivation, but a joy. It is about getting rid of excess and the nonessentials, and the act of distilling to what is essential-that which gives us joy, value, and purpose to our lives."
Wong begins with an Introduction on her background and how she got into minimalism. She goes on to explain what minimalism is and then each chapter follows with an area of our lives that need attention in order to achieve a minimalist life and therefore create a path towards true happiness. She thoughtfully includes examples of her own life along the way. I particularly loved that each chapter contained relevant quotes from inspirational figures. Two quotes I particularly enjoyed: "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Jim Rohn, and "Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Buddha. The book is full of them and they are such a delight.
I also appreciated the "Resources" chapter at the end of the book referencing all of Wong's sources, perfect for those of us who like to delve a little deeper into the subject.
The whole point of the book is to be more mindful and Wong provides a roadmap for getting there.
Overall, I think this book would appeal to those interested in learning more on minimalism complete with simple to follow steps to get you started.
*NetGalley provided the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
I think the author does a great job of explaining the main components of minimalism: less attachment to material possessions, clearing your mind of mental and emotional clutter, and financial freedom. Wong states, "Minimalism is not a deprivation, but a joy. It is about getting rid of excess and the nonessentials, and the act of distilling to what is essential-that which gives us joy, value, and purpose to our lives."
Wong begins with an Introduction on her background and how she got into minimalism. She goes on to explain what minimalism is and then each chapter follows with an area of our lives that need attention in order to achieve a minimalist life and therefore create a path towards true happiness. She thoughtfully includes examples of her own life along the way. I particularly loved that each chapter contained relevant quotes from inspirational figures. Two quotes I particularly enjoyed: "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Jim Rohn, and "Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Buddha. The book is full of them and they are such a delight.
I also appreciated the "Resources" chapter at the end of the book referencing all of Wong's sources, perfect for those of us who like to delve a little deeper into the subject.
The whole point of the book is to be more mindful and Wong provides a roadmap for getting there.
Overall, I think this book would appeal to those interested in learning more on minimalism complete with simple to follow steps to get you started.
*NetGalley provided the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
July 9, 2017
Minimalism is something that I try to live by and so, I like to read about new ways of improving my knowledge. Always interesting to learn how to declutter my life, mind and body differently.
Regina Wong is appealing in her way of explaining the basics and make decluttering seem easy and for your own good. She is giving tip, as well as interesting exemples. Like the clothes, we will buy on sale thinking we are making economy, when in reality, we didn't need the article.
The grab and run emergency kit would also help people, who like to be prepared. She also implements, in the reader's mind, that emptying is "joy not deprivation." An important point, as people tent to think minimalist are boring, black and white monks.
Memories, multitasking, food, mindfulness, emotions, the author really gives you a complete view of how becoming minimalist could benefit you. Unfortunately, that's where she has lots my interest.
I would have like more exemples about how to improve my daily life or some actions, we can make to change our habits. Instead, I got some psychological coaching.
Being a minimalist is different for everybody and it helps really your body and mind to find balance. Doesn't mean that the readers need to have a lecture on how to take care of heir emotions. It was not the point of the book. Doesn't mean that she was wrong just that if I want to read about spirituality, philosophy or psychology, I will choose my own books.
A good one even if she has lost herself at the end.
Lucie
http://wp.me/p8ObN4-5D
Regina Wong is appealing in her way of explaining the basics and make decluttering seem easy and for your own good. She is giving tip, as well as interesting exemples. Like the clothes, we will buy on sale thinking we are making economy, when in reality, we didn't need the article.
The grab and run emergency kit would also help people, who like to be prepared. She also implements, in the reader's mind, that emptying is "joy not deprivation." An important point, as people tent to think minimalist are boring, black and white monks.
Memories, multitasking, food, mindfulness, emotions, the author really gives you a complete view of how becoming minimalist could benefit you. Unfortunately, that's where she has lots my interest.
I would have like more exemples about how to improve my daily life or some actions, we can make to change our habits. Instead, I got some psychological coaching.
Being a minimalist is different for everybody and it helps really your body and mind to find balance. Doesn't mean that the readers need to have a lecture on how to take care of heir emotions. It was not the point of the book. Doesn't mean that she was wrong just that if I want to read about spirituality, philosophy or psychology, I will choose my own books.
A good one even if she has lost herself at the end.
Lucie
http://wp.me/p8ObN4-5D
January 3, 2018
The short-take: If you’re entirely unfamiliar with the concepts of minimalism, mindfulness, and intentional living, then this book may be an acceptable jumping-off point. Otherwise, skip it.
I’m an aspiring minimalist, and bought this book in hopes that it would bring some form of inspiration. I��ve previously read numerous books and blog posts on minimalism and various related topics. I regret having purchased this book.
While I agree with most of the ideas presented (from a subject matter perspective), I disagree with the way they’re presented. The content seemed to jump from topic to topic with no transition at all. By the way I was 1/3 of the way through, I had decided that the content would have been better suited as individual blog posts. (Perhaps these were blog posts, and have been recycled into book form?) Also, it seemed that there were a few numbers that were inconsistent, particularly regarding how many clothes we have but don’t wear.
I only finished the book because I detest abandoning a book part-way through — you know, perhaps there’s a gem hidden in there somewhere. There wasn’t. The experience of reading this made me wonder if any of it had gone past a professional editor.
I’m an aspiring minimalist, and bought this book in hopes that it would bring some form of inspiration. I��ve previously read numerous books and blog posts on minimalism and various related topics. I regret having purchased this book.
While I agree with most of the ideas presented (from a subject matter perspective), I disagree with the way they’re presented. The content seemed to jump from topic to topic with no transition at all. By the way I was 1/3 of the way through, I had decided that the content would have been better suited as individual blog posts. (Perhaps these were blog posts, and have been recycled into book form?) Also, it seemed that there were a few numbers that were inconsistent, particularly regarding how many clothes we have but don’t wear.
I only finished the book because I detest abandoning a book part-way through — you know, perhaps there’s a gem hidden in there somewhere. There wasn’t. The experience of reading this made me wonder if any of it had gone past a professional editor.
March 18, 2020
Too much repetition from Spark joy and Marie Kondo's book. She adds little and it seems like pablum -- she just copied notes and typed on. There is a strong Buddhist message here that I could have done without
snip...Lotta of words, but exactly what are we talking about? This is a big problem throughout the book. Lots of snippets she adds too little to, or expands.
Expanding the envelope. This is a method shared by Leo Babauta of the blog Zen Habits. By widening the envelope of our perspective, from what we think is important to what the other sees as important, we might realize that they’re having a difficult day, or that maybe life has not been treating them well, etc. It doesn’t excuse their behavior, but it allows us to generate more empathy and compassion for them. This will help to moderate our anger and frustration. Some call this being “emotionally correct.” Expanding the envelope can challenge and difficult to do regularly. But as we learn to be more aware and to watch our impulses before reacting, we will start noticing the gradual changes in our responses, and it will become more of a habit.
snip...Lotta of words, but exactly what are we talking about? This is a big problem throughout the book. Lots of snippets she adds too little to, or expands.
Expanding the envelope. This is a method shared by Leo Babauta of the blog Zen Habits. By widening the envelope of our perspective, from what we think is important to what the other sees as important, we might realize that they’re having a difficult day, or that maybe life has not been treating them well, etc. It doesn’t excuse their behavior, but it allows us to generate more empathy and compassion for them. This will help to moderate our anger and frustration. Some call this being “emotionally correct.” Expanding the envelope can challenge and difficult to do regularly. But as we learn to be more aware and to watch our impulses before reacting, we will start noticing the gradual changes in our responses, and it will become more of a habit.
November 14, 2017
I like the premise of this book, but could not get past the unorganized writing and ramblings. The author touches on many parts of being a minimalist and doesn't really do justice to any of them. Perhaps the next edition can focus on one element and offer more constructive arguments for that type of lifestyle.
February 19, 2019
This is basically Marie Kondo if she was also an ultra-high earner who is convinced that it was minimalism and not her massive paycheck that allowed her to become free of debt so soon after deciding living debt-free was important. Her advice smacks of someone out of touch was the reality of lower-income levels.
July 20, 2018
This is a short read with both practical and inspirational tips on living a minimalist lifestyle. Much of the focus is on making the necessary mindset shifts to live more intentionally, to have just enough of just the right things (and relationships and activities, etc.) to maximize happiness.
I liked how Ms. Wong explained the concept of minimalism, and I liked some of the quotes she included. Many of her practical tips were things I had already read about before, but the minimalist budget was new to me and seemed like a helpful way to think about how to allocate resources.
Other than the minimalist budget, most of the original content here consists of the author discussing her own experiences as a relatively wealthy Londoner transitioning from corporate life and consumerist culture to minimalism. I suspect those portions of the book will appeal to some readers and be off-putting for others. Personally, I had difficulty relating to the author and had a very mixed reaction to these sections. I was hoping to read less about her and more material directly applicable to me.
If you’re not familiar with intentional living and the minimalist movement, this book could be a good introduction. It will probably be most appealing to the financially well off who are tired of the constant push to do more/be more/have more and are looking to simplify.
I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting. The ARC was neatly formatted and had very few proofreading errors, although there were some inconsistent statistics that I hope an editor corrected.
I liked how Ms. Wong explained the concept of minimalism, and I liked some of the quotes she included. Many of her practical tips were things I had already read about before, but the minimalist budget was new to me and seemed like a helpful way to think about how to allocate resources.
Other than the minimalist budget, most of the original content here consists of the author discussing her own experiences as a relatively wealthy Londoner transitioning from corporate life and consumerist culture to minimalism. I suspect those portions of the book will appeal to some readers and be off-putting for others. Personally, I had difficulty relating to the author and had a very mixed reaction to these sections. I was hoping to read less about her and more material directly applicable to me.
If you’re not familiar with intentional living and the minimalist movement, this book could be a good introduction. It will probably be most appealing to the financially well off who are tired of the constant push to do more/be more/have more and are looking to simplify.
I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting. The ARC was neatly formatted and had very few proofreading errors, although there were some inconsistent statistics that I hope an editor corrected.
July 6, 2017
When I received a copy of Make Space by Regina Wong, I was very excited. Considering the subject matter, I was hoping that the minimalism would not only apply to the content but also to the structure of Make Space, leaving out all that was not necessary, and bringing me a clear and concise volume on the subject of minimalism.
Instead, I received a book that offered no technique on the subject, but rather turned out to be a disguised (and not well researched) self-help book, trying to cover anything that may be related on the outside to living a minimalist lifestyle, but only in the most remote kind of way.
What it did not contain was clear instructions on minimalism. The little bit it did cover was oversimplified, and made me feel that the Author had no clear grasp on the concept, and was rather someone who thought it would make a good trendy book subject.
I did like, however, that the Author suggested implementing the techniques of minimalism also in the reader’s digital world, as their clutter can also distract and disorganize.
Also, the financial section was decent, but other minimalist books have done a better job even on that subject beforehand.
Overall, I have to say, that I was very underwhelmed by this book.
Instead, I received a book that offered no technique on the subject, but rather turned out to be a disguised (and not well researched) self-help book, trying to cover anything that may be related on the outside to living a minimalist lifestyle, but only in the most remote kind of way.
What it did not contain was clear instructions on minimalism. The little bit it did cover was oversimplified, and made me feel that the Author had no clear grasp on the concept, and was rather someone who thought it would make a good trendy book subject.
I did like, however, that the Author suggested implementing the techniques of minimalism also in the reader’s digital world, as their clutter can also distract and disorganize.
Also, the financial section was decent, but other minimalist books have done a better job even on that subject beforehand.
Overall, I have to say, that I was very underwhelmed by this book.
August 15, 2017
When I received a copy of Make Space by Regina Wong, I was very excited. Considering the subject matter, I was hoping that the minimalism would not only apply to the content but also to the structure of Make Space, leaving out all that was not necessary, and bringing me a clear and concise volume on the subject of minimalism.
Instead, I received a book that offered no technique on the subject, but rather turned out to be a disguised (and not well researched) self-help book, trying to cover anything that may be related on the outside to living a minimalist lifestyle, but only in the most remote kind of way.
What it did not contain was clear instructions on minimalism. The little bit it did cover was oversimplified, and made me feel that the Author had no clear grasp on the concept, and was rather someone who thought it would make a good trendy book subject.
I did like, however, that the Author suggested implementing the techniques of minimalism also in the reader’s digital world, as their clutter can also distract and disorganize.
Also, the financial section was decent, but other minimalist books have done a better job even on that subject beforehand.
Overall, I have to say, that I was very underwhelmed by this book.
Instead, I received a book that offered no technique on the subject, but rather turned out to be a disguised (and not well researched) self-help book, trying to cover anything that may be related on the outside to living a minimalist lifestyle, but only in the most remote kind of way.
What it did not contain was clear instructions on minimalism. The little bit it did cover was oversimplified, and made me feel that the Author had no clear grasp on the concept, and was rather someone who thought it would make a good trendy book subject.
I did like, however, that the Author suggested implementing the techniques of minimalism also in the reader’s digital world, as their clutter can also distract and disorganize.
Also, the financial section was decent, but other minimalist books have done a better job even on that subject beforehand.
Overall, I have to say, that I was very underwhelmed by this book.
July 29, 2017
Great book! Maybe I found this book at just the right time, but it really spoke to me. Chapter 1 is called “The Heart of Minimalism”, and it really is the heart of the book. The author discusses why living with fewer *things* can be rewarding and freeing and can leave a person with more time for spending on things he or she likes doing. I appreciated that each reader was encouraged to find her own right amount of stuff, right way to live minimally.
Chapter 3, “The Art of Decluttering”, is very useful. It has good suggestions for the way to go about decluttering and getting rid of things that don’t add any value or spark joy in one’s life. I bookmarked several pages in this chapter alone.
But getting rid of things as opposed to feelings and reactions that hold one back is easy. The remainder of the book mostly discusses ways to reform one’s thinking and way of spending time, which is the more difficult endeavor and the one more likely to have push back from friends and family. I found these chapters inspiring.
[Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.]
Chapter 3, “The Art of Decluttering”, is very useful. It has good suggestions for the way to go about decluttering and getting rid of things that don’t add any value or spark joy in one’s life. I bookmarked several pages in this chapter alone.
But getting rid of things as opposed to feelings and reactions that hold one back is easy. The remainder of the book mostly discusses ways to reform one’s thinking and way of spending time, which is the more difficult endeavor and the one more likely to have push back from friends and family. I found these chapters inspiring.
[Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.]
April 23, 2018
I had the good fortune to meet Regina Wong when she came to Portland a couple of years back. We both helped start minimalism groups in our city. It was my pleasure to read her book Make Space: A Minimalist Guide to the Good and the Extraordinary. Wong encourages those who have tried a life of more and not found happiness to explore a life with less. She is clear it is not about deprivation, but more about being mindful and intentional in what takes up our time, money and space. She shares her own journey from a busy job in London acquiring things to a much simpler version that it is today.
This book is a good overview of the various aspects of a minimalist life where one edits their clutter, how they spend their time and where they put their energy and focus. I especially liked her chapters on emotional well-being and financial well-being as freedom. Regina includes money, time and value in her process for designing a budget to make it work uniquely for you! I found value in reading this book.
This book is a good overview of the various aspects of a minimalist life where one edits their clutter, how they spend their time and where they put their energy and focus. I especially liked her chapters on emotional well-being and financial well-being as freedom. Regina includes money, time and value in her process for designing a budget to make it work uniquely for you! I found value in reading this book.
January 15, 2021
Looking to see if there are any hints for minimalist living or an extraordinary life that I have missed, I checked this book out from my library. What sets it apart from some other books in this genre are the author's clear love of books (so I can keep what I want to and work to buy more if that is my "good life"), focus beyond physical space to mental and emotional spaces, and the activities in each chapter or so to help one think about and implement steps toward a more desired life. There is the usual "define the life you want and get rid of everything that doesn't add to it" (drawing on William Morris's useful and beautiful), reminders of the Pareto rule (20% of effort brings 80% of results) and the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes work, 5 minute break), and suggestions that time for self might be 5 minutes of silence, 10 minutes of meditation, 15 minutes getting away (leave the office, take a walk), or a 30 minute workout.
December 29, 2018
I started reading this book thinking it would be about minimalism for the home, but most of the book is actually about a mental declutter. Less multitasking, less to do lists, those kind of things. She talks about decluttering your possessions for a bit, revering to the Konmari method (just keep what sparks joy), and the rest of the book continues with self development. But if you have read many selfhelp books, you won't find anything new.
It did motivate me to simplify my life but minimalism is way more than getting rid of too much goals and to do's. If I only practice what this book is saying.. declutter what doesn't spark jou (Marie Kondo), and organize your mental space.. my life would be easier for sure, but that doesn't make me a minimalist. An ok read, just know it's mostly about making mental space. I wouldn't recommend it to people who want to declutter their possessions.
It did motivate me to simplify my life but minimalism is way more than getting rid of too much goals and to do's. If I only practice what this book is saying.. declutter what doesn't spark jou (Marie Kondo), and organize your mental space.. my life would be easier for sure, but that doesn't make me a minimalist. An ok read, just know it's mostly about making mental space. I wouldn't recommend it to people who want to declutter their possessions.
April 4, 2021
The author is a blogger and this feels like yet another book that would’ve been way better had it stayed a blog post. It was very repetitive and lacked substance; it was heavy on the platitudes and light on actual how-tos. I also don’t find the majority of her advice very helpful for the average person. For instance, her chapter on being debt-free is just “pay off your debts.” How did she do that? Well she had a job that put her in the top 10% of one of the richest cities in the world...that’s handy. Of course she was able to spend a month at the beach “finding purpose,” the rest of us will never achieve that, no matter how minimal we live our lives. The writing was also fairly disorganized, contributing to the feel that this was a series of different blog posts compiled together without editing.
June 20, 2017
This book is highly researched and discusses much more than minimalism. I think people who know nothing about minimalism, time blocking, or life improvement hacks will really enjoy this book because it is a great introduction to those themes and much more. I however am very familiar with the topic of minimalism and life hacking so I found some of the knowledge espoused by the author to be repetitive and not novel. There was nothing innovative to the approaches. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the way it is broken down into specific sections, but this was a reinforcement of ideas I have previously researched. This is a must read for a beginner who is interested in living the minimalist life.
July 19, 2020
Right, I very nearly gave this book five stars, because it is really good. It offers a thorough and holistic approach to minimalism, rather than focusing purely on physical decluttering. However, there are just a couple of points that made me drop a star:
- The author uses the word "irregardless". TWICE. She then went on to use the word "regardless" later in the book. Okay, I know this is petty, but I cringed so hard it nearly made me throw out the whole book.
- She slips in a little bit of the Law of Attraction, which I wasn't expecting and I didn't find it useful or relevant to the book.
Like I said, almost five stars. If we could give half-stars, I'd probably go for a four-and-a-half. Definitely still worth a listen/read!
- The author uses the word "irregardless". TWICE. She then went on to use the word "regardless" later in the book. Okay, I know this is petty, but I cringed so hard it nearly made me throw out the whole book.
- She slips in a little bit of the Law of Attraction, which I wasn't expecting and I didn't find it useful or relevant to the book.
Like I said, almost five stars. If we could give half-stars, I'd probably go for a four-and-a-half. Definitely still worth a listen/read!
May 24, 2017
I agree to this book so much, that most of us have been programmed to think that in order to be happier and to make the most out of our life, we need to have more money, more possessions, more gadgets, more friends, bigger house and cars, bigger job titles... But greater wealth, material consumption, and choices have not made us any happier compare to our grandparents' time, when people owned and owed less.
This book is teaching about minimalism, so we can learn to simplify and to live with less. I enjoy this kind of book and will recommend this book if you want to have a simple life.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.
This book is teaching about minimalism, so we can learn to simplify and to live with less. I enjoy this kind of book and will recommend this book if you want to have a simple life.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.
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