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ingrids's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Overall, I like Marie Kondo's view on tidying and her techniques. However, here is a list of things I noticed in the book that weren't particularly positive:
- There were a few, very unnecessary, passages that were based on or enforced gender stereotypes (p.70, p.200). There was also a passage based on and enforcing diet culture.
- Sometimes I felt that there was an overwhelming amount of moral preaching- an "I'm right, you're wrong"- kind of thing.
- The book very much assumes that everyone has a good and stable economy, and that they, for example, have the monetary ability to repurchase something they threw away but now realize they need.
On a personal note, I didn't agree with Kondo on her view on letters and their purpose. She states that the letter has fulfilled its purpose when it has been received and read, and that you therefore can throw it away afterwards. As a history lover, I shudder at the thought of people destroying all letters after they've been read! For example, I imagine that a letter that for me is very uninteresting might be VERY interesting for my grand children, or maybe even future historians. I also believe that letters have the additional purpose of bringing back memories, years after they were read the first time, and that that can bring you a lot of joy! So please, for anyone reading this, don't throw away all your personal letters!
This book wasn't all bad. Here are a few things I liked:
- On page 142, Kondo presents the idea that we adapt our in-home behaviour according to our organization, not the other way around. I thought this reasoning was very eye-opening and interesting.
- I enjoyed the heavy spiritual aspects of her techniques, and I think those statements were presented with openness and without the aura of "absolute truth".
- It was nice to read about the author's own mistakes and failures, since this showed the reader that Kondo doesn't claim to be perfect (even though she might seem to be!)
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia and Sexism