maryana2009's review against another edition
5.0
Connects with the audience, impacts lives and gives people a story to loose in. Fantastic book! I loved the book!
caryambler's review against another edition
4.0
My socks are still angry, I can't get my shirts folded right and I still haven't thanked my items for serving me... but I did clear out a bunch of stuff I'd been needlessly holding on to. Proved to be a great motivator.
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely full of 'woo'. Thank your items for giving their all for you and release them to continue their journey. Don't roll your socks together because they can't relax if they're stressed out by being knotted together in your drawers. Etc.
That being said, this is a fascinating book which gives a wonderful glimpse into Japanese culture. What could possibly define us more than the way we live and the spaces in which we live?
I can't say that I really came away with concrete advice for improving the clutter in my life, but i nevertheless enjoyed reading this book quite a lot. I appreciated the quiet (dare i say zen) and calm tone of the writing. I didn't appreciate the basic idea that the ultimate cure for clutter is throwing everything you own away (beside the necessities).
Woo/zen/fluffy pop psychology ...but fascinating nonetheless.
That being said, this is a fascinating book which gives a wonderful glimpse into Japanese culture. What could possibly define us more than the way we live and the spaces in which we live?
I can't say that I really came away with concrete advice for improving the clutter in my life, but i nevertheless enjoyed reading this book quite a lot. I appreciated the quiet (dare i say zen) and calm tone of the writing. I didn't appreciate the basic idea that the ultimate cure for clutter is throwing everything you own away (beside the necessities).
Woo/zen/fluffy pop psychology ...but fascinating nonetheless.
kstav's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
The Netflix show made me a Marie Kondo convert, the book made me an evangelist. As a fantastically untidy person with great sentimental attachment to basically everything, having someone tell me to say "thank you" to discarded items was a game changer.
mollywithcurls's review against another edition
3.0
This book has some good things in it, and it may be worth your time to read it. But really she's a bit crazy. It's quite impractical and EXTREMELY clear that she wrote this book before having children. I'm curious as to how she would change it now that she has a toddler and maybe even before she was married.
Definitely not a program I will (or even could) implement and stay sane, But good food for thought if you have a mind for organization and decluttering.
Definitely not a program I will (or even could) implement and stay sane, But good food for thought if you have a mind for organization and decluttering.
ravenas's review against another edition
5.0
After reading this book I got rid of over 1,000 things (some large, some very small, and yes, I tallied). I didn't even know I had 1,000 things.
I frequently found myself organizing and reorganizing but never quite finding peace with how I left things. Reading this book helped me to let go of the things that I no longer needed. I was able to find the motivation to get rid of things that I was keeping because "I've had it this long, why get rid of it now?", "I'll find a use for it someday", or "I don't care for it but it's still functional so it seems a shame to get rid of". I made a good chunk of money on eBay and donated a car-full to Goodwill.
Yes, this book has some stranger moments that may not settle with everyone the same (not everyone feels comfortable speaking to their clothes), but even just using the lessons that resonate with you should be able to help declutter. For instance, Kondo recommends folding every article of clothing that can be folded but I prefer to hang as much as possible. Others may not find personal benefit in folding their socks, but when I open my sock drawer I enjoy seeing everything lined up in color order. Take every lesson with a grain of salt and focus on what you believe will benefit you.
I frequently found myself organizing and reorganizing but never quite finding peace with how I left things. Reading this book helped me to let go of the things that I no longer needed. I was able to find the motivation to get rid of things that I was keeping because "I've had it this long, why get rid of it now?", "I'll find a use for it someday", or "I don't care for it but it's still functional so it seems a shame to get rid of". I made a good chunk of money on eBay and donated a car-full to Goodwill.
Yes, this book has some stranger moments that may not settle with everyone the same (not everyone feels comfortable speaking to their clothes), but even just using the lessons that resonate with you should be able to help declutter. For instance, Kondo recommends folding every article of clothing that can be folded but I prefer to hang as much as possible. Others may not find personal benefit in folding their socks, but when I open my sock drawer I enjoy seeing everything lined up in color order. Take every lesson with a grain of salt and focus on what you believe will benefit you.
whimsydances's review against another edition
3.0
As someone who grew up with two parents who both struggle with holding on to stuff, I have always fought my own pack-rat tendencies. I remember growing up in a bedroom with piles and mounds of toys. An entire bedroom that was closed off, filled with stuff. Not to mention the storage shed in the backyard that was filled from floor to ceiling with stuff. I've always thought I've done pretty well. I regularly go through and eliminate things I don't need. I've never come close to the problems of my parents. But this book did have some good advice to help me be more ruthless in my elimination. And to help me go through and examine areas that I hadn't thought about doing before, or I didn't think required any consideration.
That being said, Marie Kondo's ideas, while helpful, are also on the fringe, sexist (because only women are responsible for tidying), and made for people who literally have no life. I am sorry, but who has TIME to take the bottles in and out of their shower every day, and take everything out of their purse and put it back in, EVERY DAY? I don't even have kids, and I don't have the time for that. I would much rather spend that time reading more interesting books than this one was. I'm glad I checked this out from the library. I got what I needed from it, and can move on.
That being said, Marie Kondo's ideas, while helpful, are also on the fringe, sexist (because only women are responsible for tidying), and made for people who literally have no life. I am sorry, but who has TIME to take the bottles in and out of their shower every day, and take everything out of their purse and put it back in, EVERY DAY? I don't even have kids, and I don't have the time for that. I would much rather spend that time reading more interesting books than this one was. I'm glad I checked this out from the library. I got what I needed from it, and can move on.
ofliterarynature's review against another edition
informative
3.0
Pros: there’s definitely some elements to her method that I think could be very useful! I’ve been itching to clean up my bedroom and I found this helped center me a bit.
Cons: the book spends most of its time telling you that this is the one and only way to get your home tidy, that if you do it right you will never been untidy again(and she’s never had any failures!), that you will be more successful, happier, healthier, prettier, skinnier, etc. Really (sarcastic). It completely overpowers the occasional mentions of how she herself has been wrong and how a space should cater to the individual.
Surely at this point there is a more direct manual to the konmari method, which I’d recommend pairing with How to Keep House While Drowning to keep you in the real world.
Cons: the book spends most of its time telling you that this is the one and only way to get your home tidy, that if you do it right you will never been untidy again(and she’s never had any failures!), that you will be more successful, happier, healthier, prettier, skinnier, etc. Really (sarcastic). It completely overpowers the occasional mentions of how she herself has been wrong and how a space should cater to the individual.
Surely at this point there is a more direct manual to the konmari method, which I’d recommend pairing with How to Keep House While Drowning to keep you in the real world.