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A review by jes_s
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
3.0
Overall, I enjoyed the concepts Marie wrote about. I agree that we generally have too much stuff and it can add stress and take from our free time when we have to clean all of it, reorganize it, or otherwise deal with it. Marie talks about discarding what isn't needed, and treating the remaining items with appreciation for their service and caring for them properly. I think that strategy could go a long way in terms of helping us make better purchases, avoid needless purchases, and generally live happier with less.
While I appreciate the need to declutter (and have started doing so myself since I picked this book up), I had hoped Marie would address some environmentally friendly ways of handling the items to be discarded. I had several moments of cringing while reading about bags upon bags being set out for the landfill. Hopefully it is brought up with her clients that usable clothing and items could be donated, resold, or recycled, and that tossing them in the trash should be a last resort.
I found the second half of the book to be very repetitive, though I did like the information about Shintoism and charms to various deities that she advised on how to organize. It put her spiritual aspects of tidying into perspective for me. While reading other reviews, I think the spiritual and/or cultural differences between Marie and readers in the US or other parts of the world may have caused some discord, but as with any other self-help book you're free to take what is useful information to you and leave the rest behind.
While I appreciate the need to declutter (and have started doing so myself since I picked this book up), I had hoped Marie would address some environmentally friendly ways of handling the items to be discarded. I had several moments of cringing while reading about bags upon bags being set out for the landfill. Hopefully it is brought up with her clients that usable clothing and items could be donated, resold, or recycled, and that tossing them in the trash should be a last resort.
I found the second half of the book to be very repetitive, though I did like the information about Shintoism and charms to various deities that she advised on how to organize. It put her spiritual aspects of tidying into perspective for me. While reading other reviews, I think the spiritual and/or cultural differences between Marie and readers in the US or other parts of the world may have caused some discord, but as with any other self-help book you're free to take what is useful information to you and leave the rest behind.