The Book You Need to Get Rid of the Stuff You Don't: A Mindful Guide to Decluttering

by Irene Smit, Astrid van der Hulst, Flow Magazine

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Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2020

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, not the best I'm sure but it is succinct. More of a checklist with tips sprinkled throughout. A decent starter if you're starting out.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow - this was seriously the most nothing book I've ever "read." All it is is pictures and names of items you might want to let go of, with checkboxes next to them and a few decluttering tips sprinkled around. Many of them from Marie Kondo. Just read her books instead! (Also, I read the ebook. It's probably nicer with the real paper book and illustrations, but I still can't imagine it taking more than 20 minutes to page through the entire thing.)

[Chinook · Rating 2 out of 5]

This took me about 20 minutes to read and gave me a bit of a shove into a tiny session of decluttering, which is helpful. But the tips and visuals here are light on content and usefulness.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lists things you might want to declutter, and asks the question, "Do I really need it?" Each little page lists one thing, (an empty shoebox, old board games, nuts and screws, enough linens to stock a hotel, old phones, a breadmaker, holiday dinnerware, blank notebooks, and dozens more) and underneath it are checkboxes for "Yes" or "No".

After every five or six decluttering items, there is a little snippet of advice about decluttering, living more minimally, and letting go of the emotions surrounding your possessions. The tips and advice are interspersed throughout the book, so I would recommend reading all of those first, and then going back and actually doing the declutter items checklist.

The great thing is you don't HAVE to declutter or get rid of any of the items. You just have to ask yourself, "Do I really need it?" If you answer "Yes", and you have a real reason why you love the item and use it, then you can keep it with confidence. If you answer "No", then you can donate or trash the item with a clear conscience.

I love that focus of this book is on what you want to keep, not on what you are throwing in the trash. The whole attitude toward decluttering is purposeful, and that's what minimalism really is... being intentional about your possessions.

The writing style is encouraging and positive, with lots of funny little witticisms. Some of the items are really funny but also relatable, because we all have some weird lamp, souvenir snow globe, old cassette tapes, novelty pencil sharpener, or dorky item we won at a fair or carnival.

The illustrations are what make this book really special! There are little drawings of each decluttering item, some of them showing the wear and tear on the clothing, and the dirt or grime on the item, and the holes in the socks, and how the silverware is tarnished. The artwork is so whimsical and sweet! I love all the designs in this book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations were adorable but the “flow” of the items to declutter just didn’t make sense to me. I also didn’t realize that this is a pocket-sized book. It felt more like something you’d receive as a hostess book instead of something that had a lot of meaning in it. All of that being said, I did think through each of the items they put in the book and got rid of three things so in that sense, I’m glad I read it.

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short visual representation of decluttering Can be read in about a half an hour.Tips and quotes interspersed with hand drawn artwork of things you might own and a check yes or no box if you want to keep. wouldn’t pay to own it but a bit of motivation if you can borrow for free at the library 😊

[Val~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that apart from cute illustrations and the checklists, this book has several ideas related to decluttering and mindful living :)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cute book and at first glance I thought that I'd read it before (I hadn't) but even so, it's worth reading again. Really cute pictures and little boxes to check whether or not you would keep the item. It's fun to look through even if you don't own the item. Interspersed are tips about decluttering and letting go of things. Nothing I hadn't really read before, but I like the small size of the book and that I was able to read it in less than a day. The author is very empathetic and doesn't preach like some minimizing authors do, and I really liked that a lot.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute, simple, and straight-forward self-help book about decluttering. I think sprinkling in some tips and tricks for cleaning & decluttering in just short spirts (i.e. only on one page every five pages), like this book did, can be very beneficial to someone potentially overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning, or by their own clutter itself.

[Megan Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept — a “check yes or no” for decluttering with beautiful illustrations to enhance the decision-making process. The little vignettes were enjoyable—I only wish there had been more. So while it was a quick, fun flip-through of a book, I’m rating low for lack of substance and missed opportunity. Nevertheless, these types of books are keeping me honest on my quest to simplify.

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is oddly specific? The pictures were nice but it was organised in such a way that made it not very useful if you are going through a decluttering project. I'm not quite sure the purpose it serves besides having pretty pictures

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think for what this book is, it does a good job. It's basically a compilation of pictures with "check yes or no" boxes, a sprinkling of decluttering tips, and quotes about letting go. It took less than 15 minutes to read, but it had me think twice about some items I've been holding on to. It's cute. Would I purchase it? No. But I am glad I found it at my library!

[Sakinah Farit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check and balance on your possessions. Sometimes you think you want more, but you don’t need one.

[Jocelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little checklist book on decluttering.

[Ann Grebner · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read while waiting to be seen by my doctor :)

[Lana Gionfriddo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. Would make a good small addition to a housewarming gift.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book that's actually helpful in decluttering.

[Ștefania Ioana Chiorean · Rating 2 out of 5]

The designs are cute and all but 236 pages + covers for so little things is a waste of paper..
But again is a nice-looking book, a to-do list with graphics.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations-- decent guided questions; things to think about. Quality quotes. Not worth buying-- but fun to flip through.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, but not very useful if you've read any other decluttering books.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This only gets stars because the illustrations are beautiful.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tips and visuals to jog your memory.

[Cortez_jk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute fast read. Nice reminders and illustrations.

[Moshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations but not much info. This got me out of my reading slump.

[Deborah Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

My old boss, Jenny sent me this book. I’m a clean and organizational weirdo so love trying to simplify where and when I can. This would be a great book for you if you are just getting started with getting rid of possessions! It has a picture of an item along with a check box that says yes or no ✅ if you check yes you keep that item if you said no donate or get rid if. A simple book but a great starting point!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat little book.

[Helen Geng · Rating 3 out of 5]

NYPL book

[Aimee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Total fluff. Mostly illustrations with yes or no check boxes underneath. The rest are tips everyone has heard, or quotes and ideas from Marie Kondo.

[Laura Jarvis-Whitehead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new here. Fun pics.