Welcome to Litsy!

This is an amazing book which not only tells about why we crave for stuff but also the science behind it. This is my most favorite minimalism book so far where he is not forcing on what you need to declutter but gives you tips on how you can make it work for you.

#inspiration #indeliblemoments @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

#powerfulbook #indeliblemoments @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

I grew up in a hoarder house and naturally gravitated toward minimalism from a young age. For those looking for a more practical approach than Marie Kondo (whom I adore), this book is among the best. The author so closely articulated what I‘ve long thought. Examples: (1) If it‘s not Hell Yes, it‘s No—that‘s how I feel about stuff. (2) You can free yourself from stuff defining who you are to achieve a healthier relationship with material objects.

Minimalism is just the beginning. It‘s a tool. Once you‘ve gone ahead and minimized, it‘s time to find out what those important things are.

Sasaki‘s form of minimalism is so extreme, I think it would be unreachable and/or undesirable to most. There were a few nuggets of wisdom throughout, but nothing entirely new or mind-blowing. There were also moments where I felt like there was a whooooole lot of virtue signaling going on, and I didn‘t like that at all. Still, it was a quick read and he made a few striking points.

“Listen, life is short. It‘s a shame to waste it because of some material object.” It‘s sort of a reminder for me to keep only what sparks joy and not be overwhelmed by materials. I doubt I can be a minimalist but at least I‘m motivated to keep my belongings as minimal so that I would not burden my family when I passed on 😅 My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #tbntbookchallenge

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Filled with a variety of personal anecdotes as well as helpful tips on the reduction of material possessions, Fumio Sasaki's brief tome is as much an exploration into the "new Japanese minimalism" as it is "food for thought" insights into the WHY behind our consumerism.

Contains plenty of material that has probably been covered before (i.e. let go of the idea of 'someday', organizing is not minimizing...) but offers interesting concepts, too.

This guy has a lot of angst, it seems, but I guess getting rid of his things has helped him. Some helpful stuff. I like this: “When you discard something, you gain more than you lose.....There are more things to gain from eliminating excess than you might imagine: Time, space, freedom, and energy, for example.”

Another great short book on minimalism. Not better or worse than Marie Kondo's book, but a complement.

Why do people measure their worth by the things they own? Constant stress, life in the rat race, keeping up with the Joneses..one day the author (just a regular guy, not a minimalist guru) decided he had enough and wanted to change his life by reducing his material possessions to the essential minimum. As a result, he felt freedom, peace of mind and awareness of being ‘present‘. There may be happiness in owning less. #thepowerofgoodbye #MOvember

Good morning! My #24B4Monday begins with this nonfictional book. 😊 Here is the best weather for reading: rainy and stormy

@Andrew65 @TheReadingMermaid @jb72
#nonfiction

An interesting book on practical tips for reducing your belongings and practicing minimalism. Unfortunately the author seemed so completely obsessed with having as little as possible it at times gave the impression that getting rid of 90% of your belongings is the only way to find true happiness... Also as a resident of the countryside I shan‘t be using my local restaurant as my dining room any time soon.. #minimalism

The latest addition to my stack of current reads! Whilst I already feel that the authors take on minimalism is too extreme for me it is already giving me the urge to sort, organise and get rid of some stuff! #minimalism

It was a pretty productive weekend for minimalizing. Here‘s a before and after shot of some of the progress I made in the basement. I can‘t believe how much stuff I have 😨

I didn‘t want to lose momentum with the epic amount of purging I‘ve done so far since finishing this book, so I took it out again and I‘ve been taking a break from the office for a walk each day while I listen.

I‘m completely on board. The great household purge of 2019 is in full swing.

A very honest and Japanese perspective on the benefits of minimalism. I‘ve read several books on this topic, so not much was new to me, but I enjoyed hearing a different perspective. The audio book was good, but there are apparently a lot of the author‘s photographs in the physical book.

Some good points in this book but man if the author loves Apple! And reading a gazillion times that Apple is “minimal” made me laugh my eyes out.

If you enjoyed Marie Kondo‘s books, you will love this book. Minimalist living in Japan.

For fans of Marie Kondo who want to know more about minimalism, but with less of the woo stuff. Made me want to clean my house.

Japanese minimalism

It was okay. Some good reminders to think about what you buy/store. Several good tips that I‘ll take away but overall nothing earth shattering. Author seemed quite self centered and even narcissistic which I thought was strange given the subject matter.

I see this sentiment in every decluttering/minimalism/death-cleaning/coziness/whathaveyou book.

I dumped my physical library in 2004-ish. I don't remember what I was thinking at the time. I have some art books now. That's it. Don't miss it. A surprising thought coming from a Henry Bemis type.

In a nutshell. There is only now. Let it go!

Written by an editor. I like his style.

Continuing on my quest to read all home and craft books in the library ebook system.

The minimalist page layouts are somewhat soothing. #libraryloan

#QuotsyJune18 ‘Junk‘

Been going through a clutter/closet binge. Thought I‘d give this a try so I keep going! So far the books are safe! #audiocleaning #audiobook

I love this! And it has helped me renew my commitment to discarding and living with less!

This audiobook is giving me so much decluttering inspiration! I have a three day weekend starting tomorrow and I can‘t wait to start cleaning and purging.

This book was great! I was only halfway through and started selling my stuff. Despite his recommendation however, I will not be ditching bold colors or parting with all my books! Definately suggest this for those who bailed on "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up". There is no sock petting in this one. #LitsyAtoZ

Only half way through and I have already secured interested buyers on a Facebook yard sale page for the deep fryer that has been sitting on my baker's rack unused for 2 years. Sasaki even quoted Palahniuk a few times when talking about the relationship we have with our things. Loving this so far! #LitsyAtoZ

I some how got the impression this was the edgy minimalism book intent on criticizing all the minimalists who've come before. In reality, I found it positive and welcoming, with a strong emphasis on Japanese minimalism's historical roots and lots of credit given to those who've helped revitalize it in recent years.

There're good pointers here, too, though I do wish minimalists would quit harping on about bland colours. I'll pass on those, thanks.

I ain't a brilliant cake decorator, but this baby's gonna taste AMAZING. Best cake ever.

If you find yourself with 2.5 cups of excess eggnog and you want to make your own, the recipe's on Taste of Home. #audiobaking

I got up early early early to make the eggnog gunge that'll flavour my icing. #audiobaking

I'm beyond glad Hoopla finally added a 2x option. I always used to wait for an Overdrive copy if one was on offer because 1.5x isn't quite fast enough for me, but now I can dive right into whatever's in the Hoopla catalogue.

I baked my eggnog sponges and whipped up some custard for the trifle while I started the tagged book. All the Christmas foods are coming together! I'm especially excited about this cake, even though I'll have to start the icing at an unconscionable hour tomorrow so I can avoid having to put it in the fridge tonight. The eggnog icing base has to cool for quite a while before I can combine everything, and lunch is at 1:00. #audiobaking

I'm not sure how much listening time I'll have in December, so I only chose one short audiobook during my November leftover Hoopla credits spending spree.

I often fantasize about pulling a dumpster up to my house to throw things out, but a lot of the advice here is more for younger, single people that live in large cities. The author notes that each person has to find the level of minimalism that works for them and may not be as extreme as he is. I‘m not convinced that minimalism will completely turn my life around, but he makes a number of excellent points about what really can make people happy.

Sasaki focuses on his own personal (extreme) minimalist journey, including plenty of good advice and tips, and reassurances that minimalism will look different for everyone. He opens up about his life and gives a much fuller picture of minimalism than Marie Kondo. I found this book interesting, and so will anyone intrigued by minimalism!
Full review here: https://bookandstitch.wordpress.com/2017/11/12/goodbye-things/ #audiobook #hoopla #minimalism

So far, I like this much, much more than Marie Kondo's Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up! Where she condescendingly shares stories about her clients, Fumio Sasaki opens up about his former, "maximalist" life and alcoholism. Where she worships and anthropomorphizes her possessions, he treats them as utilitarian.

The only problem? I'm living out of two small suitcases for one entire year, so I can't get rid of anything. ?

Major socialising going on about thirty feet away but this is my happiness. #sorrybutalsonot #asyougetolderthesethingsgeteasiertodo

I read the Konmari book and now any title on Japanese minimalism is catching my attention. The problem is, I don't know exactly what I am seeking to get from these texts, so I am not sure which one to read next 🤔 #nonfiction #Japanese #minimalism

Starting this #audioread before logging on to work for the day.

I would like to be a minimalist. I'm not so good at it, though. The struggle continues.

"We find our originality when we own less."