Jamie
Written on Oct 31, 2020
I liked it and would recommend, although I thought the Netflix show was more realistic and easier to follow.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The book that sparked a revolution and inspired the hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: the original guide to decluttering your home once and for all.
ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE—CNN
Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).
With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.
- ISBN10 1607747316
- ISBN13 9781607747314
- Publish Date 14 October 2014 (first published 3 April 2014)
- Publish Status Active
- Publisher Random House USA Inc
- Imprint Ten Speed Press
- Format eBook
- Language English
Reviews
celinenyx
Written on Oct 22, 2020
bestmessever
Written on Jan 26, 2019
Angie
Written on Sep 28, 2018
It's been exactly 2 years since I read this one?! Bizarre...
Joséphine
Written on Mar 10, 2017
Initial thoughts: No doubt, Marie Kondō has become an expert when it comes to tidying. You can tell she's very passionate about the subject and her level of experimenting and researching is surely unsurpassed. She has her methods worked out in formulaic clarity that makes it really easy to follow along for anyone who's interested. A lot of her advice is similar to that of my mother's while growing up: get rid of things that have no more place in my life, it's better to get one dress I love than five that cost the same but I like only half a much, have a place for everything and return them there after use. On that front, I'm sure many parents have taught their own children this.
What makes the KonMari method (yep, based on her nickname) stand out is the emphasis on "joy". Does an item spark joy? Keep it. Does it not? Discard it. (Gift only if said item is something someone would be willing to buy for themselves.) The point is not to clutter one's life with items that don't bring joy. Sounds like a great principle to live by but not entirely sensible either. That's how she once came to discard a hammer, following which she use a pan as a substitute. She also snapped her favourite ruler in half because she no longer owned a screwdriver.
While she then proceeded to explain that joy isn't just an electric tingling feeling but could also manifest in the form of appreciation for an item making one's life easier, I thought she somewhat undermined the importance of utility. Of course, most of us don't need five hammers, but it's handy to keep one, even if it doesn't bring joy until the moment one needs it.
That being said, it's definitely helpful when riddled with cast off items that are kept purely out of feelings of obligation or even guilt. I finally had the heart to discard knitting needles that my grandmother gifted me when I was seven. One, they were bent and of no more use; two, I'm not an avid knitter. These are just one example of items that had been weighing me down. It also helped to envision what I hoped to achieve through tidying because that gave me something concrete to work towards to. When there's no purpose, that's when we're most likely to fail at anything, really.
Oh and one more thing, she advocates talking to each and every object. I understand talking to plants, dolls and stuffed toys people have had since they were kids and played make-believe with, but I'm not sold on talking to my clothes hangers. Neither do I feel the compulsion to thank depleted batteries for their service before binning them. Maybe I'm just not attuned to the "aura" (as she puts it) of my possessions but those are steps I skipped.
bettyehollands
Written on Feb 6, 2017
Kait ✨
Written on Jul 27, 2016
All that being said, I feel that this book did not need to be a book. It could easily have been a long-form article. If you’re interested in the Kondo method, I’d suggest instead reading one of the many reviews/articles summing up her method. One of my favourite bloggers, Anne Bogel, has written a post explaining Kondo’s process as well as one highlighting some more tips six months later.
annieb123
Written on Feb 14, 2016
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.
Nicole Lynn
Written on Jan 18, 2016
Martha G
Written on Sep 5, 2015