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grayxen's review against another edition
4.0
loved the documentary and the website so much i got the audiobook as well. repeats all the same stuff but it's all such good stuff that i couldn't help myself.
jakemcc's review against another edition
3.0
As a collection of essays that have (almost all of them) been published on the website http://www.theminimalists.com/. These selected essays are a good way to gain insight into how Millburn thinks and his approach to achieving happiness.
Book touches author's views on minimalism, living a meaningful life, and much more. There are parts of this book that may encourage you to take a step back and reflect.
Book touches author's views on minimalism, living a meaningful life, and much more. There are parts of this book that may encourage you to take a step back and reflect.
betanine's review
3.0
There are a lot of good thoughts in this book. I am all on board with owning things that have use and meaning rather than being owned by a bunch of stuff that collects dust. I love the ideas of living in a way that brings meaning to my life or other’s lives. Miller shares what he has learned on his path in embracing minimalism that is useful for those who want to embrace a life with less.
I did find a number of the essays to be repetitive. I imagine if I were reading these as they were published on the author’s website, more time would fall between readings, and they wouldn’t feel as repetitive. At times the essays feel as though I’m reading from his journal rather than something meant for public consumption. Other times, while Miller’s advise is good, it feels as though the narrative is praising the author more than sharing his experience.
At the end of the book, I find that I enjoyed reading the book and appreciate learning from Miller’s experience. I did feel that this is fundamentalist minimalism, teaching the reader how to be a true minimalist and how not to get off the straight and narrow. Miller does come back to point out that the main point is to be in control of your life rather than having your life be in control of you. I can’t help but think that the determination and focus Miller had that helped him succeed in the corporate world is the same trait that he used to be successful as a minimalist. This isn’t a criticism, mind you, just an observation that not every reader has the same determinate and focus. So I would encourage a reader who feels overwhelmed to be patient and take things one step at a time.
I did find a number of the essays to be repetitive. I imagine if I were reading these as they were published on the author’s website, more time would fall between readings, and they wouldn’t feel as repetitive. At times the essays feel as though I’m reading from his journal rather than something meant for public consumption. Other times, while Miller’s advise is good, it feels as though the narrative is praising the author more than sharing his experience.
At the end of the book, I find that I enjoyed reading the book and appreciate learning from Miller’s experience. I did feel that this is fundamentalist minimalism, teaching the reader how to be a true minimalist and how not to get off the straight and narrow. Miller does come back to point out that the main point is to be in control of your life rather than having your life be in control of you. I can’t help but think that the determination and focus Miller had that helped him succeed in the corporate world is the same trait that he used to be successful as a minimalist. This isn’t a criticism, mind you, just an observation that not every reader has the same determinate and focus. So I would encourage a reader who feels overwhelmed to be patient and take things one step at a time.
karend's review
2.0
This took me quite a long time to get through because I had to take it in very small doses, as reading it in bigger chunks just reminded me how very repetitious it was. The author acknowledges this in the beginning of the book and offers some explanation about how that will help get his message across. I think it's more a matter of he didn't want to have to do too much editing of these essays, most of which I got the idea had been previously published on his website. I really need to find a better book on minimalism, as the two I've read so far seem to be from the perspective of people who are succeeding at it by writing books quickly to make money so they don't have to work at anything besides their minimalism.
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