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venkyloquist's review against another edition
3.0
A book that lays out practical and logical methods for disposing clutter, "The Art of Discarding", is a timely addition for a more organised, if not a totally minimalist lifestyle. All of us are attached to our belongings, parting with which induces a sense of nostalgia, not to mention a sense of loss. Nagisa Tatsumi identifies simple and definitive approaches to rid ourselves of a sense of belonging that ultimately leads to the pernicious art of accumulating. Using a compelling logic that entwines an object with its utility, the author sets out the following ten attitudes adhering to which will according to her, rid one's life of clutter:
1. Don't keep it "for now";
2. Avoid "temporary" storage - decide now!;
3. "Sometime" never comes;
4. "Really convenient!" to somebody else - irritating junk to me;
5. Nothing is sacred;
6. If you've got it, use it;
7. Storage and organisation methods are not the solution;
8. "Maybe this could go...";
9. Dont worry that you will get rid of something you shouldn't;
10.Dont aim for perfection
The author follows up the ten attitudes with ten "strategies" for facilitating a timely and 'sustained' disposal. Such strategies include "Dont look - throw!; Chuck it then and there and have plenty of disposal routes. Nagisa Tatsumi argues for the art of disposal to be an ingrained habit. In her words, "instead of worrying about wastefulness, let the task of disposal be an opportunity to reflect on the real value of your possessions. Look at the things you've allowed to accumulate. Thinking about why you've got them will help you give a sense of why you have a hold on you. And as you sort out what to throw away and what to keep, you'll come to realise what's really necessary".
Now it's time for me to have a long, hard and realistic look at my overflowing book cases and the piles of even more books littering coffee tables and working desks!
1. Don't keep it "for now";
2. Avoid "temporary" storage - decide now!;
3. "Sometime" never comes;
4. "Really convenient!" to somebody else - irritating junk to me;
5. Nothing is sacred;
6. If you've got it, use it;
7. Storage and organisation methods are not the solution;
8. "Maybe this could go...";
9. Dont worry that you will get rid of something you shouldn't;
10.Dont aim for perfection
The author follows up the ten attitudes with ten "strategies" for facilitating a timely and 'sustained' disposal. Such strategies include "Dont look - throw!; Chuck it then and there and have plenty of disposal routes. Nagisa Tatsumi argues for the art of disposal to be an ingrained habit. In her words, "instead of worrying about wastefulness, let the task of disposal be an opportunity to reflect on the real value of your possessions. Look at the things you've allowed to accumulate. Thinking about why you've got them will help you give a sense of why you have a hold on you. And as you sort out what to throw away and what to keep, you'll come to realise what's really necessary".
Now it's time for me to have a long, hard and realistic look at my overflowing book cases and the piles of even more books littering coffee tables and working desks!
librarian_nic's review against another edition
2.0
We keep things for too long...and this book could be a blog post. It didn’t keep my attention, so I skimmed at least 3/4 of it.
Perhaps an audiobook version would work better for me, to speed up the process.
Perhaps an audiobook version would work better for me, to speed up the process.
franini's review against another edition
5.0
El libro que más ha conseguido cambiar mi concepción y filosofía de vida. Desde entonces vivo más feliz. Considerablemente mucho más que los diferentes métodos de Marie Kondo. No hay que quedarse con todo lo que te cuenta, sino que hay que tener espíritu crítico y utilizar lo que mejor se adapte a tu vida.
al_villanueva's review against another edition
4.0
A very relevant book with a simple premise. In essence, it is a guided reflection to think again about our relationship with objects. Heavily influenced by the Japanese way of life, it may take some extra thoughts to adapt all the examples to the reality in other parts of the world. The arguments and thought chains the book proposes are nonetheless easy to follow, even if some of them may feel too extreme at first in a time when sustainability is in everybody's mouth. The Spanish translation is made in the Spanish dialect, which adds an extra layer to the cultural context of the text.
annaclarimoto's review against another edition
4.0
Borrowed this book from a friend and it was a refreshing, quick and easy read. Lots of good tips, some things felt a bit dated(!) but there's something useful for anyone to pick out of her tips.
jared's review against another edition
4.0
This is a interesting contrast to, say, Marie Kondo who emphasizes joy and fulfillment. This book is a no-nonsense guide to throwing things away.
lirael's review against another edition
4.0
Simple, direct, no-nonsense strategies for continually getting rid of clutter in the house. More sane than Marie Kondo. A bit repetitive though.
sherif's review
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I read this for its notability for than anything. A relatively short book, still felt like it went on and on. It tries to be very specific with strategies and categories of things, which doesn't age well. Meta point: amusing how many books exist just to tell you to make yourself get rid of things so you realize that you don't need to buy more things.
emkoshka's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like this book was written specifically for my family, it's that on point. There were so many times when I found myself nodding in fervent agreement, as if Nagisa Tatsumi had taken a tour of my family's home and written her book based on what she found. But I guess we're not alone in hoarding stuff, and that makes me feel both better and worse. Better for being in a situation that is common; worse for being part of a huge and systemic problem. The book started a little slow, reading more like an academic paper with her dissection of survey results, but things got more readable and relatable when she moved into discussing attitudes and strategies for discarding things. I didn't agree with everything she suggested, but I do support the basic premise that having too much stuff is harmful and unfortunately we're all complicit in having co-created this society of stuff.