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Mr. Sasaki writes about minimalism in maximalist manner. A good editor could have cut this book down to the length of a magazine article, added a few of the book's photographs, and nothing much would have been lost. In fact, the book could have almost been condensed to the "55 tips to help you say goodbye to your things" on the last few pages of the book. That would have been true minimalism. But then, Mr. Sasaki wouldn't have had a book to sell.
Mr. Sasaki writes
Some thoughts on Goodbye, Things:Mr. Sasaki writes about minimalism in maximalist manner. A good editor could have cut this book down to the length of a magazine article, added a few of the book's photographs, and nothing much would have been lost. In fact, the book could have almost been condensed to the "55 tips to help you say goodbye to your things" on the last few pages of the book. That would have been true minimalism. But then, Mr. Sasaki wouldn't have had a book to sell.
Mr. Sasaki writes about people gaining an identity through the things they have. However, he's gained an identity as a minimalist by giving things up. In a way, it's the same deal - just going in another direction.
Reading Goodbye Things, I felt as if I was listening to a combination TV preacher and motivational speaker. Minimalism is the one true religion and you can change your life for the better by converting to minimalism.
Mr. Sasaki writes about being an alcoholic (he doesn't use the term but, to me, getting drunk every night and going to work hung over the next morning is being an alcoholic) before finding minimalism. If finding a minimalism lifestyle worked for him, that's great, but I doubt that it would be a common cure for alcoholism, as he implies.
This book is an advertisement for Apple and its products. I could have done without that.
All of that said, I did find some good points in the book, and reading it did make me think about my life and some changes I could make to it.
I know that I have too many things cluttering up my life, and as I was reading, I found myself getting rid of some things I hadn't used in years and probably never would use.
I also thought about buying things, often for no good reason. Until recently, I owned two watches -
one with a black face and a black band, and one with a light colored face and a brown band. (I know people who don't even own a watch, and just look at their phone if they need to know the time.) The watch with the brown band started losing time after about 25 years, so I decided to replace it. I bought an relatively inexpensive but solid watch from L.L. Bean that I figure will last me for a good many years. If I had read this book a week ago, I would have stuck to one watch and would have been happy with it.
Mr. Sasaki also writes about valuing things that we have and not growing tired of them because they're no longer new or novel. To me, that's a very important concept. There are things in our home that I value, and clothes that I enjoy wearing, even though they're far from being new.
The book also makes the point that by placing less value on things and by becoming less attached and involved with those things, we may become more involved with the people in our lives. That's probably true and certainly a good thing.
A good quote from the book: p.253: "Because I don't own very much, I have the luxury of time."
In the end, I wasn't converted. I want to sleep on a real mattress on a bed. I like to read books with paper pages, not words illuminated on a screen. (If Mr. Sasaki reads non e-book books, it's only at the library, they don't seem to be welcome in his home.) I don't want to listen to recorded music played through computer speakers, or through ear buds or head phones. I no doubt have more clothes than I need (though I'm very far from being whatever the male version of a fashionista is called), but I enjoy changing what I wear. Three white shirts (shown in the photograph of Mr. Sasaki's closet) wouldn't do it for me.
Another Goodreads reviewer of this book https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... quoted William Morris: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." That says it for me, much more so than minimalism does.
My rating - five stars for the ideas presented - two stars for the manner in which they were presented - so three.
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This includes the author's own pictures and
I've read a couple of books on minimalist lifestyle, and this is one of the best in my opinion. I especially like that all the photos included with the book are at the start, helps to make the book appealing. You can see from them not only single persons, but also a couple, a family and a traveling person's backpack contents (though only scarf can be counted as clothes in it, which leaves me wondering about the rest of the clothes that could be there).This includes the author's own pictures and comments deeper in the book on how he made a journey from maximalist (lots of stuff) to minimalist one. He certainly has reached a satisfying point doing this, and offers now his thoughts and ideas on how to do it etc. First chapter defines what a minimalist is and what it means to be one, plus some reasons for its popularity. Second chapter talks about why we are (or have been) maximalists. In the third chapter we finally get ways to reduce our possessions. And in chapters four and five we read about positive changes that becoming minimalist has given to the author (and many others). Then there are very grateful, and unusually cute afterwords and thank-yous, plus finally two lists of the tips explained in the third chapter, handily attached at the end.
The author benefited much from the change. No more need to compare himself to others, no heaviness of all the things, no feeling of 'my possessions = my worthiness', no dissatisfaction with bad habits. He relates to people better, feels grateful and happy easier, dares to try new things and experiences. This book is a Japanese point of view, but not too different. He's clearly a Steve Jobs fan *lol*
I like that he stresses that each one of us can define our own level of minimalism. It's merely a method of reducing possessions to the one that are necessary and truly matter to us, and not owning just to pretend or 'someday I'll do' things. There is so repeat, but so lightly it didn't manage to annoy me at all. Everything is just said so cheerfully, calmly and not-pushy. The author clearly loves minimalism, and this letting go of things has none of the 'hello trees hello sky'-ism of the Konmari method (it is mentioned in the book, but briefly).
I think that if you want only one book on minimalism and how to do it, it is this one.
=
Myself, I think I will aim somewhere in-between minimalism and the maximalist ends, for reasons. I like chairs and beds with legs (all the getting up from the floor is not my thing),
want to own enough clothes to fill the washing machine properly (having just 3 shirts won't do),
and my books, movies and music I prefer to have as visible things - I don't own these to show off, and do seriously cherish them; if I don't, they don't stay, no worries.
So, perhaps I will own more than minimalism might be like, but getting rid of maximalism is perhaps the best intention for me now. Then again, who knows what the future will be like? :)
One must recognize at some point that whatever dreams are mixed up in purchases we have made, the potential of the ideas quickly fade when not acted on imm
Sasaki's photographs in the beginning of this book jolt one awake to what he means by minimalism. Some people are so radical that it makes the rest of us look like hoarders. But by the end of this very simply-written and superbly-argued short book, most of the arguments we have for cluttering our space and complicating our lives are defeated.One must recognize at some point that whatever dreams are mixed up in purchases we have made, the potential of the ideas quickly fade when not acted on immediately, as in when the objects are "saved" for something we vaguely anticipate in the future. In the minimalist outlook, objects should do some kind of worthwhile duty, even if that duty is to make us happy, or please our senses.
When objects become a burden, or chastise us by their silent immobility, collecting dust, literally taking up the space we need to breathe, we can give them away, throw them out, auction them off, or otherwise get them out of our lives so that some potential can grow back into our ideas. That means even books we bought with the intention to read but which make us sad every time we look at them.
But don't take my word for it. Sasaki really does have an answer for every possible objection you may have. For instance, #37. Discarding memorabilia is not the same as discarding memories. Sasaki quotes Tatsuya Nakazaki: "Even if we were to throw away photos and records that are filled with memorable moments, the past continues to exist in our memories…All the important memories that we have inside us will naturally remain." I am not convinced this is so at every stage of life, but think there is a natural life to what we need in terms of archival items. If your children don't want it, you don't need to keep all of it. Keep the ones that matter only.
Note that Sasaki recommends scanning documents like old letters that are important to you because you can't go out and buy another if you find you were too radical in your culling. However, even the archival record becomes a burden when it becomes too large unless well-marked with dates, etc. He admits that letting go of those stored memories is a further step in true minimalist living.
The freedom one experiences when one owns fewer things is undeniable. Sasaki expresses the joy he experiences when he visits a hotel or a friend who uses big bath towels. He'd limited himself to a microfiber quick-drying hand towel for all his household needs, and enjoyed the lack of big loads of washing at home and using big thick towels while he was out: a twofer of happiness.
We are encouraged to find our own minimalism. Everyone has their own limits and definition. The author explains that #15. Minimalism is a method and a beginning. The concept is like a prologue and the act of minimizing is a story that each practitioner needs to create individually. We definitely don't need all we have, and the things we own aren't who we are. We are still us, underneath all the stuff. Some people will find this reassuring; others may find it disconcerting.
At the end of this small book, Sasaki reminds us the clarity that comes with minimalism. Concentration is easier. Waste is minimized. Social relationships are enhanced. You don't need forty seconds in a disaster to decide what to take. You live in the now.
The translation of this book is fantastic, by Eriko Sugita. It does not read like a translation, but as an intimate sharing by someone who has been through the hard work of paring down one's possessions so that his own personality shines through. It is a kind of gift. Even if one doesn't throw a thing away (I heartily doubt that will be the case) after (or during) the reading of this book, the notions are seeds. Gratitude grows in the absence of things.
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Well, Fumio Sasaki goes deeper - he says it's awesome that there are things that give us those "sparks of joy" and he tells us to get rid of them all!!!
Fumio is a minimalist and I dare say an extremist too - he got rid of 95% of the stuff he used to own, including hundreds of books, CDs, DVDs, expensive multimedia devices and fancy clothes and man So you thought Marie Kondo was funny when she told us to get rid of the garbage in our homes and to only keep the stuff that gave us "sparks of joy"?
Well, Fumio Sasaki goes deeper - he says it's awesome that there are things that give us those "sparks of joy" and he tells us to get rid of them all!!!
Fumio is a minimalist and I dare say an extremist too - he got rid of 95% of the stuff he used to own, including hundreds of books, CDs, DVDs, expensive multimedia devices and fancy clothes and many other pretty and pricey things, together with the big apartment that stored it all. I think that's really impressive, even if I don't want to follow his steps. Fumio says many interesting things in his book - about many sides of owning things and how this owning becomes a burden at some point and even a blockage for our energy, dreams and ambitions and even our self esteem. He's a follower of danshari - which means decluttering not just as a home cleaning ritual but a whole lifestyle.
Together with Naoki Numahata Sasaki writes a blog, but the text is all in Japanese, alas, so here's the link to the article about mr Numahata and his many minimalist friends https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/... , google about Sasaki yourself. And here's one about danshari https://japanahome.com/journal/dansha... if you care to learn more about it. Because I do. :)
My only problem with the book was that it needed a stricter editor, so it would avoid unnecessary repeating. We surely learn better through repeating, but this one was supposed to be minimalist, wasn't it?
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Nothing better than throwing out everything you own to make space for nothing. All you need is a bed that doubles as a couch, one set of dishes to cook and eat off of and one towel to dry said dishes and yourself off with. What an easy-peasy, simplified life.
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?! ONE TOWEL FOR EVERYTHING?!?!?!
That was the moment I realized a minimalist lifestyle was not for me. I know the author says to each their own an
**I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.**Nothing better than throwing out everything you own to make space for nothing. All you need is a bed that doubles as a couch, one set of dishes to cook and eat off of and one towel to dry said dishes and yourself off with. What an easy-peasy, simplified life.
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?! ONE TOWEL FOR EVERYTHING?!?!?!
That was the moment I realized a minimalist lifestyle was not for me. I know the author says to each their own and not everyone will go as lean as others and they for sure are not required to. That a person should make living with less work for them in their own way and all that but seriously…one freaking towel. That towel stands for everything I own that is a comfort object. I work hard to have what I deem necessary and for what I enjoy. I want a towel to dry my dishes with and I want a separate extremely fluffy huge ass towel to dry my bum with. I want to walk around in that towel, lay around in that towel, wrap that towel around my hair and just be cuddly, warm and happy in it however I want. I do not want said towel to dry off a freshly washed glass after coming in contact with my ass, just like I do not want said towel to wipe down the counter and then my face.
NOPE. NOT HAPPENING.
I get that throwing out stuff does simplify life but like most things in life, going to the extreme is not the best way to have at it. I see that saving money by not owning all of the crap frees you up to travel, to work less, pursue hobbies you love and so on, but what if owning a super comfy towel is one of the things you love most? Said towel is not a status symbol for me, it didn't cost me a lot of money and it doesn't take up a lot of space. It is the thing I seek and enjoy after a nice long hot shower. It stands for the simple things I appreciate the most in life. The basic little things that make it all worth it, the things our mind defaults to in a pinch.
Wow…that was quite a rant. Pretty sure I am arguing against nothing and I probably missed the main point of the book somewhere along the way or I received it and didn't care. I'm going to go with option two here because I feel like the length of the book was a bit much and it pulled my mind away from the main point. Which is kind of comical considering the book is supposed to be about less being more. I think my rant is just me trying to entertain myself because I usually do agree with the subject matter's line of thinking. I love throwing/giving away my excess and do try to live with only what I need and ENJOY (emphasis on enjoy). This read just didn't do it for me and has been relegated to the not-helping-me-at-all pile of self-help books.
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― Fumio Sasaki, Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
I wasn't a fan of the writing. Perhaps, I went in expecting more of a Zen minimalism asthetic. Perhaps, I am just comparing it to other design/living books that seemed to resonate better (S, M, L, XL, A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder, Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, etc.). By the end of the book, it all just see
"Minimalism is built around the idea that there's nothing that you're lacking."― Fumio Sasaki, Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
I wasn't a fan of the writing. Perhaps, I went in expecting more of a Zen minimalism asthetic. Perhaps, I am just comparing it to other design/living books that seemed to resonate better (S, M, L, XL, A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder, Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, etc.). By the end of the book, it all just seemed overwritten/overhyped. So, 2-stars.
It also seemed like a bit too self-help, too superficial, too list-oriented. I felt I was given a bunch of bullet points for tossing out things that never traveled very deep. I also (and I've seen this expressed by others) find it odd that a book on minimalism would have a list 55 items long. Perhaps, Sasaki could have slimmed that list down to 25? Some of the items seemed a bit redundant and others seemed a bit weak. Even Sasaki's explanation for they why, seemed a bit superficial. Also, I wasn't a fan of the corporate minimalism. He name-dropped Apple and Steve Jobs (also Google, Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter, etc) as if the New Japanese Minimalism existed in an app on the iPhone. Hell, it probably does.
That all said, however, it DID encourage me to drop off a couple boxes of books to Goodwill and start ditching some dishes in our kitchen and clothes in our closet. So, I gave it an extra star (three-stars) for JUST that.
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Overall, I d
I'm not interested in becoming this extreme of a minimalist, nor did this book hold my attention, though I did finish it. This is super extreme...as in you only need one fork and nothing on the walls, as in you don't need chairs if you "host" your friends at a local restaurant and use the local cafe as your living room. I found the sweeping generalization that you cannot lead a life of gratitude whilst owning a lot of things to be a little offputting, not to mention, very subjective.Overall, I didn't care for the writing or the method. I couldn't relate to much of this book because unlike the author, I don't worry about what others think of me nor did I amass items to impress people or attempt to be like them.
Also, I'm not sure how warm it is in Japan, but just the winter gear I packed away this weekend is easily more than every item the author owns. Also, the narrator sounded like an agitated American cop and that was just odd. 1.5 stars
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I took notes throughout the book, for personal reference. Here is a slice:
* Our minds are
I took notes throughout the book, for personal reference. Here is a slice:
* Our minds are old, unequipped for technological overload.
* You get used to things you buy. They're only new and shiny for a week or a month.
* Why less possessions? You get less messages sent from them. Messages = the connotations. You know, that old composition notebook that's half written in. You don't want to waste the rest of the unwritten pages. You have to use it. Yes, you'll use it tomorrow for a grocery list. But there are so many pages left to finish writing in. Tomorrow comes, you forget to use it. And it still sits on your desk and you're still convinced you'll use it.
But in amongst
Sasaki's "new Japanese minimalism" relies on a) living in a 24-hour metropolis so you can go out to buy something at 2am at an all-night store if you urgently need something b) a culture that offers rentable suitcases and c) steady, reliable full-time work with sufficient disposable income so you can afford to rent a suitcase, or buy anything you can't rent, which you will give away or sell (at a large loss) whenever you are done with it. Also being a 35-year-old single man helps.But in amongst all that there was some good stuff. Like, if you've thought about getting rid of something 5 times, just get rid of it. Still, I don't rec: overall it was just barely OK.
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-—TYLER DURDEN, FIGHT CLUB
I strongly recommend this book to all!
For anyone who struggles hard to let go of their materialistic possessions or their maximalist self, the author says-
the more things you have, the more you accumulate. You'll never be satisfied when trapped in this cycle; it will only make you want more and more.
It's like a monster that becomes hungrier and hungrier as it eats.
Wetiko is a Native American word, literally translated as "man-ea
-—TYLER DURDEN, FIGHT CLUB
I strongly recommend this book to all!
For anyone who struggles hard to let go of their materialistic possessions or their maximalist self, the author says-
the more things you have, the more you accumulate. You'll never be satisfied when trapped in this cycle; it will only make you want more and more.
It's like a monster that becomes hungrier and hungrier as it eats.
Wetiko is a Native American word, literally translated as "man-eater," which refers to a mental disorder in which you want more than you need. This disorder destroys people's lives.
I think owning aesthetic objects gives us a false sense of fulfillment and makes us feel entitled some way, we think it makes us happy but it doesn't work in long-term, they're there to fulfill our senses and not to cure our satiation.
The author has very simplistically explained the art of Minimalism in this book.
He convinces that each one of us needs to learn it & apply it in our lives. When he gave examples of Mother Teresa, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerburg, Lionel Messi, Mahatma Gandhi I instantly realized how we are overshadowed by people's accomplishments rather, but fail to retrospect the lifestyles that lead them to success & make them what they are...and of course, all of these aforementioned personalities are minimalists.
Minimalism is beautiful & I strongly believe that
"We find our originality when we own less" .
When I just started reading this book I felt like I was dragged in an existential crisis, I mean I'm 21 and suddenly I started contemplating everything & all about how I was leading my life until that very moment. It's crazy how books possess the power to metamorphose your psyche in seconds.
But, as I immersed in and reached towards the end I realized I was rather been pulled out of it.
I've always found myself deeply connected to Japan, be it the religion, language, culture, literature or even music. I really admire some of their teachings, which are rather modernistic even if wrapped in traditions.
And so, when I came across this book, I was instantly bedazzled to learn more about "minimalism", though I've known about it before from various sources like Pinterest, lifestyle blogs or interior decorators I wasn't really familiarized by the concept but again, the zen ideology per se isn't completely new to me, I'd like to thank my mum for that, for being the first person to introduce me to it.
I'm basically a hoarder of all sorts of knick-knacks ( & a BIG book hoarder ), I think that how I naturally am & it'd always been like that...since my childhood, I felt deeply attached not just to people, animals, places but also to inanimate things like my first digital camera, the greeting card my best friend made for me, the sweater I used to wear as a 4-year-old kid, the shells I found at the shore, the postal stamps, the different currency notes/coins, and the list is probably never-ending.
But it wasn't much before I read this book that I was lectured by my mum one day, how I need to let go of all the things that I've been excessively clinging to. She probably didn't know that there's this thing called "minimalism" and people legit practice it but she's always tried to teach me these things mentioned in the book ( which back then and still today, dreaded to change, anyway ).
After much angst, I once sold all my old Reader Digests, disposed of unnecessary clutter and many other things that I religiously preserved in my closet/wardrobe for years. I actually felt lighter & I can't possibly explain it in words. Having parted with the bulk of my belongings, I felt true contentment with my day-to-day life.
It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.
—TYLER DURDEN, FIGHT CLUB
I think this book just forced me to think and have encouraged me to bring this major lifestyle change and practice clearance of things I no longer need, at regular intervals in my life.
I'm already on my way to become a minimalist.
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I got the audiobook version, and my first issue was with the choice of narrator. He has a rough, distinctly Ameri
I would have rated this book as excellent if it had been able to convince a hoarder to embrace the tenets of minimalism. I would have rated it as acceptable if it had merely told me what I know about minimalism and not really cemented it. But I was actively looking for books about the subject and actively interested in it and it managed to turn me off of the very movement it espouses.I got the audiobook version, and my first issue was with the choice of narrator. He has a rough, distinctly American accent which seemed better suited to narrating a hard-boiled detective novel about a jaded cop who is on the worst case he'd ever seen. His voice did not suit this material, in my opinion. He also does "accents" for the people he's quoting. Einstein is a weird almost-French accent, Gandhi is a weird almost-French accent and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a weird almost-French accent. It got less jarring over time, but the narrators voice never stopped distracting me.
Sasaki talks about how he used to be poor and sad, how he'd come home to his cluttered apartment full of books and cameras and drink or watch TV all evening. Now he has an apartment tinier than an IKEA idea house and his life is sunshine and roses. He's happier, he's lost weight, he sleeps better, he cleans happily every day, he's got more money and he's all-in-all a better person. All of this he accredits to getting rid of his belongings. You have more time when you're not caring for your things, he says. Minimalists are naturally thin, so you'll lose weight. You have more energy to pay attention to your friends when you don't have belongings. You are more grateful when you have less. You sleep better without the energy of clutter crowding your habitat. Inconvenience can actually make your life better, once you get used to it.
Some of what he says is true. I found when I got rid of a lot of my excess belongings that I had more mental energy. I think people (especially people who do not outsource this to a wife or mother) have to keep a mental map/inventory in their head of what they own. That takes energy. Not to mention the time spent looking for things you can't find. So getting rid of things can free up some of the clutter in your mind. It does make a place easier to clean, to be sure. Also, if you have fewer things your attention is not as diluted. If you only own ten movies, it's easier to figure out what you want to watch. I found that when I got rid of the hobby materials for hobbies I wasn't as interested in, I had more time for the hobbies I enjoyed more. I know all this from personal experience and I went into this book hoping for the kind of "ah ha!" spiritual advice that Marie Kondo's book gave me with its pithy advice on how to fold things so they stand on end and that a thing comes into your life to serve one purpose and when its purpose has been served, it's okay to say goodbye.
Sasaki does not offer good advice. Plenty of advice, but not good advice. He reminds me of this horrible diet book I read called Skinny Bitch something or other, where the vulgar vegan authors basically just tried to shame the readers and disgust them by talking about how everything they eat (except fruit) is disgusting and they should just stop. Sasaki is like that with things. Why do you have a full sized towel when you can dry yourself with a small one? Why do you own a tea set when you can go out and have tea at a restaurant? Get rid of things, and then get rid of more things. That's the summation of his advice. Oh, and "get rid of the nest before you get rid of the pest" meaning, get rid of the storage items before you get rid of the things inside. His theory is that people naturally dislike clutter and will get rid of things faster if there's nowhere to put it. I think that opinions may vary on this subject.
Here's the elephant that Sasaki never really touches on: If he hadn't gotten rid of a single thing, his life would have changed just as dramatically just by not drinking himself to sleep every night. I mean, that's a pretty huge thing to give up. Drinking yourself to sleep every night will sap your energy, make you weigh more, cost a lot of money, and take away your attention for hobbies you enjoy and for your friends. We're supposed to pretend that his drinking had nothing to do with his unhappiness? Hello! Alcohol is a depressant! But I suppose "I used to drink myself to sleep every night in front of the TV, but now I don't drink and I don't watch TV and my life is better" isn't as interesting as "I live like a monk."
And it does sound like he lives like a monk. The minimalism is this kind of abnegation. He doesn't just inconvenience himself (a full-sized towel is hardly a sybaritic indulgence) he doesn't even allow himself color or pattern. Choose items that aren't bright colored, he enjoins his readers. So I picture his house as full of muted grays and browns. How dull, literally. I wonder if he also got rid of spices? He does mention striving to enjoy food even if it is bland and tasteless, because it is just nourishment. Though, the book The Dorito Effect points out that food which is more delicious (unless it's chemically flavored with false tastes) is actually better for you than bland food. Humans seek out tasty food because we're trying to self-nourish appropriately. So by eating bland food, you're actually not doing yourself any favors.
Some of his advice is either just plain not true or not true for people who don't live in Japan. For example, he said that if you are a minimalist, you can live cheaper. Um, sort of. He got rid of his hot pot set and said that he would just use the city as his house and meet people elsewhere. Are you never going to treat your friends? Or are you going to pay for everyone to eat at a restaurant? It's a lot cheaper to host people at your house than to pay for everyone to go to a restaurant. Yes, you can drink coffee at the shop on the corner every day instead of owning a coffee pot, but really, does that make economic sense? He also says that he's in a 120 square foot apartment (I think the square meters/tatami mats conversion is confusing) and that it's only like six hundred bucks a month in Tokyo. It doesn't work that way in America. There are laws restricting how small an apartment can be, and an apartment that's half the size of another doesn't necessarily cost half as much.
He also says that auction services are a great way to sell your things and that some services will pick up your things and sell them for you. I don't think these services exist in the U.S. except maybe estate sales companies that will get rid of a house full of stuff. Some ebay-stores will sell your things, but they are pretty rare, and I don't think they'll pick up. You can sell your things online through OfferUp or Craigslist, but it is certainly not "a good way to say goodbye to your things" it is a way to realize that you hate people, all the cheap bastard hagglers out there who waste your time and don't show up and don't deserve to own something as nice as that thing you're getting rid of that they're not even willing to pay 1/10th of the value for. Sometimes trying to sell something on Craigslist just makes me want to keep it that much more. (But if you want to learn to hate people, it's the tops!)
Maybe "get rid of everything you don't need" makes sense if you're a thirty-something single guy with no children and no responsibilities living in the city. But for people who have children, getting rid of the children's things can really do serious long-term damage to your relationship with them. If you're in the country, you can't always go and fetch a new one if you need it. "Hello Amazon? Can you deliver a snow shovel today? I can't get out of my driveway." And if you have more space than money, it makes sense to stock up on all your canned produce that you got on sale and to keep those extra bags of whatever you might need in the future.
Sasaki talks about how he doesn't think about the future, as if this is "be in the present now" is an ideal state. Humans are the only creatures that can think about the future, he says. This is the kind of phrase that drives me batty. It's totally false, presented as some kind of sacred truth. Animals can totally think about the future. Dogs will sit by the door because they know their owner is coming home soon. And why do geese fly south? Duh, because they know winter is coming. I think that not worrying about the future can be beneficial, and being in the present can be beneficial. You need to be able to be in the present in order to enjoy life, but you need to think about the future to prepare for it. Bragging about how you don't think about the future just makes you seem like an idiot. You're the guy who didn't bring a raincoat on the canoe trip. You have no savings account and no retirement plan. You're the person who didn't bring anything to the potluck, because you don't own a casserole pan and you didn't buy ingredients and you forgot the date because it wasn't written down on the calendar you don't own.
But that's not fair, because probably it was written down on a iphone calendar. Sasaki really, really, really has a crush on Steve Jobs. He quotes him seven or eight times, which is a lot, because the audiobook was only 3 1/2 hours (a typical book is 8-10 hours). The one good piece of advice I got out of this was "develop a personal style" because Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day. It's probably easier to do if you're a rich and powerful man than if you're a woman, but I would love to wear the same thing every day. (I'm going to try it and see if I can handle the blowback.) Sasaki asks "why own clothing that isn't comfortable?" like someone who has never worn pantyhose because there was work and social pressure to dress up.
I think that minimalism has value. Knowing why you own things can be very valuable insight. Getting rid of things that have emotional baggage can be spiritually freeing. Owning so many things that you can't comfortably live in your dwelling is something to be avoided. But this book is not a good guide to decluttering. It actually acts like a deterrent. It's not the story about a guy who found out how to live on less, it's the story about a sad, depressed man who gave up alcohol in favor of a more socially acceptable way of denying himself pleasure. He's like a cutter who took up triathalons instead, and pretends that his lack of blood-loss is because running is so good for him. No, he just stopped one form of self-flagellation for another. He was unhappy, he got rid of everything he owned and eschews beautiful items and color and flavor and now he's happy. I don't think that's the whole story, alcohol aside. The author became the equivalent of a secular monk, and there's way more going on here than just throwing out those coffee cups you don't like. I might have enjoyed the book a lot more if he had a self-deprecating air, like "I know I'm just swapping one obsession for another, ha ha, I'm kind of a mess" aka David Sedaris style, but even when he says "don't judge people for having more stuff than you" he still comes off as preachy and judgmental. You can't write a whole book about how stuff is bad and you should just throw away your stuff without coming across as privileged and judgmental.
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I absolutely loathe your bookio.
When I look at your roomio
It makes me quite gloomio.
Your simple creed
May be anti-greed
but there's not a woman alive
who'd want to share your empty hive.
The poet Browning wrote that less is more
I disagree - less is a bore.
Seriously, who but a monk would choose to live in such an empty apartment? If
your possessions are supposed to make people admire you, what is this minimal
pose except a tricky way to accomplish the same thing?
And Fumio, what is i Oh, Fumio, Fumio,
I absolutely loathe your bookio.
When I look at your roomio
It makes me quite gloomio.
Your simple creed
May be anti-greed
but there's not a woman alive
who'd want to share your empty hive.
The poet Browning wrote that less is more
I disagree - less is a bore.
Seriously, who but a monk would choose to live in such an empty apartment? If
your possessions are supposed to make people admire you, what is this minimal
pose except a tricky way to accomplish the same thing?
And Fumio, what is it with your obsession with fancy brand names? For someone
who wants to give it all up, you drop labels like they're going out of style. If I'd
bought a hard copy of this book, I'd happily take your advice and throw it out. I
wouldn't even bother recycling it. ...more
It can be divided in two parts: useful and not useful. Tips are okay and interesting and rewarding to follow. As a minimalist myself, I have already tried a lot of things listed in the book. An author, however, goes to extreme version of minimalistic approach to life, trying to persuade us to come with him. Someone might find it okay, someone might be taken aback.
To be honest, the w
I've read this book in Norwegian. The English version is not available just yet, so I chose to read in Norwegian.It can be divided in two parts: useful and not useful. Tips are okay and interesting and rewarding to follow. As a minimalist myself, I have already tried a lot of things listed in the book. An author, however, goes to extreme version of minimalistic approach to life, trying to persuade us to come with him. Someone might find it okay, someone might be taken aback.
To be honest, the whole thing could be twice less than it is. Author repeats himself. He goes from proclaiming prosperity to writing things, after which you just want to hug a poor fellow. I guess he's not in terms with himself just yet. I wish him the best.
And one thing more: you won't like it if you're tired of accolades for Steve Jobs. This book is full of them. And sometimes they are excessively horrible.
TL;DR
A simple book from a guy who seems just looking for something in his life. Practical tips are useful, other things are not (even too much of empty philosophising). Too much Steve Jobs. The book could be twice less its size because the author tends to repeat himself.
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I liked that this book focuses quite a bit on the psychological and emotional benefits of reducing what you own. It's a very personal testament to how minimalism can improve one
If you find the Konmari approach to tidying and reducing possessions a little too strict or kooky, then Goodbye, Things might be a good alternative (and a decent introduction to minimalism). I'm not a minimalist, but I'm increasingly finding that shedding my unneccesary possessions is making me happier and more satisfied.I liked that this book focuses quite a bit on the psychological and emotional benefits of reducing what you own. It's a very personal testament to how minimalism can improve one's quality of life. It's very anecdotal. I was surprised that even though I've read little about minimalism, I already knew quite a bit of what the author describes. To me, a lot of it seemed to be about self-awareness and checking your ego. Separating yourself from your possessions is a journey, and after a while, if you keep going, you are forced to see yourself very clearly... warts and all.
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17. Organizing is not minimizing.
24. Let go of the idea of getting your money's worth.
31. Think of stores as your personal warehouses.
43. What if you started from scratch?
34. If you lost it, would you buy it again?
19. Leave your unused space empty.
45. Discard anything that creates visual noise.
+. Question the conventional way you're supposed to use things.
+.
17. Organizing is not minimizing.
24. Let go of the idea of getting your money's worth.
31. Think of stores as your personal warehouses.
43. What if you started from scratch?
34. If you lost it, would you buy it again?
19. Leave your unused space empty.
45. Discard anything that creates visual noise.
+. Question the conventional way you're supposed to use things.
+. Find your unique uniform.
46. One in, one out.
9. Start with things that are clearly junk.
10. Minimize anything you have in multiples.
11. Get rid of it if you haven't used it in a year.
22. Discard the things you have already forgotten about.
23. Don't get creative when you're trying to discard things.
14. Take photos of the things that are tough to part with.
37. Discarding memorabilia is not the same as discarding memories.
39. Our homes aren't museums; they don't need collections.
53. Keep the gratitude.
[Updated: Dec 12, 2017]
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The author is a young single professional in Tokyo, and his chosen style of minimalism is basically monastic. But he doesn't preach that style or suggest it's for everyone. So his story isn't an inspirational how-to for most western readers.
There is no joy sparking (though he has opinions about that), there are no packing parties, nor encouragement
The strengths of this book are in the psychological and philosophical insights and the general, sometimes practical principles of minimalist living.The author is a young single professional in Tokyo, and his chosen style of minimalism is basically monastic. But he doesn't preach that style or suggest it's for everyone. So his story isn't an inspirational how-to for most western readers.
There is no joy sparking (though he has opinions about that), there are no packing parties, nor encouragements to use minimalism as a way to live your religious values, or to live out of a backpack all around the world.
There are so many ways to come at minimalism now, a flavor for everyone. This book fills another corner of the market, and by that I don't mean it's for single urban men. While his story is own interesting and valuable, his insights and reflections are the point of the book. Yes, it's inspiring, in a deeply thoughtful way.
Recommended for anyone interested in this topic at a level beyond "grab three boxes and ask yourself....". This isn't that kind of book.
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Given that, he's got some great insights here. And each reader will find different bits of value to him or her. And it's short and gracefully written/ translated, so get it from your library if you're interested; give it a go.
I liked the photos in the beginning of five different 'cases'--different people's examples. Incomple
More memoir than self-help, actually, as so much of what he says does *not* apply universally. And all his 'research' is just reported, there are no notes, bibliography, etc.Given that, he's got some great insights here. And each reader will find different bits of value to him or her. And it's short and gracefully written/ translated, so get it from your library if you're interested; give it a go.
I liked the photos in the beginning of five different 'cases'--different people's examples. Incomplete, but interesting.
And the suggestion that "Minimalism is not a goal.... [but] a method for individuals to find the things that are genuinely important to them."
Questionable is the assertion that "Ninety-five percent of [the 60K thoughts we have in a day] is made up of the same things we'd been thinking about the day before., and 80 percent of those thoughts are believed to be negative."
"The joy of victory only lasts three hours..." but we stew over defeat much longer.... This bit is meant to suggest that the joy of acquisition is brief, and we shop for stuff because we need constant stimuli. But if that's the case, then we especially need to remember the above "minimalism is not a goal' because 'achieving a minimal lifestyle' will be a similar triumph leading only to a brief period of happiness....
I do like "If it's not a 'hell, yes!' it's a 'no'."
And I see that as connected to his suggestion to "Discard it even if it sparks joy." In his case, discarding a treasured souvenir has prompted him to focus on the journeys themselves, instead of shopping for souvenirs. "And what is life if not a journey?"
I don't think I'd ever be quite as ruthless as he is, but then I'm minimalizing not to change my attitude towards life so much as just being able to be more mobile upon retirement (which is coming up soon enough to be a concrete goal and not just a 'someday' dream).
We can get used to inconveniences. My example: So what if you have only one pair of scissors. If you need them to open a package in the kitchen, it's ok to walk over to the desk in the living room and fetch them. (currently I probably have at least seven different pairs in the house and though some are somewhat specialized I'm sure I could cut back!).
Mostly I really like the emphasis on the fact that when we have things, we have to take care of them. Even if we don't have tchotchkes or projects that are collecting dust (the author's camera collection and darkroom, for example) or clothes that don't fit, we almost certainly have stuff that we don't need to distract us from our real goals in life & joy. Think of it this way. If there was a big earthquake or fire, how much of what you have would you feel the need to replace? And how long would you mourn for the things you lost?
Well, that's some of what I enjoyed from the book. I'm off to see what other people found insightful.
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In those circumstances it is no surprise that Sasaki's report on a minimalist lifestyle caught my eye (I purchased the Kindle version, to be on the safe side). It's a refreshing read that communicates its enthusiasm about a new-found happiness and contentment with adolescent fervor. But Sasaki is not dogmatic. Important is the message that minimalism is a means to be a better quality of life, not an end in itself. It's not only about disposing things, also minding the cleanliness of your information environment, and living more mindfully overall. Minimalism has the potential to be cheaper, healthier, more time efficient and more ecologically sustainable. If practiced in the right way, it has the potential to impart a sense of freedom that is truly empowering. Sasaki also stresses that there is no gold standard of minimalism. Everyone has to find out what his or her personal brand of minimalism is.
Personally I have no ambition to doggedly follow Sasaki's instructions. Simpler living will already do fine, thank you. For a start, I have no intention to part with our library. The massive presence of books invariably lends a house a very particular liveliness. It's a standing invitation to engage in intellectual and sensory adventure. It's true that the presence of a large number of books may lead to sloppy reading habits (and one has to be particularly careful with being egged on by 'reading challenges' à la GR). But that sloppiness has less to do with ownership than with the mutually reinforcing factors of a general sense of directionlessness and lack of time.
Sasaki's 'On Minimalist Living' is also a very practical book. The author's report on his personal experience is helpful in alleviating the bad conscience or tempering the paradoxical fervor that gets hold of you when you get in the flow of throwing things away. All in all a timely and inspirational read.
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This book is just not about the tips and tricks 9j how to be minimalistic but on what it is and how it should be.
Yes. There are actually many tips in summarised form as well as in details.
The language is simple. The pictures and the references really solid.
I love how the book featured some of the best minimalist bloggers.
I loved this one.
And I am going to apply this book rightaway!
The "before" and "after" pictures were a nice touch.
The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it could have been tighter; the book could have have benefited from a stricter edit. His explanation of what is essentially hedonic adaptation (in the section called "Why do we accumulate so much in the first place?
The sections "The 55 tips to help you say goodbye to your things" and "the 15 more tips for the next stage of your minimalist journey" were worth the price of admission.The "before" and "after" pictures were a nice touch.
The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it could have been tighter; the book could have have benefited from a stricter edit. His explanation of what is essentially hedonic adaptation (in the section called "Why do we accumulate so much in the first place?") could be 50% shorter. Most of us who pick up a book on minimalism pretty much know that we'd like to get rid of unnecessary things. We want to cut to the chase and learn the "how" of letting go.
Overall, Sasaki seems like a nice, likable, spiritual and thoughtful guy, and his disarming candor (he became a minimalist because of his "overly cluttered pigpen") will win you over. There are gems of wisdom strewn throughout the book. The things you own end up owning you, he says, and too many things suck out the "chi" (or life force that flows through everything) in you. He makes a convincing case that getting rid of unnecessary possessions has vastly improved his life -- and he has even dropped more than 20 lbs.
If you're serious about decluttering, this book will inspire you.
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The first time I watched "Fight Club" in my late teens it presented a sort of resolution and relief to my own ideas of material possession. I imagine it's worse now for teenagers, with the latest iPhone, Xbox, or other self-indulgent gadget on the market, combined with the need for social media expression. Goodbye
Tyler Durden: You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f*cking khakis.The first time I watched "Fight Club" in my late teens it presented a sort of resolution and relief to my own ideas of material possession. I imagine it's worse now for teenagers, with the latest iPhone, Xbox, or other self-indulgent gadget on the market, combined with the need for social media expression. Goodbye Things by Fumio Sasaki is a timely yet simplistic layer to the continuing argument over grand material ownership.
For his credit Sasaki has a lot of great ideas, even if I don't fully agree with each and every one of them. Sasaki credits Steve Jobs in part with helping achieve his minimalist lifestyle, and while Jobs himself was a true minimalist allowing him to do incredible things, he's also a double-edged sword to the conversation of minimalism. The Macbook, iPhone, iPad, and iPod are status symbols now, releasing new and improved products so often it's easy to lose track. I carried a beat-up old Dell due to being poor, and wasn't able to even afford a smartphone until way down the road, much to the amusement of the people around me carrying these very Apple products. Don't get me wrong, I own a Macbook and iPod now, because like Sasaki they help me, but in a way they contradict the important message he has presented (along with Durden) about the unhappy nature of items owning their owner. Other interesting perspective Sasaki offers is the digitalisation of old photos, allowing for less clutter. I own a few photo albums which I treasure, but when I digitalised some of them, they almost lost the same appreciation/memory as to when I was holding the photograph or old Polaroid in my hand. This is maybe a more personal perspective, but holding that photo made the memory more "real" as opposed to keeping it on a USB or computer drive. Perhaps I'm in the minority here?
Appreciation is giving to Sasaki's point of the gratitude given to what you already own, not what you want, along with the Buddhist Five Reflections chant, expressing an understanding of what is before you and how it got there. There can be a middle ground between item ownership and true minimalism, and it's important to understand that, not simply decide between the two at the fork in the road. In some way it's okay to have certain things own you, just make sure the items in question are important enough for the right reasons.
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This reads like an extended blog post. For a book on "minimalism" it was very wordy and could have been summed up in a few pages. But seeing as Fumio's idea of minimalism was mostly scanning and making digital copies of everything (so not really saying "goodbye" to anything, just hoarding digitally instead of physically), that's not surprising.
Maybe I'm being unfair. I liked the se
Note to self - stop buying these self-help books on minimalism/decluttering; they do not help and only irritate you.This reads like an extended blog post. For a book on "minimalism" it was very wordy and could have been summed up in a few pages. But seeing as Fumio's idea of minimalism was mostly scanning and making digital copies of everything (so not really saying "goodbye" to anything, just hoarding digitally instead of physically), that's not surprising.
Maybe I'm being unfair. I liked the section on how novelty fades from a purchase over time. There were a few other good tips. And good for Fumio for feeling better about himself and his life, but this was all so specific to his context and personal circumstances, I just don't see how this would be helpful to anyone else.
On the whole, I didn't agree with Fumio's concept of minimalism. From how he describes it, minimalism is only perfectly achievable by very rich white men (Jobs, Gates, Zuckerberg....). Yes, these men have the means, but why should I possibly look up to them as an example, and why should their way of life be in any way superior to anyone else's? Fumio didn't really explain his reasoning there and I began to think that his idea of minimalism as a means to clear the conscious of the fairly well-off. Yes, they have the means to own stuff, but they choose not to. How morally superior and admirable of them.
The fanboyism/hero-worship of Steve Jobs/Apple really nearly finished me off. Please someone explain to me how buying the latest Apple "innovation" is more minimalistic than buying a phone/computer/tablet/kettle/flying saucer from any other tech giant.
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This was a good follow-up to Sprok Jay and TLMOTU, but I tend to resonate more with the messaging of the first two than this one. This book did have some good insights on how and why to get rid of things, and also went into the philosophy of "the new Japanese minimalism." It's been about seven months since I first implemented こんまり and, though I've been pretty vigilant in keeping it up,
Someone I follow closely once said that "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."This was a good follow-up to Sprok Jay and TLMOTU, but I tend to resonate more with the messaging of the first two than this one. This book did have some good insights on how and why to get rid of things, and also went into the philosophy of "the new Japanese minimalism." It's been about seven months since I first implemented こんまり and, though I've been pretty vigilant in keeping it up, I think it wouldn't hurt to read a book like this regularly. I know I could minimalize significantly more, but I believe how far to go is very much up to individual discretion. We in the States aren't generally surrounded by messages encouraging us to live on less, so a good didactic piece can help to firm up conviction in this area.
Like Marie Kondo, Sasaki encourages us to enjoy the present. I think he goes a little far when he dismisses the need to even think about the future, but it's true that we can make the present taste insipid simply by introducing any form of comparison, including temporal. I think this is a good philosophy to consider because it forces the reader to consider the basic truth that the more you have, the more you have to lose, and therefore, the more you have to maintain. I don't think that the solution therefore is to purposely forego all possessions and live a life of detatchment, and it does seem like the book tends toward this idea. By reducing our floor too much, we run the risk of reducing our ceiling unncessarily. Yes, material possessions ought not to take primacy in life, but there is a place to enjoy them. We don't need to get rid of things even if they do sprok jay.
Oh also, one of the biggest adjustments I've made since reading TLCMOTU is understanding that just because something is free doesn't necessarily make it good. I think this book will help me to maintain that understanding going forward.
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Having enjoyed Mari Kondo's works, I knew what I was getting myself into when I picked up this book. The formats are very similar and I appreciated the quick read. The ideas may not be completely fresh, but sometimes it good to have a reminder of the values you already agree with, and it may spark some new changes in your old routine.
One idea Sasaki had that resonated with me is the fact that you can tre
I may not agree with some of the author's ideas, but I find his crush on Steve Jobs adorable.Having enjoyed Mari Kondo's works, I knew what I was getting myself into when I picked up this book. The formats are very similar and I appreciated the quick read. The ideas may not be completely fresh, but sometimes it good to have a reminder of the values you already agree with, and it may spark some new changes in your old routine.
One idea Sasaki had that resonated with me is the fact that you can treat shopping malls as your personal warehouses so you don't have to have one in your home; you can treat the city as your own living space so you don't need to spend a lot money on your home.
There's a supermarket right beside my home. Instead of stocking up on food items that may spoil if I don't consume them in time, I can just take a five minute walk and grab what I need from the store. The added exercise is also a bonus.
You don't always need elaborate cookwares and appliances to entertain your friends, and you don't need fancy furnitures in order to enjoy yourself during your free time. Take advantage of the restaurants, parks, coffee shops, libraries, and etc… in the city. Adapt to the convenience of modern living and realize that everything you need is already within your reach.
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