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Book Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and OrganizingThe Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The natural and insightful side of this book is unfortunately (pun-intended) obscured by the rather Shinto-Buddhist-New-Age elements. But, if you remove the unnecessary elements of the book, it really does have some insightful points. In many ways, this work reminds me of some Puritan works on the necessity of thrift, of caring for possessions, and of being content with what God has given us.
So, this book is worth reading if you actually plan on implementing some of the plans suggested here, especially her suggestions about tidying by category, and by touching each object. Further, Kondō has some insight into good ways to fold and hang clothes, to respect material objects in general, to organize your possessions at the end of a workday, etc. I recommend this as a “pick and choose” book. Don’t embrace her theories about why the method works, but I do think the method itself might be worth embracing as a useful tool to tidy. For me, its main use is in forcing me to reconsider why I have what I have, and in reminding me to thank God for what He has given me when I handle each object in my home.

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