Goodbye, Things: On Minimalist Living

Every time I lend this book to someone it disappears and a few weeks later I hear they’ve cleared the garage or the attic, or they’re doing a car boot sale (similar to a yard sale).Due to this, I have bought this excellent book quite a few times over the years. It remains my favourite book on minimalism and a fantastic insight into another culture. I like that it isn’t an instruction manual, like some other books on the topic, but a series of small essays on various aspects of minimalism and the minimalist lifestyle as adopted by the author.I am not a minimalist, well not to any extreme but I do often declutter and clear space. It really helped me let go of the idea that memories are external and connected to objects - turns out, for me anyway, that they’re not. Things are just that … things. Sometimes pretty, often useful but it would seem that the emotions attached to them come from within and memories are just as effectively accessed through other means.I know it’s not for everyone, some are truly maximalists, and they are unlikely to be reading this.In all these years of decluttering I can honestly say I have not missed a single item I’ve donated or sold and it all started with this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I especially loved the pictures and examples of other minimalists, and reading about Fumio's journey he shares 'before and afters' as he became more minimal and the reasons behind his old purchases that led him there.By reading about Fumio's journey we can learn a lot about what we have to gain from de-cluttering and not buying pointless stuff, as well as the things we are liberated from without the burden of it.Letting go of things that used to interest you that you don't do any more, or display just to show off will liberate you. Only keep the things you need and currently regularly use. If you don't use or really need it, them let it go.Tips, guidance and happiness advice also in here. Fumio talks also his personal journey from when he used to compare himself to others, to now, being much happier. In one part of the book he writes; that if he was still comparing himself to others 'better than he is,' he never would have started writing this book, but I'm very glad that he did. I think everybody's journey has something valuable to teach us.For me personally this inspired me to de-clutter again an already minimal room, let go of old books I didn't want to re-read, and crafts I had forgotten which no longer interest me, as well as furniture that was unfit for purpose. Now have a much better set up in my room with space I can actually use.This is a book I will read and re-read and I highly recommend it.

Minded that this is one person’s story of their journey and learnings regarding a quite extreme level of rationalisation and tidiness, my expectations were that I’d enjoy the read and discover a few takeaway actions/approaches to try. And that’s how it turned out - there is some repetition, I found the personal stuff endearing, and overall as I am sorting out ahead of a house move, a worthwhile and thought provoking read.

good read for practical tips on minimalism, with some interesting insights from the author’s life. make this a minimalist year and free up the energy that is usually absorbed by the multitude of objects in your space!

The author is engaging and explains minimalism well. I found it a bit repetitive, but it's an easy and fairly quick read if you are looking for an introduction to the topic.

I found this book very inspiring. I've read many books on this subject from the pioneers of minimalism, through Erin Boyle, Marie Kondo, and many others. This was was a bit different. The author comes with several famous minimalists as examples and it is therefore more real and encouraging. I love the photos of before and after room transformation. I am now pushed too to find my uniform so that I would stop buying clothes, I realised that keeping the hundreds of read books was not really for myself but possibly to show other stuff my love to them and my style. Once you pause for moment and ask yourself a question about every single item in your house whether it has its purpose and it is being used on daily basis you quickly realise that most of them don't and then you feel the need of removing it from your possessions with a little note behind to not replace it any time soon. I also love the part where Fumio describes how lighter your body and clearer your mind feels once you go minimalist. I am already half way there and I already feel better and developed a reaction to seeing clutter. It is possible that if this wasn't the first book to read before going minimalist maybe it would not be enough but having solid base from previous reads etc I feel this book fullfits the gaps and also I treat it as the last push. I will also keep the book because I love to get back to these first page s of beautiful Japanese minimalistic apartments.

This is a very well written book and the author clearly has a good understanding of minimalism. I was really I retested in the subject and after listening to some of the audiobook online I decided to invest in a hardback copy of this book. And I don't regret it. There is a great section where he gives 50 tips on getting rid of clutter. This book has helped me gain new ideas and perspective on minimising my possessions. But take it with a grain of salt. You don't have to do the same thing as the author by drying your body and kitchenware with the same tale. Some great learnings in this book and I would highly recommend it to people who would like to really declutter alot of objects in their home.

An enjoyable read. I will be using some of the tips shared within the book to de-clutter my life, allowing a freer mind.