Joshua Becker's #TheMinimalistHome couldn't be a more appropriate way to start the new year! Becker not only takes you through each area of your home but also makes you reflect as you do it.

Why am I holding on to my grown-up child's "memories"? Will I ever take up calligraphy again? That style stunk the first time it came around, I probably don't need to keep it!

Each chapter I read (usually at the end of the day in bed) motivated me to start the next day by adding to my donation box/bag at the front door. It is remarkable how Becker's kind words encouraged me to share items with those who might need it and appreciate it more.

The book reminds us to keep space available not only in our homes but in our lives. Our true selves, our dreams, and goals can be hidden in the excess we hide under. Let's not do that. Instead, let's clear away the unnecessary to truly discover who we are underneath.

Minimalism might suggest not bringing "more" into our homes (without due consideration). However, after reading #TheMinimalistHome, I can recommend that the addition of this book to your shelf will bring you "more" of what you want while helping you release what no longer serves you.

The Minimalist Home is a good starter book for someone beginning the decluttering or minimalist process. Becker gives instructions on how to declutter each room in your house and keep things from coming back in - if you have read previous books or articles by Becker, you may recognize the story of how he began the process.

Before reviewing The Minimalist Home, I must admit that I have already made up my mind to minimalize my life. I'd lived in 6 different places in the last 5 years and each move was absolutely painful in terms of trying to get my stuff to fit into suitcases. I often left kitchenware, linens and other such things behind because I couldn't take it all. A few months ago, I decided it was time to get rid of all non-essential goods prior to my next move.
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I saw in another review that The Minimalist Home is poorly organized, despite being a book about home organization. Either the publisher saw the feedback and rearranged the book before I received the ARC, or the other person was personally having an issue following the logic (it happens to the best of us). I found The Minimalist home easily to follow and relatively well-written. It's not a literary masterpiece, but the "what", "why" and "how" come through clearly.
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According to this book, you don't necessarily need to become an extreme minimalist. Although the thread certainly is "less is more," Becker acknowledges that there are a variety of reasons why someone may end up with "more." He knows that people with families may not be able to simply dump everything they don't find value in, because those things are valuable to other family members. We can, however, attempt to guide our families. In short, I recommend The Minimalist Home not only for people who want the simplest life possible, but also for people who simply feel they have far too much stuff and would like to part with some of it.
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Thank you, NetGalley and Waterbrook & Multnoman (publishing) for this advanced reader copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Waterbrook and Multnomah, and Joshua Becker for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advanced copy.

Joshua Becker has been in the “minimal” business for about 10 years. He has a website where you can get lots of tips and advice, including a newsletter sent to your inbox every so often. He has written other books but this one is sort of the culmination of his life’s work. He has been on TV, speaks all over and I have been following him for the past couple of years. In today’s world of massive consumerism, we can all use a dose of paring down and keeping things simple. We all have too much stuff. We are promoted, advertised, propagandized into thinking that it’s all stuff we need, what we have isn’t the right stuff and that the more stuff we have the happier we will be. This has been going on for years, I mean George Carlin had a bit about “Stuff” in the early 80’s. So I was excited to read what Becker had to say on what he promotes as a step by step, comprehensive room-by-room guide to decluttering your home and your life.

Ugh - what an awful read. First I felt like his tone was so condescending. I couldn’t take it. Obviously I have a lot of stuff - that’s why I’m reading this book. He would repeat himself, ad nauseam, throughout the whole book. There wasn’t any comprehensive guide - again, he would repeat the same thing over and over for each room, literally the same steps - for each room! Why bother going through each room, listing all of the possible things you might have accumulated, telling me “get rid of what you don’t use or don’t need”. Obviously I knew that much! I don’t need a book for that. I was hoping for some insight, maybe some ideas that I hadn’t thought of to help declutter, some instructions. There was no real guidance other than “don’t do it” for lasting change. Then, don’t tell me how my life is going to change, I will become richer, have a fabulous job, help the poor, have more time, blah blah blah, just because you told me to get rid of some stuff. I didn’t buy any of it. I have decluttered before and none of those things have happened to me. The “real life” examples were ridiculous, laughable. Look, I believe in keeping a home without a lot of junk. Nobody needs piles of clothes, lots of knick knacks, and yes, you should keep those things that mean something to you. You shouldn’t get sucked into marketing ideas of having the latest, greatest and best thing out there, which will go out of date and then you need something new. I also happen to live with a (mild case) hoarder, who believes every rock, piece of junk, paper, etc. is extremely important and sentimental and will not throw out anything. So according to Becker, those are the things to keep. Not helpful. But without something new or real to add to the discussion, don’t fill up a book with one idea. My advice is don’t add one more book to your bookshelf with this one.

I first heard about Joshua Becker while reading Cozy Minimalist Home. In it, Myquillin Smith talks about Becker’s first (very popular) book, The More of Less, and how it inspired her to look at her house and her possessions in a new, more minimalist, light. I’ve never read The More of Less, but when I saw that Becker was coming out with a new book, I jumped on the chance to read it.

The Minimalist Home is a helpful and motivational read, though it’s not perfect. The book is divided into twelve sections. The first two sections give an overview of minimalism, as well as advice on how to eliminate items from your house (have goals for your home’s spaces, start cleaning out the easy spaces first, involve the whole family, have fun with the process, etc.).

The next eight sections go room-by-room through a typical house, covering common problems and solutions in the living room, family room, master and other bedrooms, closets, bathrooms, the laundry area, kitchen, dining room, office, storage spaces, and the garage. Becker lists questions to ask yourself as you’re deciding what to keep, what to donate, and what to toss. He also gives helpful benchmarks for knowing when you’ve decluttered enough (e.g., Is my living room now a calming space? Are my kids sleeping better in their bedrooms? Do my clothes hang freely in the closet?) The last two sections give a plan for keeping the house clean and minimized (e.g., recognize triggers for over-buying, manage gift-giving, etc.)

For the most part, I enjoyed reading Becker’s advice. Some positive aspects of this book:

*** He is insightful and even made some points about minimalism that I hadn’t thought of before. (I love when someone can tell me something I don’t already know, especially on a subject I am very familiar with.)
*** I don’t have a craft room, but I like how he encourages hobby-enthusiasts to get rid of their “fantasy selves.” Donate the extra fishing poles, gym equipment, craft supplies, etc., to someone who will actually use them. “Be who you are, not who you wished to be.”
*** I also appreciate that he talks about living a minimalist digital life, giving tips for tidying up the computer desktop, digital files, phone apps, etc. Not everyone talks about this, but it’s important.

I do have a couple small gripes with this book, though. Becker can be long-winded and repetitive, taking way too long to make a point that’s already understood. The book is also a little heavy on the self-promotion. I get that Becker wants to make his book tweetable and build a brand, but I grew tired of the #hashtagthis! suggestions and the repeated mention of his accomplishments (I REPEAT, I HAVE INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS!).

The biggest drawback for me, though, is how serious the book can be. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a quick read and I appreciate with the overall message. But Becker tends to use intense change as the motivation to minimize. He repeatedly gives examples of how people’s lives are transformed from minimizing. Look at this lady: she cleaned out her house! Then became a missionary to poor countries!! Then adopted an orphan from Guatemala!!! Now she’s fulfilled and happy!!!! I agree that minimalism has the power to transform, but I also think it’s okay to go into the process with lower expectations and smaller, more realistic goals. I’m not looking to adopt a refugee from Syria. I just need to be able to find my keys, you know?

Still, I enjoyed this book. It gives clear step-by-step advice that makes minimizing feel doable. I didn’t always love the seriousness of Becker’s anecdotes, but I did appreciate his message. This is an important and helpful guide to eliminating the excess in our lives so we can live more fully.

This was a good book about decluttering and minimalizing. While it didn't necessarily offer any new information to me (since I've read various books about this subject and practice it as well) I think that it would be a great book for those who are looking to reclaim their lives from their stuff.

An upbeat, comprehensive, step-by-step guide to creating a more fulfilling life by minimizing. Success stories, lists, and room by room suggestions enable the reader to feel inspired and not overwhelmed by what could otherwise be a daunting project..

"Make the most of the most important place on earth - home."

Joshua Becker has long been one of my favorite writers in the minimalism arena. Having enjoyed his previous book, The More of Less, I was looking forward to his newest publication, The Minimalist Home. I'm no newbie to decluttering/minimizing, but I love a good reminder to take another look around and pare back anything that doesn't still meet my needs (or that snuck in in the meantime). Yes, there are a lot of books out there about decluttering and minimalism, but this is definitely one of my favorites and would be a good fit for those new to minimizing as well as those, like me, who have been at it awhile already.

Becker leads the reader along as they work room by room through their home, getting rid of those items that are unloved or unneeded and helping the reader to work through the emotions that can arise when getting rid of stuff. Will you end up with a home full of nothing if you follow his plan? Nope! But you will end up with only those things you need, use and love and also end up with more time since you won't spend so much time cleaning or shopping. All good things. Thanks for another great book, Joshua!

If you're reading this before publication date, head on over to Joshua's blog at becomingminimalist.com. He's got a great deal going for pre-orders!

Thank you to WaterBrook & Multnomah and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was intriguing and seemed like it might be helpful. Unfortunately I did not get to finish it in the allotted time which was disappointing.

I am attracted to books that promise to help you get your life in order and so really looked forward to this once approved. Honestly this book did not disappoint. Josh and his wife have embraced a life with a lot less "stuff" and this book advises on how you can do the same. The advice is very practical and while the author is living a minimalist life he never suggests that you should throw everything out in one go and then spend the rest of your life regretting it! He talks about how clutter and stuff we don't use causes us to waste energy and how it can actually lead to even more stuff accumulating because we can't face dealing with it. Josh recommends looking at your towel situation and asking how many towels do you think you need? I completed this challenge with my husband and we gave created so much room in our airing cupboard - seriously we were shocked when we laid all our towels out , piles covered a kingsize bed. We recycled two large laundry bags of towels in half an hour. This was the start of our journey to a minamalist home ( we still have a long way to go) but we have divested ourselves of so much stuff that was clogging up our house and our minds. We have donated to charities, schools and libraries. We have sold some of the contents of our attic and had a weekend away on the proceeds. It almost feels as if the house is breathing more easily. One word of warning though, Josh recommends that if you live with other people you need to get them to join you on your decluttering journey. Do not ever throw away or donate other people's stuff even if they are your family. I am so happy that I read this book, I am even using some of the advice at work. Thank you Josh.

This book has come along at the right time in my life when we are actually in the process of decluttering our home. This book has some great suggestions and guidelines to help with that process. However, it’s the inspiration and encouragement that I’m getting from the book that is helping me the most. I’m sharing things from this book with my family as a help to keep all of us on the right mindset as to our goals. I’ll be keeping this book within reach for help as we continue on with our changes. We’ve already seen some success from suggestions from this book. Highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date is December 18, 2018.

I really enjoyed this. I’ve been a fan of minimalism ever since I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I feel like Joshua has a similar message but with an American feel. I really liked how each area of the house was it’s own chapter and how he covered pets, hobbies, storage spaces, and the garage; I feel these are areas I certainly needed the encouragement to pursue. Overall the book gave me a big motivational push to go even further than I have gone before. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone and everyone and I will most definitely be revisiting it in the future.

For those who aspire to life a life of less clutter and less 'stuff' but have felt overwhelmed by where and how to begin, The Minimalist Home provides that roadmap and series of steps to free yourself from the shackles of 'stuff' so that you can restore a sense of freedom and peace to your living space and therefore, your mind.
Get this book and begin today.

The underlying theme that all items in your home should exist to help you achieve your goals is quite noble and encouraging, but the entire book could be summed up in a single chapter. It is repetitive.

The testimonials seemed a little silly at times, suggesting that decluttering your house will lead to such monumental life changes as adoption or entering into a new life of charity work.

It will certainly be a hit with the author's following, and is still a good pick for those who are curious about minimalism at home.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

I have been following Joshua Becker and http://www.becomingminimalist.com/ for years, and I am a fan. This book did not disappoint. Joshua Becker has a way of putting things in his writing that makes something like minimalism less daunting. He goes room by room and illustrates different ways to simplify your home. This is useful and practical without being preachy and unapproachable. Also, I love the philosophy of Joshua that, "the goal of minimalism is not just to own less stuff. The goal is to unburden our lives so we can accomplish more." It is so much more than how many socks you own. Great book. Read it if you want to dive into this type of philosophy.

I read more than half of The Minimalist Home and I was really hoping to love it because I am really interested in minimalism, however... sometimes it happens that once you read one minimalist book, you kinda read them all unless they come up with something new or a different approach or voice.

Unfortunately, this book was very dull and did not offer anything new nor did it motivate me to get up from my comfy couch and declutter my bookcase or coffee table (they are very cluttered at the moment).

I think this book could be very helpful to someone who is just starting their minimalism journey as it offers a detailed list of areas to declutter for each room of your house! One thing I did not like was the idea of "does this object serve my life purpose" or help me achieve it... but that's because I have no idea what life purpose or goals are. So that one is on me!

This is a topic that has interested me and I have slowly been tackling this in my life. Very slowly. Way too slowly!!

I was excited to read "The Minimalist Home" and I was not disappointed. Not only did I find it inspirational and fueling the fire to clean, part with stuff we don't need, and create a home we can enjoy instead of just clean.

But I love that Joshua Becker does not leave us wondering where to start or how to make our home the way we want. He gives directions and suggestions on both.

I would recommend this to anyone frustrated with their clutter and wanting to embrace a more minimalistic lifestyle.

Not really for me. Thought there would be more pictures and less wordiness. I liked the concept and get where Becker was coming from but it's not my style of a book.

I've always wanted to read Joshua Becker book, so I was thrilled when I found out I'd get to read and review The Minimalist Home! 

I'm not new to the idea of minimalism, and in fact have already started some of the process of reducing the amount of items in our home. I started my process a few years ago, and am always looking for more inspiration and guidance on reducing more.

The Minimalist Home is definitely what I would call a guide book in going room by room to declutter your home.

The book is set up with anecdotes by people who made the change into a minimalist lifestyle and how it's changed their lives. It was a neat way to tie in how minimalism in the home can affect more than just how much time spent cleaning your house. I mean, I'm always looking to reduce the amount of time I have to spend cleaning (aren't we all?)

I like how this book takes you step by step, room by room to go through belongings and how to proceed with choosing to keep or discard an item. The book even touches on how to handle items that were passed down from family members. I felt like that was an important piece, because a lot of times items are handed down with sentimental value and it can be overwhelming and difficult, especially if it's an item the receiver doesn't value as much as the giver.

All in all, this is definitely a book I'd say is more geared to those new to minimalism. If you're looking for a "how to" or need a place to start in decluttering your home, The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker is a great book!

The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker is a great workbook with step-by-step instructions for purging your home of unnecessary items. I would recommend purchasing this book and not borrowing from the library as it may be more useful as a tool that you use over time and complete the checklists little by little. Highly recommended for people who are serious about downsizing or a minimalist approach.