I wonder if someday I am going to be able to be minimalist. I have been changing a lot over the years... With books I just can´t, all the rest seems doable. This book will take you to step by step, it includes helpful lists and it will guide you through your decision making about keeping something or leave it behind. I have read and hear many decluttering methods, I have used my own techniques every month to downsize, I´m very far with everything since I´m a mom, but definitely, I´ll take his advice to keep going. I don´t want to give up. Tell me about your journey.

A lovely aspirational book. I may not ever be a true minimalist, but there are some practical ideas here that can be used in every day life.

A helpful room-by-room guide to a life that is not weighed down by managing stuff and clutter. *I realize it is a privileged thing to even read a book based on living with excess!

I initially checked this book out because of the rising trends being set by Marie Kondo. I think I liked Becker's book better! In the end, I think that a benefit of being so tidy and minimalist is that it can help reduce stress and enhance your own perception to see what is right in front of you, etc. With Kondo, I got stressed just thinking about following that process. But with Becker's book, we get a much less daunting and more simplistic approach, room by room, to help us out. I felt totally connected to this author and his techniques and guidance are much easier for me. Definitely worth a read! 3.5 stars!

Ah how do I feel about this book. I love books on decluttering and minimalism but this book seems to drag for me. Force myself to finish it after starting it over 4 months ago kind of drag. While some sections are really good and helps remind why decluttering can be so beneficial a lot of it came across kind of judgemental and theres more christian faith material than I personally prefer to read. I wouldn't want to have someone in my house who is looking at my bookshelf and counting items or coming into my lounge room and deeming it to cluttered and unfocused on what is important in my life. But most importantly I don't want to be the person who acts as if having less stuff equals more love to their family.

I was hoping to discover something new in this book but It's more of the same technique of going room by room and getting rid of stuff you don't want/need. I was hoping for sone tips on how to "declutter on the go" or how to deal with the psychological aspect of it which I think is most individual's issue. This book may be good for someone who hasn't read a book about a minimalistic lifestyle but falls short for those who have researched the techniques or have trouble parting with their stuff.

There were some helpful suggestions in the book. But I expected this book to be more straightforward. I assumed there would be just suggestions and checklists in the book and would not contain so much other stuff to read.

Related stories are perhaps good to add, but often what the reader needs is a book that he can read fast and then do something about the issue.

I usually enjoy this kind of book and have read several amazing books on minimalism, unfortunately this isn't one of them. Much of the authors writing felt judgmental and condescending. The book is repetitive with no real guidance for creating a more minimalist home. I'll be honest, I came to a point in the book that made it nearly impossible for me to continue reading, I tried a few times after but never managed to make it all the way through. The paragraph I am referring to reads as follows:

“I have a friend with a bookcase in her living room. The last time I visited her, I noticed the following on its four shelves: thirty-six books, eleven figurines, twenty-four photos, two souvenir coffee mugs, ten snow globes (and it wasn’t even winter), various flower arrangement in vases, and a small sampling of candles. Yes, I actually wrote down the inventory… when she wasn’t noticing. As I looked at her bookcase, I asked myself, Which of these things mean the most to her? What is it that she values most? I couldn’t tell by looking at her bookcase—it was too crowded with things that were unimportant.”

I felt bad for the woman he was referring to, one because she has the author as a "friend" and two because he felt like it was okay to wait until she wouldn't notice and write down what was on her bookshelf so he could belittle it in his book. This isn't the only instance of the author judging people's spaces harshly. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but using them rudely as filler for your book is a big turn off.

If you are looking for a book to help you declutter your home, I suggest looking elsewhere.

This book was very refreshing to read. For those of us who want our homes and our lives a bit more simplified this book is the one. The book is by Minimalist blogger Joshua Becker. His book teaches us how to minimalize the "stuff" in our homes that causes us to feel over crowded and uninviting. He present helpful ideas for cleaning out "US spaces" like living rooms, family rooms and dining areas. Clearing out these spaces allow us to have more open and calming areas to spend time with those we love. There are also suggestions for making our "personal refuge" spaces conductive to serenity and calmness. He also gives wonderful insight on learning to simplify not only our homes but also our lives; such as work spaces. The main theme of the book is reflected in the Becker Method: "Only keep things that have purpose. Things that align with your life's purpose".

After having read quite a few books on decluttering and organizing the home. I believe this is by far my favorite one.

It goes through the home room by room, provides you with helpful checklists to determine if you are comfortable with the progress you made by scaling back in that room.

I especially like that although it promotes a minimalistic approach it is not extreme minimalism where you essentially don't own anything but rather a balance of choosing what you need and anesthetically enjoy (and still want) while helping you identify why you still want it. I find this helpful so I can reflect on it and decided if I really need it or simply have a sentimental attachment (which by the way is fine as long as it’s not 900 things). It is definitely geared mostly toward families and homeowners, but a single person, or someone who lives in a rented home/apartment can still benefit from this book by adapting the ideas to suite your lifestyle.

I have been on a declutter plan admittedly not hard core for about a year and I find the main reason I keep or want things is sentimentally driven. It belonged or reminds me of a loved one and so on. I find it hard to part with items and therefore have an over cluttered house that even clean contains just too much stuff. This book has really helped me to focus on what looks nice and still maintains the memories or feel I want.

Admittedly I have had to rent a storage unit so I can further try to scale back on possessions and am still in the process of learning to let go. But all said this book has been a huge part of learning how to begin doing this. I am obviously still mid journey but I like the approach and enjoyed this book. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book is well-written and is an easy read, however, I found no advice that was new to me outside of what I already knew from Mary Kondo. It's more of a philosophical discussion of not having too many possessions rather than concrete advice. I was bored with people's individual stories that read preachy, encouraging you to give up your possessions and do charity instead. I was looking for more specific How-To guide and something new and this book is not it.

The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker is a great book. In a growing genre of book, Becker takes a room-by-room approach that is not rushed but is focused and effective. He has a good grasp of the challenges of consumerism as well as the emotional side of letting items go. Becker is more than a writer of a concept, he is a fully engaged practitioner that is living this out with a family. This is a great book worthy of applying.
Joshua Becker writes a great book that is helpful to anyone looking at uncluttering their lives. He is not a one way is the only way type of guy, but gives great wisdom and advise, along with many ideas of how to move closer to what you really want in life. Establishing goals at the beginning is such a helpful step. Then throughout the book, he takes you from room to room, easiest areas to more difficult, and encourages you on how to evaluate items in your home. You should either trash it, sell it or give it away or keep it for a needed and useful purpose. What a pleasure it can be to finally get to the time of giving items away to others in need, rather than just hoarding it in my closet or corner of the house. And when you finally finish the book and your home (including the garage and outdoor space), you will have a cleaner home, fewer items to maintain, and hopefully more time with the people you love.

I highly recommend this book!

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't think there was anything too original here - but thought overall it had a good message. But I did think that the book began to drag on and it could have been summed up pretty quickly.

Overall, 3/5 stars.

It was okay. I feel like I have read the advice in it before although it is nice to have a different look at it. Some of the writing made me uncomfortable because it felt like he was sharing other people's stories without them wanting to be minimalists so I questioned why he included them. Overall, it encourages decluttering which I can get behind.

It was hard to read this book...because I have so much stuff to get rid of. Hahaha.

Good book.. I want to purge so much stuff now...and have a garage sale or donate to charity (the decent ones of course) and try to leave more simply.

Straightforward and simple. I hope I can curb my want for so much stuff.

The Minimalist Home is any easy read with great advise on simplifying your home. I learned a lot from reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Water Brook & Multnomah for the ARC of the Minimalist Home... this book has brought life changing ideas into my life!

I love the inspirational tips that I found in this book.
The book supplied great ideas and helpful advice that will help you jump into action and get control of your clutter.
Great Motivation!

This is a wonderful book. I love Joshua Becker's ideas and philosophy. I highly recommend this book!

There were some really good things about this book. Becker offers readers both inspiration and practical tips. His included checklists and sequencing suggestions are very helpful, and I found myself inspired to tackle certain areas of my own home. I feel sure that the things I learned through this book will help me in that endeavor.

That being said, I was surprised by some statements that felt really condescending to me. For example, the author suggested that people who get rid of the clothes that don't fit them anymore could use the time saved each morning to "take a walk". He referred to framed diplomas and certificates as an "ego wall". He dissed suburban housing and suggested a connection between bigger homes and fractured families. Unfortunately, statements such as these left me a little soured on this book.

Four stars for the book content, minus one star for making the reader feel shamed...

The Minimalist Home is a friendly, easy-to-read book that gives tangible and helpful advice and anecdotes that will help and inspire the reader to take action and control over their possessions. A solid addition to a non-fiction collection.