Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Many struggle to control clutter, finding it difficult to decide what to keep, donate, or throw away. Stone, a social worker/psychotherapist-turned-professional organizer, does not insist upon a particular style of home organization. She understands that people "love their stuff," and her remedy advocates for finding value in each item, categorizing it, and locating a specific place for it. In this way, the advice can be applied to an array of situations, and the author provides examples of clients whose needs reflect this individualized, holistic approach. One critique is that Stone's insight could have been complemented by visual elements, such as before and after pictures, to help readers imagine changes in their own physical spaces. VERDICT Those looking for a deep dive into managing overcollecting and cluttering, as well as changing patterns of thought that lead to such behavior, will be drawn to Stone's guidance.—Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Fans of Marie Kondo's now-famous method of only keeping stuff that's loved will feel right at home with Stone, who's here to help readers straighten up their lives physically, psychologically, and emotionally. After delving into her standardized how-to-organize rules and regulations, Stone addresses the psychology of ""stuff."" She asks readers to begin a self-dialogue that first considers their vision and purpose, with an exercise to help define core values and aspirations. In between planning for space, for storage, and for categorizing the wants/don't wants, she also slips in ideas for changing indecisive language when planning (avoid the verb ""try,"" for instance) and surmounting the more emotional obstacles like grief and illness. Rather than focusing solely on de-cluttering guidelines or on uncovering the root causes of all that unorganized stuff, this book looks at both aspects of clutter.--Barbara Jacobs Copyright 2020 Booklist