Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism

Thank you Fumio for such an enlightening and profound read. I just graduated and have been feeling a sense of urgency for a while to get a good job now I have a good job and to climb corporate ladder, to build intellectual and emotional intelligence, to navigate modern dating, to stay fit and eat healthy and a barrage of other non stop aggressions. Thanks to minimalism and the ideas of this book coupled with spiritual training and meditation I can finally breathe and live in the moment. Things really do block our insights into the space of happiness. You are a great author and excellent teacher. I thank you so much Fumio

A good book to introduce the idea of minimalism in your life, even if you are not considering the lifestyle fully. It makes you think about the value, or lack thereof, of everything around you. Meaningful words.

I've read so many of these books lately. Having inherited boxes of stuff from my parents, I had hoped, based on a friend's recommendation, that this one would inspire me more than it did. Let's not kid ourselves, if you have a lot of stuff, it will take a long time to offload it all and that is a process that requires focus, discipline, rigor, time and support. That is, unless you are someone who is capable of easily letting go (but if you are, you probably don't have a lot of stuff anyway). If you have not read many of these kinds of books, then this one might be great for you. It gives an idea of what can open up for us when we are not spending all of our time and energy shepherding papers and things.It's important that people understand the differences between organizing books and books on reducing your stuff as well as this book which is about minimalism. Organizing books generally offer a little bit of advice on letting go, but mostly how to better store all your stuff. Books on letting go of your stuff, generally advise that you go through things a room at a time and have 3 boxes or bags handy: keep, donate, trash. Minimalism requires discarding with very little keeping. There are lots of reasons to consider minimalism and if that's for you, then try this book out. It is a quick read with handy tips throughout and at the end.

Oh my did I love this book! I learned about it from watching “The minimal moms” YouTube videos. This is a very easy read that you won’t be able to put down. There are so many amazing tips, ideas and advice that make cleaning out every space of your house so much easier. It covers everything we tell ourselves in deciding to keep it, throw it or donate it. I’m giving a copy to all my family for Christmas because I know so many people that can use this advice. The book makes these projects seem manageable and not overwhelming when you apply his thought process. He is absolutely right on how you feel afterwards decluttering all your things. Run..don’t walk to buy this book!

Such a good book. Even if you employ 50% of the advice your life will change. I have gifted this book many times.

Minimalism taken to its extreme. The book, while well-written, will not resonate with most simply because the author's path caters to people approaching middle-age without any children, pets, significant others, etc.Recommended only for those seeking a solitary life with little to no burdens outside their control.

I’ve been slowly declutterring for a while, but the habit of buying continues. This book has given me a lot of good advice and insight on my purchasing habits and how I can move beyond consumerism.

This book goodbye, things is about minimalism and the positive impact this lifestyle has had on the author and includes a manual on how to disregard with possessions in a positive way. The author testifies he formerly lived a shallow life full of clutter but has not now transformed to a life of meaning because he's stripped it of non-essentials. He's learned he doesn't need most of the things society says is important for happiness, so everything he owns now is crucial. Discarding things has freed him up to focus on what he, the individual, not society, believes are the most important things in life; people and present experience. This book says simple living, gratitude, and flexibility are the keys to a well lived life. Big Ideas I Took from This BookGet Rid of the Notion that Someday You'll Use Something: I like this rule because I use it when I try to justify keeping mess in my house. I was mortified he caught me keeping "fancy disposable bags" I think I'll use in the future.Get Rid of Decorative Stuff and Unused Furniture: I like the rule about getting rid of unused furniture. Extra furniture and things increase the need for square footage and square footage means more rent. Material Belongings Have Baggage: Items we don't use speak both positively and negatively. The unread books on our shelves tell us we lack follow through. The expensive chair we no longer sit in reminds us of a poor impulsive purchase and posturing. Stuff Controls our Time, Directly and Indirectly: A big house requires a lot of cleaning. Expensive purchases requires lots of income and high income requires absorbent amounts of stress and time. He says since he reduced his footprint he's had more time to work on things that are important to him and his confidence has increased. He wrote this book, created a website and has reached out to celebrities who've agreed to coffee. That newfound courage is new to him and he credits minimalism with the positive change.Before reading this book I was following a basic form of minimalism, but after reading I am reignited to adopt a stricter approach because I believe it will have a huge positive impact on my lifestyle.