That DVD, that sweatshirt and dress, those shoes, these books, that decor and furniture, this Nintendo, those limited editions, that half price store steal, and so on and so forth, till Things define us to a point where we actually find it hard, or next to impossible to let go off them, lest we become ‘lesser’ in the process. So, we have populated our rooms, homes and houses with Things – Things that are not necessarily of any utility or functionality any more, just more of storing, hoarding, and bringing in more Things to add to what is already there. Verdict: Stick with the book for would-be minimalists, library borrowing or electronic checkouts are highly encouraging options.How often have you gotten about clearing the clutter in your life? Not very frequently I am sure and whenever you have, you would have probably dug up, re-discovered, discovered Things that you have accumulated over years and maybe decades, giving in to our seemingly endless patterns of consumption – relentless and perpetual. Going aural also means missing the motivating photographs that highlight five minimalist lifestyles (including a family of four!). The single weak link here is narrator Keith Szarabajka, who should have said good-bye to unnecessary accents when reading the would-be inspirational quotes scattered throughout a call to a native Japanese speaker about pronunciation is the single lacking essential. He offers consistently doable suggestions on how to pare down, with reminders that there’s no single correct answer and reducing possessions is “not a goal unto itself.” As for perfect minimalists, Sasaki cites Mother Teresa (mentioned once) and Steve Jobs (who haunts the whole book). “That’s why it’s time to say good-bye to all our extra things.” Adding cultural and historical context, he cites three specific reasons for the modern rise in minimalism: information overload, technological developments, and (unexpectedly) the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake – a reminder of how quickly things disappear. “There’s happiness in having less,” his here’s-why-and-how primer begins. Think Marie Kondo ( The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up) on steroids: fellow Japanese lifestyle (albeit reluctant) guru Fumio Sasaki shed 95 percent of his stuff.

Fumio sasaki minimalist