Minimalism is the what-to book: it focuses on the five values we must focus on to live a meaningful life. For example, there’s advice on how to properly fold your clothes so they don’t take up too much space, and even how to fold your socks! It’s tempting to say, ‘Oh, I know that’ll stay, so I’ll just leave it there for now and work around it. But the ‘roots’ question is, again, difficult, because rather than a linear-causal relationship it’s better to say that the ideas of Japanese Buddhism have a lot in common with, or are very sympathetic to, what we talk about as minimalism now. To spend some time reading this book and to be reminded of why I got into this Minimalism thing in the first place was a really worthwhile thing for me.

I also loved his tips about how to properly sort out your wardrobe and figure out which clothes you should actually donate.Additionally, the Montessori-inspired approach to scissor skill training emphasizes self-directed learning, allowing children to explore and practice at their own pace.

But, actually, if you’re getting rid of a considerable amount of stuff, especially stuff that might hold some sentimental value, this can be a good way of getting rid of things without feeling too sad or guilty about it. Find a friend, family member, or coworker who's willing to minimize their stuff with you next month.Mostly the book focuses on the notions that underpin Minimalism: that of focusing your time, money, and energy only on the things that matter and of letting the rest go. What’s most present for people now is the lifestyle of minimalism: the commercialism of minimalism, and the ways in which it’s branded and sold back to people as minimalist self-help books and the minimalist table lamps and minimalist skincare routines, all that stuff. Publications include Minimalism: Art and Polemics in the 1960s (Yale, 2001); he has contributed essays to Mel Bochner: Thought Made Visible 1966–1973 (Yale, 1995); Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture for a Large Wall, 1957 (Matthew Marks Gallery, 1998); Eva Hesse: A Retrospective, ed. If you’re an adult who is concerned about the planet and feels like your habits and lifestyle don’t align with your eco-friendly values, then this book is perfect for you. But I appreciate that they mentioned a client being in therapy helped them figure out why they held on to certain items.

This approach is accessible and manageable for wannabe minimalists like myself, who still have to contend with four-season clothing and energetic children with many accoutrements. Minimalism for Families also discusses how to handle members who may be resistant to the idea and how to gently encourage even children to embrace minimalism. Minimalist thought is threaded through Stoicism and Zen Buddhism; absence and space became major preoccupations of 1960s US art. With this wide-ranging collection of original texts by familiar and lesser-known key figures, O'Brien and Robin present a richer, more inclusive view of what we have come to define as 'minimalism' in music of the last century—a deep well of sounds and ideas from which younger generations of musicians and listeners (myself included) continue to draw inspiration.I recommend this book because it is a compelling guide that teaches you how to adopt green habits and live a sustainable lifestyle.

It’s much more practical than her first book and has lots of diagrams and illustrations to help you organise your rooms. It’s just about being more in harmony with the world around you, being content with the shadow and the darkness. This book follows along with her during that twelve-month spending freeze, during which she only bought the bare necessities (like food and gas for her car) and illuminates the struggles and triumphs she had along the way while learning that the less she consumed the happier and more fulfilling her life became. He then goes on to describe his “aha” moment when he realises that he needs to make a change in his life. However, if I could cut this book in half, I would, as I personally only found the first half or so necessary.Until the point he discovered minimalism, he was just a regular guy with the same issues that most of us struggle with; being stressed out at work, dealing with insecurity, a “keeping up with the Jones'” mentality, and even health side effects, such as being overweight.