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Summary: Simplicity is the key to health and happiness
Review: This book is a great little tool for those who are beginning to discover the "less is more" philosophy of life. It offers practical advice on the benefits of paring down one's need for money, space, and stuff in general. The unspoken conclusion of the book is that keeping our lives simple is the key to ultimate health and happiness
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Summary: Good Article, Waste of a Book
Review: This book is a lot of empty paper, and I hate to see that kind of waste. Her ideas, though somewhat interesting, could have been condensed into a 2-3 page article. I really don't understand all the fuss about her--the Tightwad Gazette and Your Money or Your Life are much better books.
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Summary: Simple & Helpful
Review: This book is a no nonsense how to guide to make your life easier. The suggestions she offers are nothing outrageous. Her first tip is to clean out all closets and drawers in your home. If you haven't used the item for over a year, get rid of it. Just from cleaning out my clothes closet and a few cupboards in the kitchen, I already feel better. This is a great book that I highly recommend to anyone.
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Summary: there's something for everyone in this book
Review: This book is essentially a brainstorming session - it briefly describes 100 options for simplifying (and from my perspective, organizing) your life. This is a collection of ideas, not a bible. Each reader will have to determine which of the 100 suggestions make sense in her life. Many of the suggestions I took to heart. There's advice on getting rid of clutter, streamlining errands (including grocery shopping), consolidating finances. I developed a standing (daily / weekly / monthly / bi-monthly) to do-list and a standing check-off-what-you-need grocery list in large part based on her suggestions; both are helpful. Others ideas, primarily those in the "special issues for women" section (which is at the end of the book, and seemed like a desperate attempt to figure out how to get to 100), I wouldn't even consider. Throw out the nail polish? No way; I get great pleasure from looking at my bright pink toes from time to time. Skip the high heels & wear shoes of a consistent low heel height? Pack your lunch every day and stop eating out? Grow your own vegetables? (Don't worry -- since you've streamlined your grocery shopping and can pull resources from your own vegetable garden, it will be a snap.) Get rid of your telephone (not just your cell phone or car phone, mind you, but your basic garden-variety local service?) Get rid of your car? (I'm thinking overpriced taxis, long delays on public transportation, trying to track down a friend willing to play chauffeur.) These things are supposed to simplify my life? Moreover, many of Solden's suggestions involve cutting yourself off from people - bow out of holidays, stop sending holiday cards, say no to invitations; stop going out to dinner with friends, stop being a member of organizations if you don't enjoy the meetings. I think that these suggestions might be dangerous for a single adult -- you could really cut yourself off from the world if you followed them. (Not to mention, who would you share all those home-grown zucchini with? Who could you count on for chauffeur assistance?) Overall, this book is definitely worth reading. I think that the handful of ideas I'll actually implement make the book worthwhile, thus I gave it four stars. However, don't try to incorporate all the ideas -- unless they make sense for you.
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Summary: Excellent kick start!
Review: This book offers very easy ways to make life less complicated. Some of the suggestions are so obvious I can't believe they never occurred to me, such as simplifying my wardrobe (from here on in, all of my clothes are washable and none require ironing!) and living near work and getting rid of clutter (I also highly recommend "Clutter Control" by Jeff Campbell for this) and grocery shopping more efficiently. There are some suggestions I thought were not so helpful. For example, she suggests getting rid of houseplants (personally I don't find them too messy, but she does) and boats (I have never had a boat, I don't even have friends with boats to get rid of) and living off half your income (not possible for many people, although "Your Money or Your Life" really helps in figuring out what is worth spending money on and what isn't). Overall, though, I really recommend her book. I still flip through it every now and then to reassure myself that I'm on track.
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Summary: www.ThinChoices.com
Review: This book will forever be on my nightstand. Elaine has made living a simplified life easy. When I started getting rid of the things that were cluttering my life, I also got rid of a lot of stress. I no longer make impulse purchases just because something is on sale. Since we have simplified our activities, we have more quality family time, including family meals together everynight. Thanks for this life-changing book Elaine!
Jill Fleming, MS, RD
Author of "Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates: Simple Lifestyle Choices for Permanent Weight Loss".
www.ThinChoices.com
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Summary: Advice to live by!
Review: This is an excellent and helpful book. Elaine St. James does a wonderful job of presenting the material in a way that's interesting and helpful. This book has tons of methods on how one can simplify their lives while making them more rewarding and less stressful. Ideas featured in this marvelous book include, stopping junk mail, maintaining a simple wardrobe, giving simple gifts and many other useful tips. The best part is that you don't have to implement all of these methods in order to live a simple life. One can just pick and choose the methods that are the most helpful in their own lives. The book has sections on work-related issues, personal finances and extreme simplification. Go out and purchase this book, it's a good investment that will surely pay off.
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Summary: Great Investment
Review: This is my second purchase of "Simplify Your Life." I recommend this to any person who is feeling a little overwhelmed by the day-to-day hassles in your life. Elaine offers simple solutions and ideas to help create and keep a less hectic life and allow more time for pleasure and enjoyment. I love this book.
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Summary: Great Buy - Worth the Time!
Review: What an excellent find! I am truly satisfied with this book and find Elaine St. James inspiring. This book really lifts you to finding solutions to daily tasks, saving time, and money. I highly recommend this to all persons that are on the go and in need of a better direction.
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Summary: Another recovering yuppie book
Review: While I may come to appreciate some this advice in the future, I'm not convinced. The go-go 1980s are long gone and the end of the dot com 90s and early 2000s is giving way to more talk of recession. As a 20-something living in an urban area without children, I found that reading this book was something of a waste of time. Advice like "sell the boat," "move into a smaller house," and "make your hobby your work," range from inapplicable to impracticable when trying to pay off hefty student loans. I wish that someone would write a book on simplifying your life (or keeping your life simple) while you're still getting your feet off the ground.
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