Rating: 
Summary: I thought I was the only one!
Review: I mean, surely no one else would set up a careful file system then not be able to find anything because she couldn't remember what fit into the various categories she'd set up! Medical records could be either in an individual person's file or filed by month, depending on whim. The problem, I discovered through reading this book, is in analysis. First you figure out what doesn't work and why, then you create a plan that works. It's all very individualized and sensible.I've read lots of books on getting organized and they all impose their own system. This one teaches the reader to evaluate his/her own situation, including psychological resistance to getting organized, then goes on to suggest several solutions. I found tips on staying motivated particularly helpful since I had a mammoth chore ahead of me when I started. The concept of containerizing is also especially useful in a rather large household. Things certainly stay neater now! I do recommend this book to anyone who suspects that life could be a little better organized and flow just a little smoother.
Rating:
Summary: A Practical guide to organizing MY life and space
Review: I like this book because it addresses the variety of organizing styles and personalities, functional needs and available resources of individuals, rather than trying to apply a one-stop-shopping approach to everyone's situation. The steps to achieving a better-organized environment are clear and full of questions to ask myself, then the author supplies abundant suggestions that are adaptable to fit the answers I come up with. I borrowed this book from a friend and am ordering a copy for myself today! If you're like me and sometimes spend more time thinking about why you're not organized than getting organized, you will also benefit immensely from reading "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work," by Ariel and Shya Kane. I fid it a great companion when my mind gets loud and life feels like a treadmill of rehashed gripes of what I haven't gotten done. After reading the Kanes' book (and now, spot-reading a chapter or two when I'm in a rut), I am able to be far more productive and the situations I put up with for YEARS are clearing up effortlessly and often in unexpected ways. As a project manager for a major investment bank, organization and being present and aware are two keys to my success and satisfaction with my job and life as a whole! And getting organized is much easier when I'm not complaining in my head about why I didn't do it sooner or how I'll never get through the piles. Just Do It!
Rating: 
Summary: to organize takes time......
Review: This book was a good book, but this book is NOT a miracle cure. I started out by reading Sandra Feltons Messies Manual and came across a copy of this book. There are alot of good books out there Im sure But I dont have time to read all of them... I found out a free website organizedhome.com very helpful and time saving. This book is a good book but not for everyone.
my tip: type in organizing under the amazon search menu and then list the books by reviews to find the ones that are currently rated at the top.
Rating:
Summary: Thorough, effective, and therapeutic. One of the best.
Review: Morgenstern has a different approach than most authors who write books about getting organized. She divides the book into four sections: Laying the Foundation, Secrets of a Professional Organizer, Applying what You've Learned, and Tackling Time & Technology. Sounds ordinary, but the first section is priceless. And, throughout the book she includes textboxes of "insiders tips" and "avoiding common pitfalls." Many of us try hard to be organized and end up cluttering our house with organizing books, baskets, filing cabinets, and other gadgets. We get our house almost organized, yet find there's one room or task we just can't do. Are we sabotaging ourselves? Yes, according to Morgenstern. She quotes, "You can't fix it till you know what's broken" and explains that until you know why you stray toward disorganization, you will never master it. Psychological obstacles are one of three factors in clutter, according to Morgenstern (the other two are errors in your "organizing system" and external realities. But she deals with the psychological aspect in a brisk, energizing chapter that actually motivates you. Her actual organizational tips revolve around three essential steps: 1. Analyze (evaluate your current situation and what's not working.) 2. Strategize (Create plan and realistic estimate of how long it will take.) 3. Attack (Dive into the work.) The Analyze and Strategize sections are actually very useful and are easy to tackle. You will need a notebook, and will go from room to room answering 5 questions: What's working? What's not working? What items are most essential to you? Why do you want to get organized? (i.e., in the kitchen the answer might be - stop wasting money on duplicate purchases), and What's causing the problem. She advocates creating zones in each room. Again, a kitchen example might be: food prep zone (counter space between sink/fridge), daily cooking zone (build around oven and cooktop), daily dishes zone, food serving zone, and food storage zone. You'll learn to store items for each zone near that zone. No sense keeping dishes in cabinets near the food prep zone and corningware near the dishwasher zone. Once you get a solid grasp on the three steps, you can take your notebook through the house and quickly identify what needs to be done, room by room. While this isn't a "organize your house in one hour" kind of book, it also doesn't bog you down. The essentials are basic and what I've listed above, and they help you get the prep work out of the way while setting a solid foundation for you to tackle the clutter. You will see a real transformation of your house - or of whatever rooms you attack. It's not just a matter of "cleaning" them. You will turn them into efficient workcenters.
Rating:
Summary: This Book WILL Help You Get Organized !
Review: This currently popular 262 page softbound volume really can help ANYONE become better organized for a better life. This was recommended to me by a friend, but I was doubtful that it could help. The other books I read on this subject didn't do the job for me. I was pleasantly surprised that by followingMs. Morgenstern's recommendations I really am able to put some organization into the clutter that I've learned to live with. She explains systems to use, without the need for all of the store bought gadgets I've tried in the past. By following her simple steps you really CAN get your stuff in order and become more productive with better use of your time. Her Three Step System is useful at home or work, and can be used by anyone, regardless of their level of clutter. The time frames that she presents helps you get started and motivated to carry the tips on to completion. You'll learn why you feel disorganized and why now is the time to act to aleviate it once and for all. It's probably not your fault that you've always been disorganized. All you really need is the expert advice offered in this book to get you onto a better more organized work and home life. Her simple philosophy is SPACE. Mainly sort, purge, assign a home, containerize, equalize. No magic or gimicks, just sound, tried and tested advice. Well worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK DOES NOT HELP!!!!!!!
Review: I know that this book is meant for adults, and yes, I also know that there's a teen version. I am a twelve-year-old in seventh grade, and I am one of the most disorganized people ever. So when my best friend got me "Organizing From the Inside Out For Teens", I thought it would help me get my life and time organized. Well, guess what? It didn't. So, I went to the library, got a copy of this book, and expecting something better, I read it from cover-to-cover. It was basically the same as the other book, but targeted to adults and their lifestyle. (The information about organizing and time management were nearly the EXACT SAME). And no, this book didn't help me get organized either. The author's tips were basic common sense, like if you need more storage space, go buy some containers, or store sweaters in deeper drawers and t-shirts in shallower ones. ANYONE would probably know that! What I especially found funny about this book is that the author says in the beginning that this is the only organizing book you'll need, all the other ones ...., but then at the back of the book, she writes this recommeneded list of other organizing books to read by different authors!!!! How .... I'm sorry, but this book is obviousely not meant for us extremely disorganized people.
Rating: 
Summary: Why aren't you organized?
Review: The analysis section of Morgenstern's book stuck with me and it's why I like this book; why aren't you organized? Space issues? Perfectionist-fear-of-failure? Or is your system too organized and is it just impossible to maintain? After you go through this part of the book, the rest is common sense, but it does provide A PLAN, and a plan is key to getting anything done. The plan is more or less:
1. Sort
2. Purge
3. Assign a home
4. Containerize
5. Equalize Many other organization books have exactly the same steps. But the difference here is in knowing what failed you before you start out, and the idea of finding things you might need (an extra clothes rod in your closet, crates for files you aren't using but want to store, etc) before you embark on the clean-up. If you have a really hard time divesting yourself of "stuff", you might need another book on how to get out of the clutter habit, but this one is a good start.
Rating:
Summary: It works!
Review: I must have a jillion "how to get organized" books and this one works, for the simple reason that it's not a one size fits all method. Instead, each person must tailor the concepts and ideas to suit him or her. In other words, in order for it to work, the person trying to get organized must do some work, too, before digging in and rearranging files and throwing stuff out.
Great book!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book for the Organizationally Challenged!
Review: Like many others, I have accumulated quite a few books on organizing my life and eliminating clutter. While I have been able to glean tidbits of useful information from many of these offerings, Organizing from the Inside Out is by far one of the better books out there. Julie Morgenstern presents several practical and do-able approaches to achieving a more organized life. Morgernstern's book helps us examine what it is about ourselves that causes us problems with organization. She then gives us some great advice for dealing with these problems. The book is formatted in a way that allows you to pick and choose the areas where you most need assistance. Her advice is sound, practical, and is not condescending in the least. She doesn't try to make everyone fit into an "ideal" mold; instead, she gives people the permission and freedom to determine their individual organizational priorities and how to best achieve them. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for practical solutions for organizing their environments.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, great book written in an understandable way.
Review: Julie Morgenstern has done the disorganized, me included, a favor. Most organization books are written by people who seem to never have had a problem with organization and it seems very difficult to relate to them and to the advice they give. Julie admits to being disorganized in the past and then she put together a workable solution to becoming organized as a result of having a child. Her system works and is not hard to implement. I recommend her books to my clients and I wish she would write more books. Thank you Julie.
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