I didn't post a review for the book, but I did give it three stars on Goodreads. It is really more of a two and a half star book for me. I liked the first part, but the part about personal relationships and feelings and stuff is not what I think about when I think about minimalism. Perhaps some people will like that part of the book.

This is a short read with both practical and inspirational tips on living a minimalist lifestyle. Much of the focus is on making the necessary mindset shifts to live more intentionally, to have just enough of just the right things (and relationships and activities, etc.) to maximize happiness.

I liked how Ms. Wong explained the concept of minimalism, and I liked some of the quotes she included. Many of her practical tips were things I had already read about before, but the minimalist budget was new to me and seemed like a helpful way to think about how to allocate resources.

Other than the minimalist budget, most of the original content here consists of the author discussing her own experiences as a relatively wealthy Londoner transitioning from corporate life and consumerist culture to minimalism. I suspect those portions of the book will appeal to some readers and be off-putting for others. Personally, I had difficulty relating to the author and had a very mixed reaction to these sections. I was hoping to read less about her and more material directly applicable to me.

If you’re not familiar with intentional living and the minimalist movement, this book could be a good introduction. It will probably be most appealing to the financially well off who are tired of the constant push to do more/be more/have more and are looking to simplify.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting. The ARC was neatly formatted and had very few proofreading errors, although there were some inconsistent statistics that I hope an editor corrected.

A very good introduction to minimalist life style. Regina is able to provide excellent examples, anecdotes and information to easy follow this practice.

Wanted to like this book but for a minimalist book it felt very chaotic and did not identify anything I wasnt already familiar with from other similar titles.

An interesting read. This book challenges you as to exactly what do you need in your life. Do you need clutter? Do you need stress? Do you want to be in debt? There has clearly been a lot of research done and each chapter has been well thought out.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't quite satisfying. It was definitely chaotic. For example, I'm fairly sure that three different statistics for clothes worn / clothes owned ratio were given on three different occasions in the book. But it also jumped from subject to subject, from material possessions to emotional well-being back to material possessions, name-checking Marie Kondo, Swedish lagom, Japanese notion of this, Chinese notion of that, Buddhist notion of yet something else in the process. Quite frankly, I felt that there was not enough material in here to justify making this a book - a series of blog posts, sure, but not really a book.

Generally, the concepts described here are fairly reasonable, if not always terribly original. It's a decent enough primer on minimalism and mindfulness, with the caveat that in some cases it's easier said and done, especially in the case of a person not living alone and needing to mind others in her life.

I think this is an excellent book for someone that is looking into becoming a minimalist or even just wanting to live a more mindful life.

**I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

My review is on my YouTube channel

MAKE SPACE is exactly what I wanted it to be: a beginner's guide to minimalism, explained clearly and concisely for any demographic. It was a short read, brief in its explanation, but it put across everything it needed to and definitely convinced me to make everyday changes. I was curious about minimalism and have been wanting to declutter for a while; this book serves as a perfect motivation and inspiration. There aren't any long speeches or guilt-trips, the book simply offers tips and tricks, and explains minimalism is in a simple way.

I only wish this book was slightly longer. Thankfully, the author urges the reader to check out their website for more information, and I was definitely inspired to make some changes in my life. This book encouraged me to check out Maria Kondo, as well as take a look at what I own and divide my possessions into what I love and what simply amounts to clutter and psychological space.

What I like best about this book is that while there are brief outlining rules, there is nothing set in stone, because eliminating clutter and adding personal love and value is personal to the individual and what they love which doesn't work for everyone. Therefore, I like how the author encourages the reader to actively get involved with what they want to change. Equally, there are many reasons why people choose to live more minimally, and I like how the author accepts that, and gives us her own life journey with some tips and tricks along the way. More specifically, I learned about the 80/20 rule, multitasking and about the emotional connections to minimalism which I didn't know before.

Ultimately, this book is a fantastic guide for beginners, but I wouldn't say that it will add much to anybody already pursuing this kind of lifestyle. The read definitely inspired me and made me more curious, and I'm excited that many others may also feel similar. This book definitely found me at a good time, since I am currently packing my things for university and storage and decor will undoubtedly apply to me as I move away from home. I think everybody can find something that will speak to them about this book, but it will be most effective to those who are curious about minimalism and perhaps don't know what it's really all about yet.

I think it's interesting that for so long many of us seem to think that the more things we have: the better. And yet, after a good solid clear-out, and investing love and care into what we already have, always makes me feel more satisfying. I appreciate how the author has outlined that minimalism does not have to be extreme, it can be personally catered to anybody. Therefore, if you're curious about minimalism I would definitely recommend this book as something to get you started.

Note: I kindly received this book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author and the publisher for this opportunity.

A definitive read about decluttering and living your life to the fullest by getting rid of the burden of "stuff". As someone who decluttered years ago and lives minimally, I loved the authors smart suggestions and organizational tips. This is the perfect read if your new to freeing your life of clutter, or one who practicets living with less intentionally on a daily basis. A wonderful helpful guide to anyone that needs to improve their life, free themselves of the burden of stuff and live more fully.

It's hard to argue with the idea that you are creating a better life if you remove the parts that are unnecessary and/or negative, but it also seems hard to write a book about that idea without beating it into the ground. The basic idea is great and some of the how-to parts might be helpful to someone who is completely overwhelmed, but then that person might not even have the mental space to find and read this book. It was simply too basic to me without much new or inspiring to make it a book I'd reread or feel like sharing with someone.

I must confess I am a part-time minimalist and this was the first book I have read on minimalism. I try to keep a clutter-free home and be mindful of my purchases but I want to fully embrace the minimalist concept. Since this book is described as a beginner's handbook, I figured this was the perfect place to start. If you are tired of being bogged down by material and emotional clutter and are ready to simplify your life then this book is for you.

I think the author does a great job of explaining the main components of minimalism: less attachment to material possessions, clearing your mind of mental and emotional clutter, and financial freedom. Wong states, "Minimalism is not a deprivation, but a joy. It is about getting rid of excess and the nonessentials, and the act of distilling to what is essential-that which gives us joy, value, and purpose to our lives."

Wong begins with an Introduction on her background and how she got into minimalism. She goes on to explain what minimalism is and then each chapter follows with an area of our lives that need attention in order to achieve a minimalist life and therefore create a path towards true happiness. She includes thoughtful examples of her own life along the way. I particularly loved that each chapter contained relevant quotes from inspirational figures. Two quotes I particularly enjoyed: "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." Jim Rohn, and "Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Buddha. The book is full of them and they are such a delight.

I also appreciated the "Resources" chapter at the end of the book referencing all of Wong's sources, perfect for those of us who like to delve a little deeper into the subject.

The whole point of the book is to be more mindful and Wong provides a roadmap for getting there.

Overall, I think this book would appeal to those interested in learning more on minimalism complete with simple to follow action steps to get you started.

I quite enjoyed this book and if you haven't read many books in this area then you will enjoy it alot.
I like the way it encourages you to break down your major goals into smaller steps to achieve them.
It's also quite well laid out into topics and they are well written about and the author has obviously done her homework.
The only thing is that it's a well documented topic these days and there isn't too much in this book that is new if you have already read many books like it but otherwise a good read.

Based on title and blurb, I was expecting a volume on minimalism or decluttering but this reads like life manual written by a very young, very privileged person. The book is filled with disjointed platitudes and the tone rubbed me the wrong way.

As a Professional Organiser and Declutterer I was interested to read this book. There are some very sensible suggestions in the book and it also advocates a more minimalistic lifestyle which I too am drawn too. Minimalism does not mean going without it just means not buying things for the sake of buying them. Choose those items that bring you joy rather than those your neighbours will be impressed with.

When I received a copy of Make Space by Regina Wong, I was very excited. Considering the subject matter, I was hoping that the minimalism would not only apply to the content but also to the structure of Make Space, leaving out all that was not necessary, and bringing me a clear and concise volume on the subject of minimalism.

Instead, I received a book that offered no technique on the subject, but rather turned out to be a disguised (and not well researched) self-help book, trying to cover anything that may be related on the outside to living a minimalist lifestyle, but only in the most remote kind of way.

What it did not contain was clear instructions on minimalism. The little bit it did cover was oversimplified, and made me feel that the Author had no clear grasp on the concept, and was rather someone who thought it would make a good trendy book subject.

I did like, however, that the Author suggested implementing the techniques of minimalism also in the reader’s digital world, as their clutter can also distract and disorganize.

Also, the financial section was decent, but other minimalist books have done a better job even on that subject beforehand.

Overall, I have to say, that I was very underwhelmed by this book.

This book review will be posted on my book blog on August 15th, 2017 http://withinthepagesofabook.com

A really sensible book about decluttering. Regina Wong has a normal' approach and this book is a great read. I was not so inspired I would immediately start work on clearing up my piles of stuff, but, it gave me insight into how much stuff I hold on to that I really don't need to. .
Roll on the holidays and then I shall start putting Regina's advice inside my house.

Thank you

Smleyjan

This book is highly researched and discusses much more than minimalism. I think people who know nothing about minimalism, time blocking, or life improvement hacks will really enjoy this book because it is a great introduction to those themes and much more. I however am very familiar with the topic of minimalism and life hacking so I found some of the knowledge espoused by the author to be repetitive and not novel. There was nothing innovative to the approaches. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the way it is broken down into specific sections, but this was a reinforcement of ideas I have previously researched. This is a must read for a beginner who is interested in living the minimalist life.

It's hard to argue with the philosophy behind this book. To remove the unnecessary elements in your life and in simplifying, you begin to appreciate the things that you have. I think it sounds great in theory, and probably is truly wonderful in practice. I'm simply not inspired by this book.

Let me begin by explaining what my goal was in selecting this book. I am not a minimalist and I do not aspire to become one. I find joy in the random, the spontaneous, and the unexpected. I have never found comfort in routine, but I would like to find a balance in my life when it comes to my relationship with possessions. In trying to understand the mindset of a minimalist, I hope to break the sentimental attachment I have to many things in my home and begin to let go of things that I don't need.

Not only was this not the right book for me, I didn't necessarily see any unique insights that other books on the subject do not already cover. I have never read Marie Kondo's books because I know that I'm not in a position for a full life-changing overhaul at this point in my life. So, I can not compare this book to the Kondo method, but the author mentions Kondo's book and encourages readers to keep items that spark joy. The more that I read, the more I felt like the author had adopted the Kondo lifestyle, became a fanatic, and then began to write about her new lifestyle to try and encourage others to do the same. There's nothing wrong with that, I think it's great when someone can make a living doing what inspires them. But what works for her will not work for everyone. She encourages people to leave their jobs and travel if that's what brings them joy. She talks about becoming debt-free and how she will pay for her next home outright rather than taking a mortgage. I can't even begin to see where I would start down either of those paths in my current financial situation.

Beyond feeling that the advice was impractical, I also was bothered by the structure, or "curation" of the author's life. She mentions that reading or watching the news brings negative energy into her life, so she has found a way to only expose herself to positive information. She talks about removing negative people from your life and suggests making a list of people to determine which relationships do not help you move toward your desired state and reducing or eliminating your exposure to these people. To practice some if these things absolutely would be to cut one's self off with reality. Friendship goes both ways and to look at a human being and evaluate what they bring to your life is bothersome to me. People are not trinkets, they are individuals whose lives intersect with our own, for better and for worse. Of course there will be people who bring negative energy into our lives, but we know who they are without making a list and ranking them. People should not be discarded and treated as clutter.

For me, this book became tiresome before I reached the halfway point but I powered through to the end half-heartedly. If you live a minimalist lifestyle, or aspire to do so, and want to read something to stay focused or reinforce your beliefs, this is probably not a bad choice for you. If your goals are not on that scale, I recommend looking into some other resources.

I received an advance copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A thorough but easy to read book on minimalism. There are a lot of books on the market in this area but this one is well written and easy to understand. I enjoyed the first half of the book the most and managed to collect a few good quotes. The most poignant one being "if you don't buy clothes on 50 percent sales, you save 100 percent!". What an excellent thing to remember every time you find a bargain that you just can't miss! Overall a good read especially when you need to embark on a life re-organization or house de-clutter. Thank you