I enjoyed this book, having recently become obsessed (like many people) with minimization and decluttering. I would read a chapter and then apply the thought processes to my house. I have to admit I was surprised, for a book about minimalism, how much the author wrote about himself and others that almost distracted from the point of the book. Still, it was good and easy read.

It's easy to go through a phase where you declare yourself over all your 'stuff' and have a clear out. Months later, forgetting why you did that, and with an encroaching flow of all the things you've bought since then, you despair that 'that minimalist thing didn't work out.'
Books like this are a good grounding for the Why of trying to live a minimalist way, and knowing why will help you stay on track and re-find your motivation if you get off-track.
Becker is keen for you to lose the idea you have of a minimiaist's home being someone else's white, zen box. Minimalist living will be different for everyone, and the only standards you should try to live up to are the ones you set yourself. He's promoting an approach to owning less, regardless of your interior style. You can love ornate furniture in peacock colours - just maybe only have 2 items, instead of 12.
I started reading this just as I was moving house, and it has helped me be mindful of what I value . I'm trying not to just carry what I already own from house to house, but to consider what I need and what I want from my time. Dusting lots of memorobilia, or time to nap? Every book I've ever owned, or just the curated best?
A useful read, and not toooo preachy.

This was a great book! I wasn't super familiar with the whole 'minimalist' thing before reading this book, but I feel like this was a fantastic introduction to it! I loved how Becker talked about the reasoning behind much of what he advocated, yet at the same time emphasized that each person has their own level of minimizing that they wish to achieve. It was a breath of fresh air compared to what I had heard from others who were advocating minimizing, almost to the point of demeaning you if you didn't see 100% alike.

From reading about the stories and the opportunities that Joshua and his family get to experience and participate in now since they have begun their minimalist journey, I found myself encouraged to purge some things from my life as well. It was really cool to read stories from real people who are all at different points of their journey, and to see/hear about their victories, struggles, and hopes. In fact, after reading this book, I started to clean out my office at work and get rid of some things in order to be more open.

This book is set up in an ingenious way, working from one area of the home to another, beginning with the easiest and moving on toward the most difficult. At the end of each chapter, there is a checklist/guide included to help you go about putting into practice what you've just read. I highly recommend this book to everyone! From the little bit that I've done thus far in beginning to purge things, there is something to reversing the course on consumerism and living with 'less' in order to enjoy/experience more!

I made notes on this book as it's not a novel.
My thoughts are as follows;

When talking about conversations with your spouse he refers to her, or she. Sometimes then refers to him. I think he use of  "they" or his/hers would of been useful here. It's all very messy. Should of just been kept neutral.

Droning on about the same thing. Mentioning of books published before this one. It's like the whole book is just a marketing ploy!?

Some phrases just didn't even make sense. Maybe it's because I'm from the UK?

"Remember that, to be necessary for our personal potential, an object doesn’t always have to be strictly utilitarian," WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN!?!

I've been following Joshua Becker on Facebook for a while now, and although I'm already a minimalist, I like his inspiring quotes and posts. I think it pretty much gives you most of what's in the book therefore I'd recommend following his fb page rather than actually buying this book.

A true how to book on the minimalist movement. A guide on how to streamline your home and basically your life for a clutter free home.

This book just didn't do a lot for me. I found the author rather judgmental and preachy. There are a lot of stories about friends and others, and I would probably never let this man near my home after reading the way he talks about them. He also talks a lot. Oh my goodness, he just goes on and on with his opinions and then throws out these hashtag quotes you're supposed to tweet or something.

I had to make myself keep reading this for review purposes but there are other books I much prefer that have helped me get my house to the place I like (my personal favorites are How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind and the Magic of Tidying Up book, mostly because I love anyone who suggests thanking my possessions and keeping things that give me joy).

I'm still looking for a book that helps me really wrangle my house into place but with four kids still at home (and homeschooling them, which leads to massive explosions of art supplies, science goodies, books and so on), four cats, a massive dog, a billion hobbies and responsibilities and a pack-rat husband, I'm okay with not being a minimalist at the moment.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

I would call THE MINIMALIST HOME more of a decluttering book than a book about minimalism. Good reminders, but nothing I haven’t read elsewhere. That said, reading this does motivate me to get back to my purging efforts. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. Three stars from me.

This book provides details I haven't thought about as well as giving some clear next steps to some things I was considering in my own home. I am thankful for this book. If you are looking to minimalize or declutter your life and home this is a must read. I found it helpful and you might too. You'll find some ideas on what might help in a great paced way no matter the size of your home or need. This helps the overwhelming process not feel so overwhelming.

delightful and interesting book. I liked this book very much. Thanks to the publisher for the advanced reader copy .

The Minimalist Home by Josh Becker is along the lines of his blog becomingminimalist.com. Downsizing and cleaning up are currently trending so this book should do very well.
This book shows how to go through your home and clean things out so that you have more... more space and more flow.

I've been following Joshua Becker's blog Becomingminimalist.com ever since I found it and have been fascinated with minimalism. I was really excited to read this book and I was surely not let down! I found The Becker Method easy to follow and challenging at the same time. This book really helped as a step by step manual on how to declutter your home, but it is something that is hard to enforce, especially with kids. I especially liked the structure of the book and how Becker goes through the spaces in your home, which makes it easy to go from room to room and not feel like I have to do the whole house at once. Not only is it a physical cleaning, but a mental uncluttering as well. Less stuff and cleaner environments does help foster a better life! My favorite chapter was on unburdening yourself of the past. As humans, we really do attach emotions to physical objects, but how much of those things truly bring us happiness? I found myself asking this question as I read through the book. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to clean up his or her life, not just physically, but mentally as well.

WHAT DID I THINK OF THE MINIMALIST HOME BY JOSHUA BECKER?
The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker is actually a good follow up to Becoming Minimalist. This book is a practical hands on guide on how to turn your home into a minimalist home (like the title says). Essentially it goes room by room with advice on how to get rid of things and tone down your attachment. Thankfully, there’s no expectation for readers to live in an empty spartan home. Becker talks about decorations and how it is okay to have them, plus how the purpose is to make you feel happy. So, I was down for that. There’s a couple things from this book that I want to implement, like getting rid of some big things. And also a few things I need to really work on — like getting rid of my books, I just want to read a large chunk before I pass them on. I also find the towel advice to really not be up my alley. It talks about how every person needs two towels, one to use and then one that’s in the wash and you just alternate. Um, I need a hair towel. Plus a towel for the hot tub. Plus a towel for the pool (although the hot tub and pool towel could be the same) but then a towel for the shower after hot tub time. I could really get into the weeds on this. But yes, as with all advice books, I just pick out the information that is relevant to me and leave the rest behind.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The Minimalist Home is one of those audiobooks narrated by the author. Joshua Becker narrates his own book and it’s eight hours and five minutes long. I listened to this book at 2x speed and borrowed it from my library via Libby (new favorite app now that Hoopla put all the good audiobooks on some weird new more expensive library plan model). Anyways, the narration of this audiobook is not bad as far as author narrated audiobooks go. It was a little bit different from what I expected, but hey, I am satisfied on the whole. I found it very easy to follow this book. I took in the information and well, it was a quick listen to. I’d definitely recommend if you’re on a tidying up roll or you just want more motivation to declutter your home.

THE MINIMALIST HOME by Joshua Becker offers a room-by-room approach to decluttering your home, living happily with less. His attitude, the real-life stories from not just himself but also many others are inspirational and, within 30 minutes I felt the urge to start clearing out my closets. It is true what he teaches: A decluttered, minimal way of living makes space in my head too. Not less important; it saves money, and it is beneficial for the environment as well. Even though my husband didn't read the book himself, I managed to "get" him into the process following the advice provided in the book. Slowly we are getting rid of all that stuff that is cluttering our lives and does not make us happy.

When you are not the one to thank your old socks for their duty, this book is THE must read for anyone that seeks a more minimal approach to living.

To be short; the book is very inspirational to take action.


Thanks to the author, publisher and, Netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

In the age of Marie Kondo'ing everything, this was a refreshing change. Mainly, it seems a bit more manageable and accessible, without being like "you must throw out everything" and while acknowledging that some things are functional and needed regardless of how much joy they may (or may not) bring.

This book was nicely organized, with each area of the home having its own section (which was great because I could skip the areas that I don't have). It also addressed it from a whole-family perspective, meaning how to not only think about adult's clutter but also kids and how to make things manageable without destroying their fun. Similarly, this book was never preachy, which I appreciated.

Was it life-changing? No, not really. There wasn't anything particularly new in here, especially if you've ever watched a minimalism video on Youtube. But, it was easy to follow and nicely compiled, which makes it approachable. I would have liked some photos, though (but maybe there are some in the physical copy that the e-book ARC doesn't have?)

Thanks Netgalley for the free eARC!

As a non-fiction read this book is great both cover to cover and as a handbook or guide to pick up and work on as you move through the home. The personal stories and reflection help you see how the approach can work for you no matter how minimal your home is currently.

I really enjoyed reading this one, but it did take me awhile to get through it. Initially, I liked the content but as a somewhat practicing minimalist it all felt like review. I know this book is for a variety of readers and I can definitely see how the introduction is structured to help those readers who aren't sure about minimalism see how this book and the approach can help them.

The main chapters each focus on one or two rooms in a traditional home. This is where I started to really love the book because it got me excited to jump into minimizing and organizing each room. The balance of facts, personal reflection, and practical advice had me interested in tackling the closets, cleaning up the living spaces, and wanting to overhaul my entire home.

I do suggest that readers pick up this book and read it from cover to cover first because there's great content in each chapter. I wanted to read a chapter then work in the corresponding room, but life got in the way and I ended up just working through the book first. I think this is the best approach because you get the overall idea of the approach and focus, you can work in rooms at your own schedule, and having the book on hand makes it easy to reference later when you're ready to fully minimize.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in living more minimally. This book is especially useful to those who haven't applied minimalism to their lives yet, but any form of minimalist can benefit. I was eager to highlight the pages, add bookmarks to reference later, and I'm definitely ready to minimize my home after finishing this book.

The Minimalist Home is a how-to for every person who feels overwhelmed by their clutter. Joshua Becker has, through easy to follow missions, given clutterbugs a place to start. While we won't all get our houses to the "minimalist" point that Becker espouses, nearly everyone can benefit from having fewer things sitting around.

Using hashtag quips throughout the book, Becker calls attention to the action steps he recommends in each chapter. Moving from room to room, he asks readers to look at specific items and decide, exactly how many of these do I need? Most chapters end with "Minimizing Checklists" to give concrete ideas of things to look at in your own home, and possibly get rid of.

I think, for me, this book's value lies in the way it is set up. If I want to tackle my family room, for instance, I can look up the chapter on decluttering "Us" rooms - family rooms, living rooms, etc. If my bedroom is a disaster, there is a chapter for decluttering bedrooms. I like that I can read, or re-read, any given chapter, and even if I've already done the checklist once, I can always remove more a second time, if I want to.

I would definitely recommend The Minimalist Home to anyone who looks at their house and says, Oh, my, where do I even start? Joshua Becker gives step-by-step instruction here, and you'll soon be decluttering like a pro.

After reading Joshua Becker's blog for a long time, I was so looking forward to this book. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for the ARC of The Minimalist Home in exchange for my honest review.

Although I had been looking forward to this book, I've found that it adds very little to what he has already said on his blog. There are so many good books out there on minimalizing and organizing that The Minimalist Home doesn't really add anything more. I was surprised to see how much of the information here was already on his blog, with no new information added. I guess there are only so many ways you can tell people to get rid of their excess junk to make their lives better. As I was reading this, I also read Marie Kondo's books...guess which ones I found more valuable and have already used in my home and life? Yep, I'm in the process of KonMari-ing my life at the moment. If you have the choice, give this book a pass and check out Kondo's!

I received a NetGalley copy of The Minimalist Home: A Room - By - Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life and this is my honest opinion.

I found this book be very informative. The author has included stories from different families and pulled in resources to help understand how decluttering your home leads to a less stressful, more relaxing environment at home. I like how the author lists goals and strategies to decreasing the amount of things you keep in your home in a room by room analysis. His approach is helpful and realistic. I have started to work on one room at a time and think about my things, cd's movies, clothes, kitchen supplies a little differently. Two sets of sheets per per bed is a good start for me. cut down on linens and towels. Practical steps to minimizing clutter! I found this book very helpful. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book!

The minimalist approach is new to me. I look forward to incorporating the ideas presented in the book. The approach to having a higher quality of life by living with less clutter is appealing. Thank you net galley for the opportunity to review this book.

A motivational burst on my journey to living better with less:
For me, transforming my home from an overwhelmingly cluttered space to a minimalist home is a journey. When my husband and I moved into our home, we had only one child and not much stuff. The space was light and airy and cleaning up took no time at all. Now, several kids and almost 20 years later our clutter collection has taken a toll on the serenity of our home and I can use any help I can get. I have been paring down my own belongings for a while now, This book helps keeps me on track and I am finally seeing results. Even our kids have pitched in. Joshua Becker's statistics about the cost of our consumerism that can be found throughout the book are very sobering. He shows the reader how a minimalist mindset can set free money and time to be used in more meaningful ways than in unnecessary purchases or frantic searches for the car keys. He inspires me to use up or get rid of surplus in my home, Today I looked at my cleaning supplies. It turns out that I have enough laundry detergent and all purpose cleaner to last for more than a year (got it on sale) and I hope my vacuum will hold up long enough to use my collection of 24 vacuum bags (yes, got them on sale)! I am not proud that it has come to this but now I will make it a game to use it all up, As I said, it is a journey. This book gets me closer to my goal. Surprisingly, I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, There are areas in my home where I find lasting progress. My kitchen is much more efficient. Looking at Joshua Becker's list of essential kitchen items made me purge my kitchen drawers and cabinets once more and now I have plenty counter space to prepare my meals. My closet is getting to a point that I love all my clothes, There are no cosmetics strewn around in the bathroom and my bedroom is looking much better. The only side effect I have from reading this book is that aimless shopping or "bargain hunting" has become very boring and cleaning my home is is actually fun again, Most importantly, I am forced to ponder about what I really want from life and how I can spend more quality time with family and friends.