From the moment I began Love People Use Things Because the Opposite Never Works by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, I was ready to dive in and be inspired! I love the "this is my life" tone of Millburn & Nicodemus' writing.

I thought I already wrote this review done months back, but it seems not...

Well, this book is... quite a lot. It's unnecessarily long to get through as it becomes very dry, repetitive, and Millburn has a passion for vocabulary. While I love learning new words or remembering those I don't often see our hear in daily conversation, it becomes tiring and cumbersome, and at worst a little pretentious.

As far as the overall message itself, it's clearly organized and compelling. I enjoyed the concept, and the way the chapters were organized. The authors go into their own histories, showing us some of their own mistakes and how much they had to overcome without glorifying their endeavors. They provide easy to follow suggestions while reminding the reader that there is no one way to achieve our love minimally, and that it looks different for everyone. They also provide lots of examples from other people who also made changes, in case you need further reminder that it is an achievable and individualistic goal.

The biggest issue I have is with the vocabulary. While the words are seductive and I have a love for language, it's not very approachable.

This book about minimalism and how to practice it was actually really engaging. I knew of the authors before but I liked hearing about where they came from and why they choose this lifestyle. I thought the tips were really helpful and made me really evaluate myself on why I feel the need to keep certain things. One thing I have to point out, the book definitely comes off a bit privileged because there are so many people in the world who don't even have the ability to buy a bunch of stuff and then purge it on a whim. Both authors were very successful and had the resources to help them start this type of minimalist lifestyle while most of the world don't have the ability to do so. Still, I learned some stuff from it and would recommend.

I was so excited for this book as I absolutely loved their documentary but I was sadly disappointed. It was similar to the documentary but extremely preachy and almost too much in your face. It could have been a shorter novel or an article. I think they kind of overdid it.

I very much enjoy following "The Minimalists" and have enjoyed their previous books and documentaries. Love People, Use Things was no different. Although some of the subject matter seemed repetitive, I very much enjoyed the book and look forward to future books from them.

initial thoughts: this book just wasn’t for me. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be a memoir, a self help book, or a book about how minimalism can save the world.

there were some good pieces to this book, but they were drown out by the multiple ramblings + repetitions of the main author. the “popping in” at the end of each chapter by the second author was also a bit awkward, and didn’t add a ton of value, in my opinion.

a big thanks to NetGalley + Celadron Books for the ARC.

I really enjoyed their Neflix documentary about minimalism, so I wasn't sure if I'd learn much more by reading this book. I was wrong! I really loved how this book expanded upon what was covered in the documentary and reached towards many areas in our lives where we really need to consider " What is valuable to me and my values and what should I discontinue/discard?", not just physical clutter, but emotional/psychological clutter, relationship clutter and lifestyle clutter that prevents us from reaching our ultimate goals in life.

I really liked how the book gives concrete examples and exercises to practice or understand the basic principals that are examined. The authors also give outside research to back up some of their theories or teachings, which is helpful. The book is a bit repetitive in areas, going into details that aren't quite necessary. Also, the authors should consider revising some areas of the book where there are racial stereotypes (one author tells a story relating to his brother who is black and his mother, who is white, and tries to make it humorous but it is just cringeworthy--it is unfortunate and not at all relevant to what the author is trying to convey). In other areas the authors show their lack of awareness by proclaiming that without health, life really isn't worth living. While exploring how we can improve our health, we can make our lives improved in general, they neglect to acknowledge that many people have poor health through no fault of their own (genetics, disease, accidents) and they are certainly worthy of pursuing and obtaining a fulfilling life despite these obstacles. So although I loved the book in general and hope to use some of these ideas to simplify my life and promote the values and goals I want to achieve, I would hesitate to recommend it to family and friends due to some of the previously mentioned issues.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read for this review.

I first got this from @bookishfirst but it never came …I went to @netgalley and thankfully got approved
The first two chapters had me hyped I liked the facts presented and how it challenged my thinking …but then it kind of fell off - there are a lot of things I highlighted but I kept losing interest and getting distracted with my own thinking and having to reread things
It annoyed me a bit that he was so big on minimalism and then proceeded to continuously say successful the idea made him and how much he has made off of it ….also he talks about marketing and advertising and how “bad it is” / the problems with it and how they avoid it in their business yet it seemed this whole book was a marketing scheme which I get you have to make your money but it was a bit hypocritical but I guess at least they are keeping it in the family and maybe getting kick back because he pushes his wife’s business , his investment company and a few others MANY times in this book.
I would still give it four stars though because the things that bothered me are personal and they can be ignored while taking and holding some of the great gems this book does give and because there is a lot to gain from the book if you are looking for and need it …but Personally would like to warn one to selectively apply the information and really consider it for you personally and modify it to your life -take what works for you and move on from what doesn’t
I need to cut down on impulse buys and stocking up on things - I have always had a fear of losing the ability to have or provide and so when I can and am up I stock up on things I love and use so I have them but really it ends up being wasteful and it would be better to invest the extra money not buy more “stuff” I have been working on this but many of the financial and relational recommendations in here I already do / apply so again I do think it is good advice - also some good exercises to help you challenge thinking and make change so four stars

I’m not a minimalist nor will I ever be, but I am fascinated by our human attachment to stuff. I appreciated the sentiment of this title and the deeper dive into some of the reasons behind our behaviours, but I just can’t buy in on the idea that there is only one way to live. I took what was meaningful to me, but left more than I had anticipated.

I'm not always a fan of self help books but this one really hit home with me. Especially as we are coming out of a whole "lock down" world and beginning to realize what really does matter in life. Love more people. Not things. Keep things that are only really really needed to you. For example do I really need 7 eye shawdow pallets with basically the colors? Hell no! Really enjoyed this self help book!

This is the most comprehensive book on minimalism and intentional living I have ever read. This book is NOT about getting rid of physical clutter (though there is some of that in there). It's about being a better person to yourself, to your loved ones, to society. It's about living intentionally, creatively, fiscally responsibly. And it puts you to work. After Joshua Fields Milburn educates, Ryan Nicodemus sets you to action items to bring yourself into alignment with a more intentional life. Love! Love! Love!

Grab a journal or a binder and some loose-leaf paper. Find your favorite pen. Schedule time to read and absorb this book and work through the tasks presented. There is so much to process and learn here.

Love the Minimalists and have been following and listening them for over 10 years. Love People Use Things is spectacular!

This book really breaks minimalism ideas down into smaller steps, with review points at the end that you can use to think or journal about for reflection. Although I did enjoy this book I found some of Millburn's stories to be shared in an odd way, it was not the most endearing and some of his points felt a bit preachy / do as I say not as I do. I did appreciate the end reflections by Nicodemus and for that I do think this book is worth reading. I do want to note that if you've read their blog / emails / netflix shows that I don't think this book adds that much more (except maybe the prompts).

This book, is NOT at all what the title would lead you to believe. It's supposed to be a book on MINIMALISM, but a battle between being a memoir, which I would be fine with and a book on MINIMALISM, which I would also be fine with.
The writing style and structure of the book seems to be the work of Joshua Millburn and I struggled so hard not to DNF this, he is so repetitive, it's VERY clunky and a lot of the book is in fact his memoir.
I totally agree with the books concept, based on the title, the fact that we can all really stop and ask ourselves questions about what we bring into our homes & lives, and There are a lot of questions even regarding what's already in our lives, helpful points and coda bits for chapters. We all will see those things differently which both authors made clear, which I did like.
I just couldn't get over the rest of the book that was repetitive, that came across as white privilege and self centered.

Some very nice essays done by them. Seems overall written by Joshua with some input by Ryan. But still get that movement of conversation flow in the essays.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.

In Love People Use Things, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus move past simple decluttering to show how minimalism makes room to reevaluate and heal the seven essential relationships in our lives: stuff, truth, self, money, values, creativity, and people. They use their own experiences—and those of the people they have met along the minimalist journey—to provide a template for how to live a fuller, more meaningful life.

I'll preface this review by saying I have been listening to The Minimalists Podcast for a while now and am a big fan of Josh and Ryan's message of living simply with less. I am however, disappointed in this book. I was feeling very back and forth on how I wanted to rate this, because some parts really resonated with me while others I didn't like. I felt like I had to give this book two stars because the sections that I did really like were the parts that came from other people's books.

I found the tone of Josh's passages to be off-putting and thought that while I understand how important things like spending responsibly, eating healthy foods, and exercising daily are when living a minimal lifestyle, the overall message was preachy and unrelatable. The implication that diet and exercise can cure depression left a bad taste in my mouth (even if that wasn't the intent, this is how it came off) and oversimplified complex situations in everyday people's lives.

I think there are very good bits of information and helpful pieces of advice sprinkled into the chapters and there are specific messages that I can apply to my everyday life to live more simply, but overall I just wasn't a fan of this one.

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus have been around for a while now in the minimalism world.
If you have seen their "Minimalism" documentary on Netflix (which I recommend), the first part of the book may be a bit redundant, but a good refresher. This book isn't just about the piles of "stuff" taking over your life. It's also about your relationship with that stuff and why you have it, why its invading your life and causing such stress. Its about losing the stuff so you can regain yourself. Its not about getting rid of all of your possessions. Its about keeping the possessions that you truly love and bring fulfillment to your life. Its simple...Love People, Use Things.

“Love People, Use Things” by The Minimalists (Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus) is all about that Minimalist movement. Millburn and Nicodemus began their minimalist movement when they had reached the top of their goals and noticed they still weren’t satisfied. This book is a collection of their thoughts on how to apply minimalism to your life to find that joy that you’re actually looking for, rather than filling the void with pointless things and feeling worse off than you were before.

Maybe you’ve heard the term minimalist lately, it’s definitely feeling trendy right now. Millburn and Nicodemus go beyond the idea of just getting rid of stuff and dig deeper into your relationships and how those can benefit from a minimalist lifestyle. Digging into different parts of your life, Millburn and Nicodemus allow you to be free and authentic.

I love that this book at its core was practical. They gave real tips and questions for readers to work through. Some of the best learning is through doing and the author’s cleverly give readers the option of a more tactile approach. Some things were a little too much for me (can you image boxing everything up from your home and unpacking as you need things? As a military spouse I already do that too much, ha), but there was some blend of useful information for every reader.

In the end, I gave this book 4 stars. Definitely interesting and definitely a book I’ll need to go through again and again. It officially published today, so be sure to check it out! (Or if you’re feeling like a minimalist, request it from your local library to limit your home clutter!)

A BIG thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for ARC access to this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, collectively known as The Minimalists, advocates for getting rid of your junk and excess material possessions; in order to allow you to better focus on living a purposeful life and loving the people around you. Although these two authors are most well known for teaching others about the minimalist lifestyle, this book in particular is mostly focused on relationships, and advice for achieving happiness and freedom.

In the introduction, Millburn describes his difficult childhood and the ups and downs of his life that eventually led him to minimalism. He also describes Nicodemus's childhood and early adult life, and how they both turned their lives around.

The individual chapters are all about “relationships” with the following topics: 1) Stuff, 2) Truth, 3) Self, 4) Values, 5) Money, 6) Creativity and 7) People. Each chapter ends with a list of five questions to ask yourself, as well as five things to DO and five thing to NOT DO.

Throughout the book, there are gray boxes titled “Minimalist Rules for Living with Less,” which give some short tips and guidelines; sometimes about what to get rid of, or how to make decisions.

Overall, I thought that this book had some pretty useful advice. The de-cluttering suggestions were helpful, as were a few of the creativity and time management tips. There were quite a few stories about individual people though, or background about the author's family history that I probably could have done without. The book also didn't seem to be very well organized, with the authors sometimes jumping around to different topics within a chapter, or throwing a story in where it didn't seem to fit. This was a bit distracting, and I almost wish this book was condensed down to just the tips, guidelines and questions without all the other content. As it stand though, it is still worth at least a skim, 3.5 / 5 for me.

The intended message of this book is timely and a good message overall; however, the actual book seemed to be the opposite of the minimalist message it wants to convey. The writing style was convoluted and wordy rather than minimal and to the point. It also seemed to want to tackle a lot, too much. It was like a blend of Marie Kondo with Dave Ramsey, with personal stories. I wasn't sure what the ultimate goal was. The end result was like mixing too many colors: each one is bright on its own, but altogether you end up with a murky brown and lose track of where you started.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.