Tidy the F*ck Up: The American Art of Organizing Your Sh*t

I LOVE this book! ( Although you might not if you clasp your hands to your chest and gasp, “ oh, Mercy me I saw some naughty words!” when you open its amazing pages!) It is part very-serious but clever and practical ideas for decluttering, and part very-serious therapy session! And I find its honest but compassionate approach to de-cluttering priceless. Not only am I a child who arrived not long after The Great Depression, I am also ADHD! Those two things have made Getting Rid Of Stuff a huge challenge for me—“ I better keep this widget, someday I may need it,” says The Depression Child in me. “ Now where did I put that widget I thought I might need some day?” wonders the ADHD-unfocused Me. J If you were blessed with a plain-spoken best friend who cares about you through all your craziness, and who understands, but knows you can do better, and be happier, and says so bluntly while providing specific advice, you would have this author! Yes, there is humor and there are light-hearted touches, but the psychology is totally dead-on and , for me at least, priceless! I have a nice big house which I cannot totally enjoy because most of the space in my closets and cabinets ( and bins) has become cluttered with “ stuff.” And because I’m no young chick, I now am facing the usual expectedly-limited life-span—still with nooks and crannies full of stuff I don’t really need anymore and which my kids will curse me for when I am gone, even as I curse myself today for keeping things I no longer need and in many cases, no longer enjoy. Our local Womens’ Shelter and Habitat will soon be receiving boxes of Good Stuff I am now packing, and the land-fill and recycling center have both already grown a bit as a result of this author’s wisdom. I understand this book may not be for everyone, but for me, the purchaser of every de-cluttering and organizing book as well as all the ADHD Help Books in print, it has been a gold mine of clear, practical ideas and comfort. The best of its kind! And yes, I have just ordered one as a gift for a friend who also struggles with Over-Abundance Of Stuff! ( P.S. And—TA-DA—I’m just about to deliver a whole box of really good organizing and de-cluttering books to Friends Of The Library—this one is my ONLY Keeper! )

Great little book with Humorous annadotes to tiddy up your life

TV shows about people clearing out their clutter in one day are great entertainment, as you watch them have emotional meltdowns, fold their underwear so it looks pretty in a closed drawer, stack their stuff into look-alike boxes, and then thank a stranger for encouraging them to give away thousands of hard-earned dollars of their merchandise. In real life that's not practical! However, this clever, insightful little parody book -- if you can overlook the um, colorful, language -- approaches the need to clean up very differently. It gave me real incentive to do something about a decades-old home where stuff had become as permanent as the landscape outside. It's for the average person who has a busy life and very little incentive. You need to have some good reasons for wanting to straighten up in an age when everyone's free time is at a premium. This book brings into play the psychology of why we buy and why we keep, and it has good suggestions on how to make permanent changes in your own way, in your own time. No excuses left -- the author shot down every one of them, and added chocolate as an incentive. As I saw my stuff with a fresh outlook, ways of organizing it and clearing out the things I held onto only because of the 'shoulds' instead of the 'woulds' came into focus. My mother-in-law's china was the first thing out the door.

Another great book. Highly recommend for anyone having trouble getting rid of the items that are collecting dust. Does have potty words. But a fun to read and extremely helpful.

Great Read! Inspiring, so much that I read within a day and organized two of my rooms!!

I already reviewed her subsequent book, but this one is SO great. If you can get beyond the language thing, it holds treasures of advice about making choices about things and the memories issues, as well as de-cluttering vs organizing (I am a Container Store junkie/former employee, so my eyes were opened!). I highly recommend this to anyone facing the inevitable of making a lot of decisions.

Nice book with many good ideas. However I do disagree about storage containers. I do crafts. I have found air tight storage containers are awesome for limiting the amount I keep, being able to locate specific items, and keeping bugs out. I live in a tiny house after downsizing twice.

Excellent ideas for storing your items

So funny ..but true Love it Great tips

I found this book discounted on Amazon; this is my honest review. -If you didn't pick it up on the title, then you read it for yourself. The language is raw but efficient. -It's down-to-earth, no Shinto religion here - which this author makes a bit of fun about. Who has time to empty their (very full) purse every single night and put everything back the morning after? The American Way is fast-fast-fast. The Asian Way is slow-very slow-too slow for me. -"The process ... teaches you to let go of who you used to be and accept who you are right now". So true. Our taste changes, our habits do too. Start with your vision, then go from there. -The author is witty, but serious at the same time. She/He is also encouraging ("strong and prepared ... in other aspects of your life"). -She mocks a few unreasonable steps or methods from a popular book. Like I said in my other review, I don't fold the underwear, we just pick the first one on top. -Loved the book in its entirety. I would be more willing to recommend this book, even with the unrefined words. -Editing needs another pass but nothing serious. For ex. "on this plant" vs. planet.

The Author really tells you like it is. I hope this will gear me up to start being less lazy and clearing up my stuff, could have used another word the Author uses, but it would probably break the rules for leaving a review! I've read it through once and hope to get to grips with all the mess. I would say, although never having read the book, that this is a more realistic version of Marie Kondo's book. There is plenty of humour and some crude language, which really is OK, at least with me.

I have really been enjoying this book - it really got me going and delving into all the 'unnecessary items' a person hangs onto creating clutter. It gave me inspiration to start clearing things out rather than to leave it behind for someone else to have to do it. Or fight over it. Or whatever. I will keep this book handy to refer to from time to time, because it takes a long time to get rid of things that have piled up over a long time. And that's ok in this book, so it takes the pressure off. It's hilarious and inspiring, so to me that's a good book! I may even make some cash selling some stuff! I'm giving it 5 stars!

Love this funny down to earth book on getting organized