Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Pymble, N.S.W. : Simon & Schuster, 2009.
Description
LEAD A FULLER, RICHER LIFE WITH LESS STUFF. When you think of what it will take to clean your house, are you so overwhelmed you throw up your hands and cry, "It's all too much"? If somewhere along the way you've simply lost the ability to keep your home organized and clutter-free, then It's All Too Much has the solution you've been searching for. Peter Walsh, the organizational guru from TLC's hit show Clean Sweep, shares his proven system for letting go of your emotional and physical clutter so that you can create a happier, more stress-free home and life. With his trademark humor and insight, Peter guides you step-by-step through the very charged process of decluttering your home, organizing your possessions, and reclaiming your life. Going way beyond color-coded boxes and storage bin solutions, It's All Too Much shows you how to reexamine your priorities and let go of the things that are weighing you down. Filled with real-life examples and advice for homes of all sizes and personalities, It's All Too Much will set you free from the emotional baggage that goes along with clutter. At last, here is a system for managing your clutter, regaining control, and living the life you imagine for yourself.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Laiane
This truly motivated me to begin decluttering my home. Walsh argues that it isn't a matter of buying a bunch of Container Store bins -- buying more stuff -- but coming to terms with the "why" of our pack rat ways. Highly recommended. This is a much better investment than (yet another) trip to the
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store for more shelves/boxes/bins/whatever which only serve to exacerbate the "stuff" problem. Show Less
LibraryThing member medievalmama
This is by far the best book on organization and clearing out of things that I don't want and don't need of anything I've ever read. Of course, I picked it up after working [Simple Abundance] for two years and Julia Cameron's books for longer than that. It helps that he uses his television
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experiences as examples. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gigi.Gimenez
This book doesn't tell us anything we don't already know...but if it helps you to clean it up...more power to it...
It was a little dry...very repetitive...and a little incomplete to be honest.
It was a little dry...very repetitive...and a little incomplete to be honest.
LibraryThing member bexadler
In the beginning of this book it feels a little bit too self-helpy. The first two chapters are all about our relationship to stuff and why we keep it, along with information about how your life could be different if you were to clean up your act. I was almost prepared to chuck the book at this
*Refer to your Room Function Chart and have everyone sign on.
*Establish zones for the different activities that take place in this space.
*Remove what doesn't belong.
He first helps you deal with the general clutter and garbage that accumulates in the houses of many hoarders, then he eases you into getting rid of the clutter you're tied to emotionally. He has you ask yourself why you're holding onto these items and helps you think of ways to display the items and give them a place of honor in your home, rather than allowing them to accumulate dust in the corner of the garage. If they aren't valuabe enough to display, they should be gotten thrown out or given to someone who will value the item.
Walsh's tone throughout the book is very conversational and makes it easy to get through. And after completing my own purge, I can see how the self-helpy part in the beginning was really necessary. There's no point in reading a book like this if you aren't going to be serious about making changes in your life. I come from a long line of hoarders (my parents have two storage sheds, a basement and a garage filled with boxes of stuff that won't fit inside their home) so I understand how difficult it can be to let go of things. It took a long time for me to break the habit myself, but I can honestly say that life is much better with less stuff and more space. As Walsh says:
My job may be all about organization and decluttering, but I cannot say enough times that it is not about the "stuff." I have been in more cluttered homes than I can count, and the one factor I see in every single situation is people whose lives hinge on what they own instead of who they are. These people have lost their way. They no longer own their stuff - their stuff owns them. I am convinced that this is more the norm than the exception in this country. At some point, we started to believe that the more we own, the better off we are. In times past and in other cultures, people believe that the worst thing that can happen is for someone to be possessed, to have a demon exercise power over you. Isn't that what being inundated with possessions is - being possessed?
I'd love to give this book to my parents if I thought it would actually help. Unfortunately it would just add to their overabundance of clutter. My siblings and I have been trying for years to help them declutter, but every time we come back for a visit there's just more stuff to go through. Peter Walsh has an amazing job - one I'd love to have. How did he get into this line of work anyway? It must feel amazing to help so many people to get out from under the weight of their possessions. Personally speaking, it has been one of the most freeing things I've ever done. And I'm glad to finally be almost to the end of that journey.
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point, but then he got into the real meat of why I checked this book out from the library. Walsh first has you make a plan (room function chart) of what you want each room of your house to look like and what you want the room to be used for. Then he goes through each room of the house and helps you decide what to keep and what to get rid of by using the same three easy steps:*Refer to your Room Function Chart and have everyone sign on.
*Establish zones for the different activities that take place in this space.
*Remove what doesn't belong.
He first helps you deal with the general clutter and garbage that accumulates in the houses of many hoarders, then he eases you into getting rid of the clutter you're tied to emotionally. He has you ask yourself why you're holding onto these items and helps you think of ways to display the items and give them a place of honor in your home, rather than allowing them to accumulate dust in the corner of the garage. If they aren't valuabe enough to display, they should be gotten thrown out or given to someone who will value the item.
Walsh's tone throughout the book is very conversational and makes it easy to get through. And after completing my own purge, I can see how the self-helpy part in the beginning was really necessary. There's no point in reading a book like this if you aren't going to be serious about making changes in your life. I come from a long line of hoarders (my parents have two storage sheds, a basement and a garage filled with boxes of stuff that won't fit inside their home) so I understand how difficult it can be to let go of things. It took a long time for me to break the habit myself, but I can honestly say that life is much better with less stuff and more space. As Walsh says:
My job may be all about organization and decluttering, but I cannot say enough times that it is not about the "stuff." I have been in more cluttered homes than I can count, and the one factor I see in every single situation is people whose lives hinge on what they own instead of who they are. These people have lost their way. They no longer own their stuff - their stuff owns them. I am convinced that this is more the norm than the exception in this country. At some point, we started to believe that the more we own, the better off we are. In times past and in other cultures, people believe that the worst thing that can happen is for someone to be possessed, to have a demon exercise power over you. Isn't that what being inundated with possessions is - being possessed?
I'd love to give this book to my parents if I thought it would actually help. Unfortunately it would just add to their overabundance of clutter. My siblings and I have been trying for years to help them declutter, but every time we come back for a visit there's just more stuff to go through. Peter Walsh has an amazing job - one I'd love to have. How did he get into this line of work anyway? It must feel amazing to help so many people to get out from under the weight of their possessions. Personally speaking, it has been one of the most freeing things I've ever done. And I'm glad to finally be almost to the end of that journey.
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LibraryThing member laze
I know Peter Walsh is one of the foremost names in the decluttering/organization movement and is well-known thanks to his stint on "Clean Sweep," but I really didn't get too much from "It's All Too Much."
Perhaps it's because if you read a few decluttering blogs, you'll eventually get all of the
* It's not about the stuff, it's about changing your relationship to your stuff.
* Use what's useful, honor what's worthy of honoring, and chuck the rest.
* Have a plan for each room that ties to the vision of the life you'd like to lead.
* Don't expect it all to be fixed at once.
And that's pretty much it. Oh, and of course the ubiquitous "three bag" approach (keep, toss, donate/giveaway) is mentioned.
That's not to say it's a bad book by any stretch. Indeed, if you're looking to declutter/purge your stuff and you don't read decluttering blogs or haven't read other similar books, pick this one up. It does a good job of preparing you mentally and emotionally for dealing with the overwhelming task of cutting back on your clutter and preventing it from piling back up.
Perhaps it's because if you read a few decluttering blogs, you'll eventually get all of the
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tips and philosophy found in this book. I haven't read Walsh's earlier books, but I can't imagine them being very much different from this one. There are a few basic concepts that are hammered home:* It's not about the stuff, it's about changing your relationship to your stuff.
* Use what's useful, honor what's worthy of honoring, and chuck the rest.
* Have a plan for each room that ties to the vision of the life you'd like to lead.
* Don't expect it all to be fixed at once.
And that's pretty much it. Oh, and of course the ubiquitous "three bag" approach (keep, toss, donate/giveaway) is mentioned.
That's not to say it's a bad book by any stretch. Indeed, if you're looking to declutter/purge your stuff and you don't read decluttering blogs or haven't read other similar books, pick this one up. It does a good job of preparing you mentally and emotionally for dealing with the overwhelming task of cutting back on your clutter and preventing it from piling back up.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kristenn
This is the first thing I've read on organizing, simplifying, etc, so everything was new. And hopefully nothing was very novel because it all seemed pretty commonsensical. As with books on overeating, I appreciate it when they recognize and address a range of motivations. I read some of the
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negative reviews before starting the book and was then perplexed when he said the opposite. You're 'allowed' to keep pretty much everything. It's also nice he doesn't start with buying any file boxes, etc. The target market is very much your basic nuclear family in a suburban house, while I live alone in an apartment, but it was easy enough to skim past the irrelevant stuff and it doesn't seem there would be any missing advice specific to my scenario. I'm preparing to both move and combine households in about six months, and getting rid of a lot of things (especially things in storage) ahead of the move is the plan. This book contained some excellent motivators towards that end, especially in terms of rationale for throwing things out. The idea of mapping out your intended purpose for each room seems equally helpful when choosing a new home too, to make sure it will accommodate those goals in the first place. I also really liked the idea of bookmarking items on a retailer's website rather than keeping the catalogs. He's not a reader, though. Reading 3-4 books per week is hardly impossible. And I'm sorry but there are not millions of households in the U.S. that never throw away anything. Either 'millions' or 'never' was hyperbole. Show Less
LibraryThing member JenneB
I think I read books like this in the same way teenage girls read A Child Called It--just to freak myself out.
I don't have much of a problem with clutter myself--in a tiny apartment like this you have to be pretty ruthless about getting rid of stuff--but I LOVE reading about these people whose
I don't have much of a problem with clutter myself--in a tiny apartment like this you have to be pretty ruthless about getting rid of stuff--but I LOVE reading about these people whose
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entire house is filled with old newspapers and baby clothes, and how the author goes in and fixes it. It's amazingly satisfying. Show Less
LibraryThing member seph
I'm more than half a year into a major decluttering project and a lot of this very good advice was stuff I've already figured out or read elsewhere, but this was a very useful read all the same. I picked up enough new tips and fresh motivation to keep me going for months. The book is definitely
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geared toward someone who needs to declutter and doesn't know where to start, but anyone who needs a little help organizing is sure to find useful advice here. Show Less
LibraryThing member harrietbrown
This book is EXCELLENT!!! Since reading it the first time, I have gone back to it twice, and while I haven't organized my home perfectly (or even completely), I would say this book has provided me with inspiration and sustenance on my de-cluttering journey. Peter Walsh tells it like it is, he
I find Mr. Walsh's work to be very helpful. I never saw the TV show "Clean Sweep," because I don't have a TV, and didn't have cable when I did, but I can understand why he became so popular.
I'm looking forward to reading his other book "How to Organize Practically Everything" or something like that. Check it out, it looks like a fun read, if a bit lengthy. It's got everything from how to organize a filing system to how to run for President, become a concert violinist or pianist or a movie star! Gotta love it!
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doesn't mess around. He isn't a feng shui practitioner, but he is familiar with some of the concepts, and whether or not he uses them intentionally in his work as an organization expert, he employs the concepts to good effect. For instance, don't keep anything under the bed because dust bunnies and dust mites and other critters gather there, collecting dirt, dust, congregating and breeding, and causing allergic reactions and other health problems for humans. Also, keep your work area and your bedroom/sleeping area separate. Walsh firmly believes in the sanctity of rest and romance in the bedroom. Don't let your kids or housemates keep their stuff there. The only thing that should be in the bedroom is a bed, clothing storage and an area for rest and relaxation (a reading chair, for example, with a good light). I find Mr. Walsh's work to be very helpful. I never saw the TV show "Clean Sweep," because I don't have a TV, and didn't have cable when I did, but I can understand why he became so popular.
I'm looking forward to reading his other book "How to Organize Practically Everything" or something like that. Check it out, it looks like a fun read, if a bit lengthy. It's got everything from how to organize a filing system to how to run for President, become a concert violinist or pianist or a movie star! Gotta love it!
Show Less
LibraryThing member BookAngel_a
I can't think of a thing I did not like about this book! Okay, the parts about kids didn't apply to me, but it was still interesting to read about it. I never realized clutter had this much control over other parts of life. Since reading this book I am determined to make my home more clutter free.
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It helped me see a lot of areas I need to work on, and helped me rationalize throwing away things I never would have had the nerve to throw away before. It's also written in very readable language. I promised this book to a friend so I read it quickly, but I wish I could keep it longer and savor the reading! Show Less
LibraryThing member Heatheroo
I love this book as the author doesn't take any prisoners! He tells it like it is: the truth is sometimes difficult for many folks to hear.
LibraryThing member cvosshans
This practical book says it offers "Less junk, clearer mind and better life" and if you read it carefully, actively follow the advice it does! It's All Too Much is a practical guide for teens on keeping it together - the different sections are logically focused on teen issues infused with humour
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and complementary pictures. This book is suitable for teens who are struggling with organization and want some practical advice on how to 'get it together'. Show Less
LibraryThing member readingrl
Wow. I'm not finished yet, but it is certainly mking me re-think my life and my things.
LibraryThing member nevusmom
This book was exactly what we needed to kick-start us into getting rid of accumulated "stuff". While we aren't as snowed under as many of the families described in the book, we know we can be much better than we are. His tips are fantastic: pile all your kitchen utensils in a box - as you use them,
If it isn't functional or beautiful, why are you hanging on to it?
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put them in their designated drawer. At the end of a year, take the remaining utensils in the box to your local Goodwill (or add to your garage sale). I love his hints about getting rid of clothing, cookbooks, etc. VERY helpful!!If it isn't functional or beautiful, why are you hanging on to it?
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LibraryThing member VhartPowers
Ideas for people that don't know how to keep the clutter out of their lives and it doesn't mean going to buy more containers for the clutter, but ways of getting rid of the clutter and the psychology of "why" there is clutter.
At the end there's a connection to health issues as well as weight
At the end there's a connection to health issues as well as weight
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issues to clutter issues. Show Less
LibraryThing member chris_grossmann
Self help, preachy. I don't recommend
LibraryThing member GAYLEGREY
Read in my ever-present urge to organize. Belatedly realized it was written with youth in mind, still pretty good however.
LibraryThing member lindap69
great inspiration as I try to sort and weed through the stuff I have collected
LibraryThing member realbigcat
It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh is an excellent book if you want to declutter your house, your stuff and your life. I think if you have never read one of the many books on decluttering then this book would be an excellent choice. Mr Walsh is obviously an expert on the subject and has an excellent
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resume. He gives a great overview on the issues that contribute to the accumulation of stuff. He then takes you through each room and area of your home offering excellent advise on how to clean things up. Much of accumulating stuff is mental and that is covered as well. My only complaint would be that this subject is the topic of hundreds of similar books and while this book is excellent in itself, it does not offer anything new. Show Less
LibraryThing member dmturner
This cheery self-help book purports to be about clearing "clutter," but it seems to me it's more about learning to resist the imperatives of a consumer culture and to face the implications of the impulse to hoard. Nothing brilliant, but a nice read during New Years resolution season. (This is the
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review I posted on Amazon) Show Less
LibraryThing member doehlberg63
This is another great book by Peter Walsh. It was written to appeal to teens, and is easy to read, but honestly, any adult could also learn from this book. I liked the way it tackled internal and external clutter. This is a book best read slowly, so you can "fix" the areas in your life that need
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repair. Show Less
LibraryThing member satyridae
Pretty simplistic approach to managing clutter. The, forgive me, cookie-cutter-clutter solution. The book is also printed on that really cheap paper that smells a little funny- if the publisher isn't motivated to invest in decent paper...
LibraryThing member doehlberg63
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I know that my family has problems with hanging on to stuff, but after reading this book, I realized I had areas that needed improving. I would read a good tip, bookmark the page, and go do what the page suggested. It really is a great how-to guide to get your life
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back in order. It made me realize that tons of pictures left behind are not going to mean much to my children, nor are all their little treasures saved from childhood. I would rather see items now go to a good home or a good charity versus letting them rot and go out of style. This book really makes you think, even if you are already fairly organized. Great job! Show Less
Awards
Language
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
viii, 230 p.; 23 cm
ISBN
9780731814299
Local notes
A guide to decluttering: takes you through your house, room by room, to zero-in on the purpose of each space and how to ensure that what you have in that space brings happiness and peace. Sensible but solid advice.