A very fast and inspiring read. I was strongly reminded of the Shintō values I learned as a youth in Japan. I can't wait to jump in and try my hand at the KonMari method. I have my doubts about the part about discarding and storing papers though. And some further adaptation to account for bigger American homes would have been welcome. Perhaps Kondō will do a tour of the U.S. at some point and hone her method for this audience. Of course I didn't like this book -- as a happy book-collecting slob, I'm SO not its market! So I'm in the odd position of giving it one star even as I say that I am sure it's an excellent decluttering program. I was compelled to read through it in the bookstore (it's not very long; it has bullet-points; it's simple and repetitive, so very easy to assimilate) because the pages are heavily impregnated with vanillin and by the time I determined this fact I had already established an enjoyably antagonistic relationship with the authorial voice, as I did years ago with _Rich Dad, Poor Dad_ and nearly every get-rich-quick book I read (and I LOVE this self-help genre, and arguing with it in my head: see "4-hour Workweek"). Here's why this program is not and never could be, for me: She suggests using your climate control to maintain a stable temperature in your house year-round, and therefore getting rid of seasonally appropriate clothing and the need to store it (i.e. no more sweaters). She suggests getting rid of all but a hundred books, because "only scholars and authors" are likely to re-read more than that in their lifetime (she claims) and because she thinks books are about accessing information, and once you have the information, you no longer need the book. She suggests throwing out all handouts and notes from lectures and seminars, because if you have not already "applied" the "information" you got from your seminar, you should re-take the seminar and then "apply the information." (I don't know what kind of seminars she's thinking of -- I am sure that is useful advice for some seminars that are directed towards an explicit certification or single action, but I can't imagine why, say, a bibliography handout would stop being useful or what the point would be of learning a bibliography by heart instead of keeping it for reference as needed.) She suggests you throw out your bank statements, because you are unlikely to be audited and you can always request them again if you need them. But what I ESPECIALLY love to hate are consultants who claim that non-Anglo cultures have a special kind of wisdom and that THEY are offering it to you, HERE, NOW, for just the price of…thus one finds in the bookstore guides to Vedic mathematics or French childrearing and Japanese tidying, none of which have any real claims to authenticity but all of which have in common their appeal to the insecure American book-buyer who worries that her own background is sadly lacking in numeracy, parenting, and domestic skills. Why do I say the author can't claim to be authentic, when she is indeed a big hit in Japan? Because the "art" or "magic" she offers -- however useful it might be -- differs from traditional ideals of Japanese tidying, she says *herself*. For example, she says early on that traditionally Japanese householders pack away seasonal clothing at the appropriate time, and then goes on to make her suggestion that we NOT do this. (I realize that it's probably the publisher's marketing, not hers.) It's not the "Japanese Art" of tidying up, but her own idea of what constitutes a liveable space.
What do You think about Magic Cleaning (2011)?
Lovely, smart approach with fresh ideas and a firm hand. Counterintuitive and convincing.
—Sukhpreet
It's ok...some common sense, but I found a few nuggets. This is going to be donated.
—aeonprem
Odd book and awkward writing but you know what? It actually works
—Hannahm
Very interesting with some new thought patterns to consider.
—Fateschild
