HN Books @HNBooksMonth

Everyone is different, but it feels like a weight is lifted off my shoulders when I get rid of stuff I don't need or can't justify keeping. Marie Kondo wrote a book on this: The Japanese Art of Decluttering.

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Declutter...

My family of four found doing Kon Marie quiet revolutionary. After following her process we found a marked sustained decrease in housework attributed to a reduction in time required for tidying, washing and sorting as there was just less stuff to manage.

This book (no affilitate link): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1607747308

Here are all of the books, without the affiliate links:

- The Millionaire Next Door [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589795474]

- On Writing Well [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090RVGW0]

- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308]

- Why Men Love Bitches [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580627560]

- The Low Down on Going Down [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMX939C]

- Blow Him Away [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WSV866]

⬐ kelukelugames

I haven't seen anything about posting affiliate links on HN, but thank you for giving people another option.

* The Bhagavad Gita http://amzn.com/1586380192

* On Managing Yourself http://amzn.com/1422157997

* The Dilbert Principle by Scott Adams http://amzn.com/0887308589

* The Peter Principle by by Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull http://amzn.com/0062092065

* How to Manage Your Boss by Christopher Hegarty http://amzn.com/034531817X

* Time Management by Veronica Hurst http://amzn.com/1537560700

* The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey http://amzn.com/1451639619

* The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo http://amzn.com/1607747308

* The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle http://amzn.com/0553328255

* Alistair MacLean's best novels:

++ Night Without End http://amzn.com/0006161227

++ Fear Is the Key http://amzn.com/0006159915

++ The Dark Crusader or The Black Shrike http://amzn.com/0006165435

++ The Golden Rendezvous http://amzn.com/0006162592

++ The Satan Bug http://amzn.com/B002RI9DAQ

++ Ice Station Zebra http://amzn.com/B0046A9MO0

>I've found the easiest stuff to organize is the stuff I no longer have.

I'm usually a mess of clutter. Some years ago I started attending workshops on tidying up. Every one of them points out: Before you even begin to organize stuff, identify stuff to throw out and get rid of it. Then organizing is easier.

The real problem is not that it's hard to organize. The problem is we have too much stuff.

For people interested in this, a recent bestseller:

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Declutter...

I only started applying it, and it's not as quick as it may sound. Time will tell if the principles in it last, or if I become a mess again.

Basic ideas:

1. Get rid of stuff.

2. How do you decide what to get rid of? Keep only the things that bring joy to you.

3. What about utilitarian stuff (e.g. cutlery)? Well, keep some. Better yet, if they don't give you joy, buy ones that do and throw the current ones away.

4. Sentimental stuff you don't use? If you're cramped for space, take pictures and donate. These things may bring you joy when you look at them, but if your home is full, they are literally preventing you from new experiences.

The basic ideas:

1. If you surround yourself only with stuff that brings joy, you'll find yourself a lot happier.

2. This may be a bit expensive, as good quality stuff is pricey. However, if you follow this rule when you go out to shop, you pretty much eliminate buying a lot of stuff with this criterion: Am I buying it because it's a good deal or an impulse, or will this truly bring joy to me? This eliminates most of the useless purchases. Another thought: Do I have things in my home that I bought earlier and have not properly utilized/used? If so, why am I adding more stuff? If I buy this, what can I identify at home to get rid of?

Overall, buying pricier items may be cheaper in the long run.

Recently I went back to using fountain pens. I used to when I was young, but stopped when I entered university. Now that I use them, I wish I had never stopped. I threw away all my "freebie" ballpoints, and just use the fountain pen. Problem? A lot of paper doesn't handle it. So I now only purchase notebooks that have better quality paper. Is this cheaper? Probably never will be. However, I now just love to take notes on paper. I've added a joy to my life and removed something pedestrian.

I very much appreciate the sentiment, particularly in todays marketing-saturated environment. However, I can say from personal experience that having a few nice or meaningful things can lead to some happiness, given the appropriate relationship with them.

This book has quite a bit of silliness in it (I found it charming, you may not) but it has been very good for my mental health:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Declut...