Comments on: It’s All Too Much Workbook has insightful tips for keeping your cool when talking to others about their clutter

By: OogieM

OogieM — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:57:27 +0000

Yes, Amazon usually allows pre-orders. And I know of several on my Kindle list that are pre-ordered now so it’s not an electronic vs paper version issues.

But good to know it’s coming out electronically, thanks!

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:34:30 +0000

@OogieM — Can you pre-order e-books usually on Amazon?? All Simon and Schuster books go electronic the same day they’re released in print, which is one of the reasons I signed with them. The Simon website says that I have an e-book coming out the same day as the hardcover. So, don’t worry that it’s not yet listed on Amazon. It’ll happen.

By: OogieM

OogieM — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:27:13 +0000

Interesting, Amazon does not indicate that there will be a kindle version at all… YOu can only pre-order the hardback version now.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:06:59 +0000

LOL! Most of that makes a great deal of sense, but I can’t get past imagining the scene in which my husband and I are standing next to a collection of empty beer bottles and half-read books on the living room end-table and I say, earnestly, “What is it you want from this space?”. In fact, I’m going to go ask him right now….

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:48:33 +0000

@Suzyn — Thanks, but it’s not actually the finished cover. There is a glitch in the system and Amazon isn’t reading the final image from Simon’s server. The final is similar, but not exactly this image.

Oh, and the back of the book is an uncluttered version of the front. LOVE it.

By: Suzyn

Suzyn — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:37:29 +0000

Love your cover design!

By: cdelphine

cdelphine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:40:26 +0000

oh, and in regards to what Carol said, uncluttering can be stressful and overwhelming. Particularly if you’ve always had those habits. My favorite thing about Clean Sweep was that crew that would help carry all the stuff out of the house and cart it off for the person.

By: cdelphine

cdelphine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:38:22 +0000

I loved Peter Walsh on that tv show (Clean Sweep?). He was excellent at getting people (and me) to really think about their stuff and how it fits into their life. The one thing I hated was the games that they would play eg for every ball you throw in the box you get to keep five books. I would seriously hate someone for making me unclutter that way.

I agree with Erin that the questions are about starting a conversation, not about getting the responses you want. Also, presumably, the person that says this to the cluttered individual is somebody important to him, a good friend, roommate, family member, spouse, etc. so he should have some interest in at least discussing the issue.

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:55:20 +0000

In regards to what Anita said (“If they haven’t cleaned it up/put it away/got rid of it, odds are it doesn’t bother them and they don’t feel the need to.”), I disagree. That may be true in some cases but not every case. I know I haven’t cleaned up, put things away or gotten rid of things because I don’t always know how to deal with my stuff or I have emotional attachments to my junk (and it is junk). I loved watching Peter Walsh on TV because he asked the questions that got me thinking about the issues behind my stuff. Some of us just need a little extra push.

I wish I had friends and family willing to speak up and help me address my clutter/hoarding problems but unfortunately I’m stuck doing it on my own.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:24:58 +0000

@Anita — Fair enough. What I like about Peter’s phrasings is that they get the conversation rolling without instantly pissing off the other person. The follow up question might be more along the lines of what you’re discussing?? It’s a delicate balance.

By: Anita

Anita — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:12:12 +0000

I’m with Debora. Rephrasing the question only gets you the answers you want when the person you’re talking to is in the same state of mind as you. If they haven’t cleaned it up/put it away/got rid of it, odds are it doesn’t bother them and they don’t feel the need to.

Unless the person is completely helpless as far as knowing how to clean up, asking the kind of questions Peter Walsh suggests will, at best, present you with a reason to keep whatever it is you wanted to get rid of.

Also: the rationale for rephrasing some of these questions is to convince someone to get rid of things you define as clutter, but they may be holding on to for sentimental reasons. I don’t know about you, but if I’m attached to something, you won’t get me to see its lack of functionality by asking me how I feel about it. A lot of the time, a little confrontation is a necessary evil; not to say you should be combative about it, but don’t beat around the bush either.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:51:09 +0000

@OogieM — The electronic form of my book comes out the same day as the print version. There will be an audio version, it’s just unclear as to when.

By: Debora

Debora — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:35:33 +0000

As a teenager my bedroom was a complete mess. If someone would have asked “How do you feel when you have to spend time in this room?” I would have honestly said “fine”. Because I really didn’t have a problem with it.
Refrasing a question is fine, and can even be very smart, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get the answers you want.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:22:49 +0000

I just purchased this workbook a week ago and am going through it. I have “It’s All Too Much” as well. The workbook is set up so you write directly in it as you go through, which is nice because I normally take notes in a notebook when I read books like that.

I haven’t gotten far enough through it to be able to pass judgement. I’m stuck in the beginning, where he suggests you make a “vision board” for your house or the individual rooms in your house. I think I just need to skip that part, since it could take me months to go through magazines and make a perfect vision board.

One good thing I did get from it so far was a true explanation for my personal clutter problem. Other books try to classify the types of clutterer – sentimentalist, perfectionist, etc. I fall into several of those categories. The workbook finally hit the nail on the head – “Clutter is the result of a deferred decision or postponed action.” Every bit of clutter in my house fits this statement.

I did think Peter Walsh was the best thing about Clean Sweep. I wish it was still on the air. Clean House is decent, but they don’t truly get to the root of the clutter problems they way Peter was able to do.

By: OogieM

OogieM — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:38:47 +0000

Will your book come out on Kindle? One of my main decluttering devices is not to buy any book that can be on a kindle (i.e. not color or lots of pictures) in any other format. Unless it’s on kindle I know I’ll never get it.