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Goodbye, Things

the New Japanese Minimalism
Dec 15, 2017scribby rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
What a disappointment! I thought that this would be a discussion of the philosophy behind living more simply (a call that’s been heard many times before in this overly materialistic society): pros and cons, anecdotes about what some have done to simplify their lives and the results; quotes from neuroscientists, philosophers, poets, etc., who’ve done it. Instead, it turned out to be (at its best) merely a list of suggestions and (at its worst) bragging by the author and what often seems to be the printed version of an annoying late-night infomercial for Apple products (Give everything away! Your iPhone will fill the gaps!). Taking the idea seriously, of course, would mean giving up the iPhone too. To be fair, reducing the amount of clutter in our lives is better for us psychologically (and better for the environment as well) but buying a “how to” book like this would simply be adding more clutter. Good thing I can return it to the library.