The Art of Discarding
How to get rid of clutter and find joy
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The Art of Discarding
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Narrated by:
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Karen Cass
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By:
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Nagisa Tatsumi
About this listen
A combination of tiny homes and a love of stylish homeware has left Japanese people hungry for advice on organization, decluttering and tidying up. Indeed, in this era of mass consumption, we are all drowning in 'stuff', despite our best efforts to keep on top of the clutter that collects in our homes, our office spaces and even our cars. All this clutter causes us mental anguish. However, as we all know, throwing things away can be difficult - it clashes with the values instilled in us from an early age of not wasting things, reusing items, and keeping things 'for a rainy day'. Simply put, we feel guilty about getting rid of things.
Enter Nagisa Tatsumi and her bold suggestion - that it's okay to throw stuff away. Tatsumi's book Suteru Gijyutsu, or The Art of Discarding, was a sensation when it was published in Japan, selling one million copies in the first six months after publication in 2000. In it, she argues that we need to learn to let go and tackles head-on the psychological issues that people have with getting rid of things, in particular a reluctance to discard things 'just in case', the desire to hoard things and guilt about getting rid of things that were given as gifts.
The book offers practical advice and techniques to help listeners learn to let go of stuff that is holding them back as well as advice on acquiring less in the first place; if we buy less, there's less to get rid of. She takes readers through a step-by-step process of getting rid of household items, clothes and books - and promises a clutter-free, calmer life where we are free from 'accumulation syndrome' and where, ultimately, less is more.
©2017 Nagisa Tatsumi (P)2017 Hodder & StoughtonWhat listeners say about The Art of Discarding
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 22-01-2019
Banal, repetitive in parts, underwhelming.
The narration is great, perhaps something is lost in translation with the examples used in Japanese lifestyle to Australian, a little cringe-worthy at times. The final two chapters on how to actually discard is useful.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A. Conybeare
- 05-07-2023
This lady has a hidden camera to my psyche!
I found this inspirational. It is a great stepping stone to changing my relationship with stuff! I felt my plight is universal given that she is writing for a Japanese audience and I am Australian.
I removed a star because the Japanese words used in the audio are poorly pronounced and I think it should be expected the narrator seek guidance or use technology to get it right. As a Japanese speaker I found that aspect grating. Having lived in Japan I could relate to the very Japanese perspective and examples that would not sit well or be relatable for those who have not experienced Japanese culture. Nonetheless the message is universal and the guidance is applicable.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Nicole
- 20-07-2017
Interesting to read the original work that 'spark joy" phenomenon comes from - solid research and marketing background
And seems much more credible than the tweeness of Kondo's repackaging - because that is all her later work does. All the theory is here and environmental issues are better addressed - although still not very satisfactorily - burning of stuff is ok in the Japanese context but won't sit well in other places. It's sad that Tatsumi isn't getting the credit for this original work. I know that Kondo has credited her book as being an inspiration but really it is much more than that.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Katarzyna De Jesus
- 15-03-2018
Most People Should Read This!
If you are a hoarder, or tend to keep things, or find that you are forever short on space & constantly managing ‘stuff’, this book is for you. The main message is; learn to throw stuff out. This book will not give you much advice on storage, because it’s not about how to better store stuff, it’s about letting stuff go.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Bronte
- 01-01-2022
Quite outdated
Read after finishing Marie Kondo's The Magical Art of Tidying Up. A few nuggets of knowledge, but there was a lot of repetition, mainly in the many examples of a scenario where one might not throw something away immediately.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Gillian
- 15-07-2020
Better options elsewhere
The narrator was lovely to listen too but the content was greatly lacking in substance. Too much content was repeated and the author’s editor should have reduced the book in half. There was some interesting comments but if you are looking for help to discard and organise much better to read Marie Kondo and Dana K White which are more detailed, more practical and better written.
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