Sorting It Out: One Disorganized Woman Solves The Problem of Too Much Stuff

Cynthia Friedlob
LuLu Press (2006)
ISBN 1411693116
Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (7/06)

American people have a great deal of difficulty throwing away useless stuff.  If we get too much stuff to keep in our house, we rent a storage unit.  And if, heaven forbid, we get even more stuff, well, we can always rent another unit.  As silly as this statement sounds, it’s the truth.  We make all sorts of excuses for keeping stuff; I need to clip out that recipe, it’s only a little nick in this cup and I can sand it out, etc, etc. 

The truth is, most of us could probably fill a good sized dumpster with stuff we have lying around, unused, in our homes.

Cynthia Friedlob tackles the monumental job of helping us see this stuff as…stuff.  Stuff cluttering up our lives, causing anxiety and stress as we sort through all the useless stuff looking for something we need.  Why do we have six pairs of pantyhose with runs?  Do we really need to fill up the living room with wall-to-wall furniture so that we have somewhere for everyone to sit when the holidays arrive?

Sprinkled through this book are little tidbits: little extra nudges to encourage you to de-stuff your life.

There are also True Confessions:  fact-based horror stories.  I can guarantee that most people have experienced one of these stories in their lives.

Behind the humor, however, is some sound advice.  Without getting preachy, Friedlob shows us how to decide what to keep and what can go, along with several options for disposing of our stuff. 

I know that I myself cannot throw away a book unless it’s a paperback and even then it has to be damaged.  Otherwise, if it won’t fit on the bookshelf, it goes into a plastic container that I pile in the basement.  After reading this book, I called my sister, who can throw away anything, and we cleared out fourteen 35-gallon plastic containers of books.  Most we gave away, some we sold in an on-line auction and some that we couldn’t even give away, were pitched.  It was one of my proudest moments.  Thank you, Cynthia. 

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