Customer Reviews

It's All Too Much, So Get It Together

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I love Peter's It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff and his It's All Too Much Workbook: The Tools You Need to Conquer Clutter and Create the Life You Want as well, and just purchased this edition for a teen in my family. It's pretty much all the same principles you'll find in his other books of the same name, but written to the teen audience. If you love Peter's books, this will likely be a good match for that teen in your life.

He takes the reader step by step through envisioning the life you want for yourself and assessing if the stuff you have is really a part of that, runs through common excuses for keeping too much stuff, and addresses specifics of various SWYKS (Spaces Where You Keep Your Stuff: bedroom, locker, car/trunk, backpack, etc.) rather than the typical "room" arrangement of his other books. The great think about Peter's philosophy, like his other "It's All Too Much" book, is that he deals with moving toward the life you want and letting the rest just fall away; it's not about organizing your clutter... although the person who follows his steps will no doubt have a much simpler, more organized and focused life.

Some features include a number of chapters that begin with a 3-4 page glimpse into the clutter problems of various pretend teens ("Heather McHavoc" and "Caleb Clutterberg" and so on) and conclude with "chapter summary" and "what comes next" blurbs; he walks the reader through making a space function chart; includes specific examples that will resonate with teens; and also bulleted lists, self-assessment quizzes, and little drawings (single color) are sprinkled throughout. Peter's writing style is pleasantly conversational, as you'd expect. I might also add that I was surprised by the high quality of the book: while it is paperback, it has a nicer binding and feels a bit heavier than you'd expect for a PB as the pages are of a thicker quality.

The only potentially negative thing I have to say about this book is that Peter does use the word "crap" a lot in the book. Now, this may be a nicer word than may pop into a teen's mind when looking at all the stuff in his/her bedroom, and I doubt it would be a problem for most readers, but I still thought it worth mentioning. (Example from page 157: "However, this process isn't just about making things look pretty, but about purging the crap out of your life so there's more room for what's really important.")

At this point, Amazon does not have a "look inside" feature on this so I'll go ahead and list the chapters in hopes that it may help you with your decision:

Introduction (pg1)
PART 1: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CLUTTER
Chapter 1 - Getting Started (p21)
Chapter 2 - Internal Clutter (p37)
Chapter 3 - External Clutter (a.k.a. Stuff!) (p55)
Chapter 4 - The Most Important Question When It Comes to Your Clutter (p73)
Chapter 5 - Reimagine the SWYKS (p85)
Chapter 6 - Taking Stock (p95)
Chapter 7 - Hurdles! (p111)
Chapter 8 - Your Clutter and the People in Your Life (p141)
PART 2: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO DECLUTTERING YOUR SPACE
Chapter 9 - Kick Start (161)
Chapter 10 - Hash it Out (175)
Chapter 11 - Conquer the SWYKS (187)
Chapter 12 - Keep It Up! (215)
PART 3: APPLYING THESE SKILLS TO THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
Chapter 13 - Your Everyday Life (225)
Chapter 14 - Your School Life (243)
Chapter 15 - Your Family Life (253)
Chapter 16 - Your Future Life (265)
Conclusion (p275)

The New Year is almost upon us, and the time to make resolutions has come. If one of your goals is to get organized, this could be the exact book you need.

Peter Walsh has created a great resource for teens who need to get organized. It's a quick read, and it's done in a way that's actually pretty fun. The book includes quizzes and stories, plus a bunch of drawings to keep things interesting. IT'S ALL TOO MUCH, SO GET IT TOGETHER is practical, as well.

This book is very thorough. The first part of the book was particularly helpful because it helps explain why clutter exists in the first place. The explanation made a lot of sense. Prior to this book, I had never really given much thought to why clutter exists. The middle portion focuses on how to get of rid of all the clutter. The writing style is pretty hopeful but also realistic, which is something I appreciated a lot. The final portion of the book shows how de-cluttering can affect your life, as well as how to get your family involved.

I walked away from this book with plenty of things to keep in mind as I begin my own de-cluttering process. Perhaps the most important thought is that my life is going on right now. Not when I graduate high school and finish college but now. And it's my job to make the most of it.

Reviewed by: Melanie Foust

This offering from Peter Walsh lives up to the quality of his books for adults. Mr. Walsh "gets" the teen life and offers quizzes and other fun ways for teens to use the text. This is a lot less preach-y than most of the books out there for teens, such as those written by Dr. Phil's son. Peter Walsh's book is down-to-earth, pragmatic and practical. It helps teens understand themselves, their motivations and to discern their life goals. However, it does this through straightforward prose in a fun way, so that teens are not bored reading the text itself.

My son loved the book and gained a lot from it. He learned about himself and gained a wider perspective of his life. My daughter is reading it now, and she needs it more than he does, and she enjoys the format and the way this book is written.

BUY THIS BOOK! It is valuable beyond just organization! It offers "life advice" without preaching it.

These books that I have ordered have helped me so much to get my life in order. I have simplified my life and can not do what I want and do not have to worry what needs done if someone wants to stop over.

You will feel better. I did. Get it and start working as you read the book.