Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home and Life (Paperback)

by Laura Leist (Author), Adam Weintraub (Photographer) "What does it mean to be organized?..." (more)
Key Phrases: cord bundlers, examine your space, group like items, House Projects, Special Occasions, Family Events (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Eliminate Chaos is a user-friendly system for organizing each room of the house, including the kitchen and pantry, closet, garage, home office, and childrens' rooms. The author’s ten-step system is presented in an easy-to-use, workbook-style layout. Full-color photos demonstrate the various stages of the organizing process, illustrating not just "before and after," but the realistic, messy, all-important steps in between. Leist’s method is based on the underlying principle that "it’s not about the stuff." She touches on the psychological reasons behind clutter and not letting go — such as procrastination, denial, thrift, and family history — but her underlying premise is that being organized is an on-going process, not a one-day event. By learning to sort, prioritize, and make fast, rational decisions about their household goods, readers become more efficient and functional not just at home, but in other areas of life as well.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (March 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570614679
• ISBN-13: 978-1570614675
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,972 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best organizing books around, January 20, 2007

By	Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I'm famous for my clutter and every so often I pick up a book on organizing...and give up, frustrated.

Leist's book is different because she offers totally practical solutions that even organizing-challenged people like me can appreciate. She foregoes the simplistic solutions in favor of getting into the big reasons why we have so much clutter. Inspired by this book, I've actually taken a few steps already: I keepp noticing things I'll probably never use again and I've put together a collection for donation.

Highly recommended.

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great steps on the reality of how to get organized, February 23, 2007

By	Make it Funny (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This is a great book, one of the better ones that outlines the CONCISE steps of organizing each part of the house. Because the book is short,you don't get bored. The STEPS she explain are critical because you'll see that most of your time should be spent weeding out things, figuring out what belongs in the room, and little time is spent BUYING organizational tools. Most people just immediately run out to BUY organizational tools thinking that'll do the magic, but this book really shows you that this is the last step, not the first. Also, her stories about her clients are fun to read.

Now, when I watch talk shows on 'closet makeovers', I laugh when I see them look at someone's closet and immediately install a customized system BEFORE they do the weeding out and counting of items!!! What's the point of customizing before you know what you really will be keeping?

I wish there were MORE before and after photos. The photos in the book were tiny and hard to see, and very few.

I also wish she would show pics of more org. tools.

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't pass this by !!, September 19, 2007

By	C. Davidson "a seeker" (Pa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very practical ideas to organize every room in your home. The before and after pictures were ideal. The author also addresses the need to have so much "stuff" and how to conquer it. An inspiring book!