Organizing Plain and Simple: A Ready Reference Guide with Hundreds of Solutions to Your Everyday Clutter Challenges (Paperback)

by Donna Smallin (Author) "Ask yourself why you want to get organized..." (more)
Key Phrases: One Challenge, Three Solutions, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
While both of these books are aimed at people who bemoan the amount of stuff they've accumulated, their approaches are completely different. Glovinsky, a professional psychotherapist and professional organizer, asks readers to examine the underlying psychological issues that they have with "things." She explains different mental glitches that can make organizing harder for some people than others. Quizzes and checklists are offered so that readers can identify their thing issues and compensate for and/or ameliorate them. Basically, she takes Julie Morgenstern's Organizing from the Inside Out to the next level. Smallin, on the other hand, shares some concrete tips and techniques to control clutter. Unfortunately, she strays from that direction and digresses into topics such as personal finance (she gives tips on saving and investing), personal safety (she explains why semiannual fire drills are important), and final arrangements (she provides lists of what must be done when there's a death in the family). This lack of focus, coupled with an annoying tendency to repeat the same hints in different paragraphs, makes her book an optional purchase for public libraries. Glovinsky's book is recommended for any public library where clutter-control books circulate well. Pam Matthews, M.L.S., Olmsted Falls, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"If you have a tough time getting rid of things, organization guru Donna Smallin offers some helpful guidelines." -- Houston Chronicle

"Smallin helps the skeptical see how they can not only get their houses in order but keep them that way..." -- New York Daily News

"This is a logical course, that give you the push to tackle any challenge, from the medicine cabinet to finances." -- San Francisco Chronicle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; illustrated edition edition (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580174485
• ISBN-13: 978-1580174480
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,294 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

261 of 262 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It worked for me, July 28, 2003

By	pm444 "pm444" (Okemos, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I have purchased several books about organizing and getting rid of clutter, and they have all had some good suggestions. However, I never managed to apply the principles in anything except a half-hearted and short-term manner. Thus, I ended up with spaces that had been partially cleared and organized, only to revert to their former clutter and chaos after a few months.

This was no one's fault but my own, of course, but with Smallin's book, it didn't happen that way. She is able to present information and ideas that make sense, but she manages to do it in a way that builds your motivation to actually try it and to stick with it. I guess the best way of putting it is that I never felt overwhelmed, even when things looked very chaotic (as they always do at some point in a re-organization project).

The book is extremely well-suited to reading short sections that will allow you to get started right away. Then, if you need a break from the work itself, or need more suggestions, you can go back to it. Smallin also includes multiple suggestions from other professional organizers, which is very helpful because it gives you more options.

I'm almost finished with a two-week de-cluttering and organization project. In the past, I never could have gone that long without giving up and throwing it all back where it came from. But this time, I kept going back to Smallin's book, and she helped keep me on track. I was even able to use suggestions from books I had read before, such as not buying new storage cases until you have actually done the organizing and know what you need to store.

A major re-organization project is something like a weight-loss regime. You can try to do it the fast and easy way, but it won't last. Or, you can do it slowly and patiently, refining and modifying your plan as you see how it evolves. That's my goal, and with Smallin's book as my guide, I'm confident that it will be possible.

224 of 225 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the Suze Orman of organizing, June 10, 2003

By	Pravin Wagh "waghdude" (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sometimes the problem with clutter and disorganization isn't simply to buy storage and other items at an office supplies store. You could do that endlessly, and end up with lots of RUBBERMAID and STERILITE containers piled up in your garage or closet, and still not make any progress on stopping bad habits that lead to clutter. Smallin touches upon various areas of one's life that all lead to disorganization. In my case, and one that a friend related to for herself, Smallin hit the mark by stating that perfectionists can be the messiest because they keep waiting for the perfect organization plan; it's not that they like the mess, but they don't get started because they haven't come up with the ultimate strategy.

The book is laid out like a magazine and has lots of side-bars to keep you interested. Unlike many self-help books, Smallin isn't selling herself and claiming to make up her own new science. She quotes various other organizing experts in those sidebars, and provides a pretty extensive set of references and links that the reader can follow up with to continue their newly organized ways.

112 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Price, January 6, 2004

By	derketchup "derketchup" (Pacific NorthWest) - See all my reviews

I bought this book in an attempt to bring some semblance of order into my very messy studio apartment. The author has obviously spent a large amount of time researching her book, with a major theme around decluttering.

With this book's help, I have gotten rid of clothes that no longer fit or were unwearable (what was I thinking?), that third set of dishes I was keeping just incase (I had to feed an army? c'mon), and several beauty products I no longer used.

But perhaps the best thing I've gotten from this book was going through my book case and selling old books I never read or only read once right here on amazon.com. I spent $12 on this book roughly, and so far I've made $80 net on stuff that only gathered dust.

I love this book so much, I don't think it'll have a chance to gather dust.