Not for Packrats Only: How to Clean Up, Clear Out, and Live Clutter-Free Forever

The previous lengthy 5 star reviews pretty much covers it.I've read both this book and "Clutter's Last Stand" by the same author and 'Not For Packrats Only' is the superior book.My favorite part of the book is where he shoots down the excuses people give for keeping things.By reading that I was able to undo years of hearing my mother saying "I might need that someday"or "I paid good money for that!" and my dad's excuse for not getting rid of something -"I guess I'm just sentimental..".My decluttering began a short way into the book.It was also key in finally getting rid of the ridiculous non-functional things I had kept for nearly a lifetime for "sentimental reasons" and sports & hobby gear in areas I no longer participated.The sentimental items took awhile to work up to but many worthless items I held on to for silly reasons are now history.One point I would add for an update is to have an area for things you want to try and sell on craigslist -if it doesn't sell in a set time period then it is donated.The fun thing is once you've made the breakthrough and start getting rid of things, you find it easier and easier.Update: I liked it so much I sent a copy to a friend for Christmas.In Sept 09 we had a shed built (we have no garage). I was determined that no clutter would make it's way into the new shed. By the first week in January I had finally sorted out and pitched the nonsense that made up 80% of what I had been keeping for 14 years in a pay storage locker. The actual emptying of the locker took me about 1 month of working on a few hours a day several days a week. I no longer pay $40 a month to storage. The book was a very strong resource in getting me mentally able to do the sorting and pitching.

Good Purchase

This is one of the most helpful books on de-cluttering that I have ever come across. It is also compassionate (unlike the author's Clutter's Last Stand, which sometimes ruffled my feathers) and very humorous. I underlined and dog-eared MANY parts of this book to go back to and read again. I have laughed and laughed over this book and not only read and reread it myself, but given copies to friends.

Enjoyed this book and used it to kick my self in the butt and start cleaning out. It is humerous and actually did encourage me to clean out and gave practical and easy ways to get going as well as help me laugh at the situation.

I've had this book for years & love it. Every time I pick it up & start reading, I then want to stop reading & go clean out a drawer or two! I purchased another one for a friend who is a hoarder!

Aslett books are all great.

Have read many books on this subject - this is the one that actually made me DO SOMETHING !!!Fabulous

Not only does this book only tell you things that are common sense, it tells you every one of them at least 10 times. A complete and utter waste of time to read.

Very informative and funny. It was a great help in deciding what stuff could tossed, recycled or given away. What wasn’t mentioned much or in enough detail for me was what stuff to keep. Being a long term harder meant I was starting from a position of not know8ng what stuff was really valuable, necessary, or useful to have. Only a small pile of belongings could 8nstantly identified in the keep category and it would not have been enough to live on.It a useful resource to declutters and over-accumulators. The major benefit to people like me is the way reading and praying about it to God broke the mental/emotional/spiritual/physical hold my stuff and sentimentality of stuff had on me.

Great little book