Joy at Work

Organizing Your Professional Life

By: Marie Kondo, Scott Sonenshein

Narrated by: Brittany Ishibashi, Dan Woren

Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

Declutter your desk and brighten up your business with this transformative guide from an organizational psychologist and the number one New York Times best-selling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn't felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being.

There is another way. In Joy at Work, best-selling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters.

Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.

©2020 Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein (P)2020 Little, Brown & Company

Critic Reviews

"Finding joy at work isn't magic - it takes work. But it might feel a bit more like play thanks to the practical insights from Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein." (Adam Grant, New York Times best-selling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife)

"Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein are modern-day superheroes - the dynamic duo of office efficiency and satisfaction. Their timely book delivers the tools, questions, and mindsets you need to rid the clutter that's piling on your desk, clogging your calendar, and infiltrating your personal networks. If you want joy in life, the place to begin is Joy at Work." (Daniel H. Pink, New York Times best-selling author of When, To Sell Is Human, and Drive)

"A tidy guide to finding joy at work. Full of psychological wisdom and practical tips - I loved it!" (Angela Duckworth, New York Times best-selling author of Grit)

Disappointing, not helpful

I am about 1/3 of the way in this book and I feel it is wasting my time. There are little stories about this or that individual who "chooses responsibility for their actions" and tidies their office and then magically they are less depressed and their careers take off and can take constructive feedback better and much more. The tips about office cleaning are VERY weak, such as how to file papers and more ... and constructive ideas or tips are buried within the lame storytelling. The tips are so basic they are not helpful and there is absolutely nothing new I have learned. The interface between the two authors did not work for me. I felt like I was stuck in a lecture between a prim-proper rich lady down the block who had no deepness of individual psychological make-ups, and the drone, arrogant professor who espouses authority with his title and past research that isn't interesting or helpful to me here. Sorry, I like Marie Kondo's first book, and bought all of her subsequent ones and like them each a bit less. But this one is so simpleton and the little stories such a magic stretch [if you tidy, then your life will improve amazingly] I need to return this.

Interesting for tidying geeks

I am a big fan of Marie Kondo. The life changing magic of tidying up transformed my life when I picked it up 5 years ago, so I was eager to listen to this book to see what it could offer.

Essentially, this book is a rehash of her first bestseller. I think it’s only suitable for people who already love the Kon Marie method. I personally found it to be a good reminder. It inspired me to clean up my workspace. It also helped me reflect on my priorities. The book gave me more confidence in my decision to pursue my current career path.

I didn’t resonate as much with Scott’s portion of the book. I did however finally clean up my inbox and desktop thanks to his advice

Impactful

I’ve read all Marie’s books, loved them, but this was in a way the most impactful for me. Maybe cause my WHOLE life...not just my closets and drawers...was the real issue. Also, some of the personal frustrations and issues she alluded to made her seem more real, and made me feel less imperfect. I got a LOT out of this one. Now to apply it!

Joy at Work AND in life

This book is a blessing, as much as the first ones. I love how this book teaches its readers about literally tiding up your space AND also your actual work life and work habits, which you can also apply in life outside of work.
I appreciate the changes in voice from Marie to Scott’s POV.
Thank you for helping us find yet another way to find and spark joy.

Another great book with Marie Kondo

I’ll admit, maybe I’m biased because I’m a big Marie Kondo fan, but I really enjoyed the book. I think it offers a lot of helpful advice. I also liked the collaboration with Scott Sonenshin.

This book would be great for those in large companies

I love Marie Kondo but this book is more for people in larger businesses. I am not in a team and I don’t attend meetings and that was half of the book. Definitely a great book for those people who do though.

I love it!!!

So inspirational as well as her show. It's amazing to know she also had to learn how to find joy.

Interesting insights

This is not the typical book I would read but it did motivate me to get rid of things I never thought I would get rid of and I freed up much needed space for the things I do value. I used to hate sorting and tidying up papers and work stuff but I did it while listening to the audiobook and it did not seem bad at all. I might do another round of tidying in the same area now that I’m feeling much better about it and free in some respects. Thank you Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein!

Good but...

A bit of a feel good ending. Will put some of the habits into use at my work. Though I don’t work a typical 9 to 5 office job. The email tips alone will probably save me several hours a month.

Important

Everything has a place. Everyone, Everyone contributes something special from kids to adults, from black to white, from young to old, and challenged to nonchallenged. Enjoy life. Wonderful concepts were given in the book.