The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

By: Marie Kondo

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international bestseller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home-and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

©2014 Marie Kondo (P)2015 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Ms. Kondo delivers her tidy manifesto like a kind of Zen nanny, both hortatory and animistic." (The New York Times)

"Narrator Emily Woo Zeller captures the voice of author Marie Kondo so perfectly that it's as if the Japanese de-cluttering guru is speaking in person." (AudioFile)

I both love and hate this life changing book

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up?

At one point this woman tells the reader that they will love folding. I have a clean laundry basket and a dirty laundry basket, and i always have, because i hate folding. When i first listened to the narrator tell me this I audibly laughed. Absurd! Well 2 weeks later, I am finished with the clothes, books, and papers section of her guide and I just realized I didnt dread folding my clothes this weekend... I refuse to say that I love folding but saying that I dont dread/hate it is a huge step. I am so annoyed that she is right, and so happy to have amazing drawers.

I would describe my entire experience of the book like this. I am so annoyed with whatever she is saying and yet I want to do everything she is saying and in the end every step of hers that I have followed has been revolutionary for my life.

How annoyingly wonderful.

946 of 980 people found this review helpful

Definitely one of the best books on the subject

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have well over 100 books in my Audible library now, and while I came across several really excellent ones, this was the one that compelled me to write a review for the first time. I would definitely recommend this to a friend and have done so already. It is a fascinating listen. The author approaches such a mundane task as tidying with such passion, creativity and inspiration that I am absolutely amazed. I loved her very last chapter as well, where she points out that if you (the reader) pour as much passion into what you do, the results will surpass all expectations. It felt to me that Marie Kondo uses "tidying" as therapy sessions. I have finished her book in two long commutes during this cold and snowy Chicago winter. It was perfect, not too intense and yet so much to think about - my own home, things I possess and why. One other very interesting thing to me was that being a Japanese she describes how things are in Japanese households. I have travelled to Japan many times and I know that Japanese houses are much smaller than those in the US on average. Thus it was very fascinating how the author addressed the need for storing things in a Japanese home.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up?

Her approach to life - surround yourself with things (and people for that matter) that "spark joy" - so easy, yet makes so much sense.

Any additional comments?

I also loved the narrator. She did a superb job especially pronouncing Japanese words. Oftentimes narrators butcher foreign words, but Emily did a fantastic job. I enjoyed this listen a lot!

354 of 385 people found this review helpful

This book brings me joy!!

As a person burdened with the possessions of a seven person household (and a pooch), I finally can see my way past the clutter and on to a "tidier" life. (By the way, I despise the word "de-clutter"... now it's "tidying up"!) The simplistic yet profound methods & thought processes introduced in this book have finally inspired me, not overwhelmed me. It was presented in a manner I could understand and relate to. I have started with my own clothes (first!!) and will continue with MY possesssions BEFORE I attempt to tidy-up my family. I feel freedom already. Thanks Marie Kondo!!

176 of 199 people found this review helpful

Life-changing Indeed

I listened to this book several months ago-- twice. It's short and entertaining and easy to follow. Most importantly, it's changed my life. In the last few months, I've decluttered my bedroom closet, linen closet, hall closet, dresser drawers, bathroom, bookshelves, junk drawer, and office. Next up are the kitchen and garage. I feel so much better with my possessions winnowed down and organized. The book really has brought me joy.

172 of 195 people found this review helpful

Inspirational

Book exceeded my expectations. At long last I can let go of "things ". I have more time to do the things that add joy to my life. I no longer have to spend hours trying to find items in the house which were hidden by clutter. My blood pressure has improved. Life-Changing is an understatement!

72 of 83 people found this review helpful

A lot of silly advice with one or two gems

Some of the things Kondo suggests are pretty ridiculous and impractical- that said the biggest two take aways for me were don't keep anything that doesn't bring you joy and try to tidy up all at once, in one great effort- otherwise you'll be trying to tidy up for life. I enjoyed the narration and even the silly things were so out there as to be entertaining (like, don't roll up socks into angry balls, let them rest and, talk to your objects and thank them for service). Kondo really believes objects are alive in some sense and encourages us to act as if they are (are my purses happy to be stored here?) A few parts sounded like Things an OCD person would do (NEVER keep shampoo bottles in the bath area, always store them in cupboard and clean bottle everytime after use, NEVER buy in bulk, immediately throw out any overstock even if it seems wasteful). Unfortunately the silly advice was more plentiful than the practical so I have to give it three stars.

166 of 195 people found this review helpful

This Should Have Been a Magazine Article

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I think someone who doesn't mind repetition and little substance would enjoy this book. There really isn't a lot there, and it was pretty disappointing. Also, if you'd like to follow the advise in this book, you will need to have the luxury of being able to dispose of large quantities of items at once. The author describes many clients who disposed of 20+ trash bags. If you are only allotted a certain amount of trash/recycling per week, you may have trouble following the guidance from this book.

Would you ever listen to anything by Marie Kondo again?

I would never listen to anything by Marie Kondo again. I feel like the author doesn't really have a lot of respect for people. She seems obsessed with things, tidying things, and disposing of things. Let me give you a few examples. In one anecdote, Kondo writes about going through her family member's belongings and disposing of items she thought they didn't need anymore. If someone noticed this was happening and confronted her, she lied to them about it. In another story, she talks about tidying up her own stuff and pushing off the clothes she didn't want to her sister so she wouldn't have to throw them away.

In another anecdote, Kondo made fun of one of her clients who had a large amount of toilet paper (unused) store in her house. She mentioned the reason the client had so much toilet paper is because she had bathroom-related health issues. The author then laughed about it and wrote that her client would wipe herself raw if she used all of the toilet paper. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't hire someone who treats her clients this way by making fun of them.

I think the worst issue of all I had with this book as that there was about 3.5 hours of the author repeating that you keep only items that bring you joy and dispose of everything else. The other hour is devoted to how to fold your clothes properly, making fun of clients, removing stickers from storage units, and her obsession over finding the best way to be tidy.

Would you be willing to try another one of Emily Woo Zeller’s performances?

I didn't really mind Zeller's voice, but I felt like she was reading this book with an air of arrogance.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up?

If I could, I would have cut out the endless repetition of keeping the items that only bring you joy and disposing of everything else. This book honestly had enough substance to be a magazine article at best.

Any additional comments?

Save your money and time and get a different audiobook.

368 of 434 people found this review helpful

Don't fall victim to 5 star raters like me!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I was really looking for a book on the life-changing magic of tidying up and hoped to glean something new and useful as I am already a very organized person. The only thing we have in excess is Legos which are contained in one large tote. What I heard was an autobiography of Kondo's lifelong struggle to contain things and live like a minimalist. She describes in neurotic detail her life from kindergartner to present day her level of frustration that everybody around her isn't a neat freak.

In the end, she advises listeners to basically throw everything you aren't using or don't have deep and intense connection to. Be warned! If you follow her method you will have to re-buy or spend valuable time hunting down a like item that you threw away but now need.

If I don't have time to organize properly around a hectic schedule do I really have to time speak out loud to everyone of my inanimate belongings and thank them for their service to me? Absolutely ridiculous. If I had the time leisurely read a book and thank each page as I lovingly turned it I wouldn't need an audio service.

I feel the five star raters listened to a completely different book. I am shocked that people felt this book was life-changing or in any way practical. After hearing this book, my method, The Christina Method is perfect for me.I will learn to live with items I don't use everyday but are clearly labeled boxes in storage areas. This book preaches wastefulness and will wreak havoc on your time management.

What was most disappointing about Marie Kondo’s story?

This was very impractical for a busy single mom. I literally learned 2 helpful tips. The first was to store tshirts in drawers on their sides rather than stacked and to seconldy to store like handbags like nesting dolls.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The author is super-excited about tidying (which by the way, this book almost makes me despise that word because of the its overuse.) The narrator sounds like she was reading was forced to read the instruction manuals the author makes you throw away. Two starts for the Japanese pronunciations.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up?

The details of her life exasperated life and she cleaned and cleaned and tidied and tidied like a thankless Cinderella.

Any additional comments?

Don't buy this book. Watch her free youtube videos instead that will show you how to organize and fold your messy drawers.

250 of 295 people found this review helpful

Life changing

Immediately something clicked and within one day I was real easing clutter and wanting to put things away when normally I would avoid this task or blame others for leaving their stuff everywhere! I loved her insights. She is much more professionally skilled and gifted and experienced than any other organizer I've read or heard. I love this book as an audio book. The readers voice is soothing and I was able to happily go about tidying as I listened loved this audio book!

102 of 120 people found this review helpful

This is a very weird book.

There are some good tips in here -- but mostly it is a philosophy: Only surround yourself with what you love and get rid of everything else. Seems sound enough, but Kondo is very into stuff like thanking your belongings, coming home and thanking your home for taking care of you, talking to your belongings, making them feel wanted, stroking them, even when not in use, opening drawers of stuff you aren't using and stroking the stuff so it doesn't feel left out. One may choose to think of this metaphorically (she's not, believe me -- but you could), but even so, the consumerist message is so underscored, it's a little ridiculous. Consumerism as enlightenment. Ownership and adoration of things as the way to spirituality and life change. I get enough of that from advertisements.

123 of 146 people found this review helpful