THE MORE OF LESS

I loved the tone of this book. It was so comforting and encouraging, and as Becker leads you through the basics of understanding minimalism, he does it in a way that reflects his own journey without imposing it on the reader. I really appreciated his ability to recognize that the journey is different for everyone. And I especially appreciated the emphasis on generosity and service. I read a book by another popular minimalist and it seemed so prescriptive I was turned off. Becker's approach is more expansive, more gentle, and kind.My experience so far seems to be going in phases or levels. Level 1 is getting rid of the obvious junk. With his recommendation, I started with the easy stuff. Clothes are easy for me, I'm no clotheshorse and am happy to wear the same thing every day. Same with jewelry and makeup - I really don't feel the need for much. So I started there and found it so refreshing to get the clutter off my surfaces, that I have continued with a basic household purge. Once that's all done, I will start really doing the work of minimalism as I work through some of the things I am attached to but don't need.This really is a process and I'm just at the beginning. I finished this book and immediately read two more of this others. His "voice" really resonates with me personally. Easy-going and practical, and he's living a life a lot of people can relate to, in the suburbs with a couple of kids. This is in contrast to the other popular minimalist who went on and on about how he made tons of money and was obsessed with status. For a lot of us, the issue isn't that we buy things for status. Becker goes into the reasons why people buy stuff, and the thing that resonated the most with me is "security." He wisely points out that security is also found in strong social connections. And unlike others, he doesn't advocate throwing out people who don't "serve you," recognizing that give and take in relationships varies from person to person. Of course he does recognize that some relationships are just plain harmful and need to go. But if we only consider relationships on the basis of how much any given individual makes us feel self-actualized, well, that's kind of selfish.So I've read three books by Becker now and I have enjoyed them all. I find them motivating and practical and comprehensive. The religious overtones didn't really bother me. When he used examples from the Bible it was to illustrate a point and he talked about these values in other religions as well. It didn't feel like proselytizing.Well done, sir.

Of all the many voices and messages in the modern minimalism movement Joshua Becker’s The More of Less rises to the forefront. This book not only delivers a practical guide to owning less and leading a more meaningful life, but delves deeply into the joy and freedom that come from a minimalist lifestyle.I was first introduced to minimalism by Colin Wright and The Minimalists and embraced the message and movement years ago. I constantly seek to discover the most meaningful influences in my life and remove the things that distract me from them. I write this review midway through a challenge of no purchases for 90-days.I found tremendous value and insight in this text. Even as someone who fully embraces and lives minimalism, Joshua’s perspective and guidance challenged me to face even tougher questions about how I spend my time, money, and energy. I consider myself relatively mature in my minimalist journey yet Joshua’s insights added fuel to my flame and pushed me to grow ever further. My favorite practical guidance came from the Maintenance Program chapter. No matter how firmly we belief in the value of minimalism, without a strategy and vigilance to maintain, the cluster always finds a way back in. I have implemented many of this maintenance strategies. My favorite is to keep a bag in my closet for cloths to donate. I put items that I do not wear often in the bag. If I do not miss them by the end of the month, I donate them. This is a modification of his strategy to keep a box for “junk” items next to the trashcan for items you suspect you will not miss.The More of Less not only gives practical guidance and motivation to those of us already minimizing. Joshua offers plan to easily begin your minimalism journey. He outlines a beautiful process of beginning with the easy things and gathering momentum as you begin to the feel the value from the early stages. His offers personal beginning (and difficulties) with minimalism as motivation and to inform his guidance that will help you to begin for yourself.The greatest value that Joshua’s words offer are in his discussion of the philosophy, purpose, and meaning of minimalism. This is what truly sets his text apart. He not only wants to help you own less, but to “find the life you want.” He blends ancient wisdom from many philosophical and religious traditions with modern applications to deliver a unique brand of minimalism.I fell in love with Joshua’s words and message on his blog and I feel honored to receive and review an early copy of this book. The More of Less surpassed even my lofty expectations. Joshua’s message - shared here, his many other books, and at BecomingMinimalist.com - comes from a place of genuine compassion for his fellow human. He truly wants to help you live the most meaningful life possible.Whether you fully embrace the minimalism movement or you are just exploring for the first time, The More of Less will bring immense value to your life.