Minimalism: Essential Essays By Joshua Fields Millburn

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I appreciate their message and think minimalism has several great tenets that people should incorporate in their lives. Maybe it was everything at once but after a while, they just started to sound like smug, pretentious douche bags.

Millburn spends an entire essay on how easy it was for him to change his eating habits. Apparently cravings don't exist. You simply stop eating crap.

I call BS. Sugar is addictive and I absolutely had cravings what I drastically cut the sugar in my diet. It's nice that it was so easy for you but the rest of the world isn't you. We can do without the condescending and unhelpful platitudes.

The essay about cleaning out his mom's condo straddles the line between having a great point and being impersonal. I agree that we shouldn't hang on to things to preserve memories that already live in our heads but purging himself of his dead mother's crap so completely sounds a little heartless.

This book taught me a little bit about the benefits of minimalism but almost nothing about the best way to go about it for me. What are people who aren't like you supposed to do to better their lives? Become you?

It felt less like helping other and much more like an ego stroke for 2 guys in their 30s who think they know better than everyone else around them. English I dig the concept but reading more than 1-2 of these essays at a time is unbearable because of their repetitiveness and, ironically, lack of much depth. I would have loved more practicality and not just being told over and over again that the writer quit his high-paying job in corporate America to follow his passion. English I think my favorite essay is Getting Rid of Just-in-Case Items. I think that most things/duplicates I own are for this reason solely.
Plus, I've already learnt about the irony in being a minimalist and the judgement & negative talk coming from people, and I believe that the best way to deal with it is ignoring them and repeating words of affirmation to yourself. You can always not tell people that you're a minimalist XD.
Minimalism is about owning and doing things that add value and meaning to your life. English As someone who is interested in minimalism, I found this very enjoyable. English TRIGGER WARNING FOR SERIOUS FOOD AND BODY SHAMING IN THIS BOOK.

This is only a small portion of the disturbing “advice” Joshua is giving about food:

“I tend to associate pain with any junk foods I crave...if you do this (i.e., associate pain with junk foods) then you’ll have enough leverage not to eat it. How do you associate pain with junk food? How about this: before you eat the piece of crap you’re about to eat, take off your clothes, stick out your gut, and look at yourself in the mirror completely naked. Still want that piece of cake?”

I AM FURIOUS!! This is literally how eating disorders are created and can plague people for the rest of their lives. Especially the people who are reading this book, who are probably unhappy with their lives and likely young adults. Why would someone say to associate food with pain in a book about minimalism?? You are supposed to be telling me how to get rid of my stuff, not how to hate my self and my body.



In addition, this book clearly kept with the minimalist theme by having minimal editing. Ryan’s essays are decent, but Joshua’s essay are literally just body shaming and bragging about how amazing he is at being a minimalist and “contributing to others in a meaningful way.” If you have to say “I’m not saying this to brag, but...” multiple times in a single chapter, then maybe you need to gain a little perspective. English

First sentence: There's a shopping mall in San Diego that used to be a prison.

Favorite quote: What these people don't understand, however, is minimalism is not about deprivation: it's about finding more value in the stuff you own. Minimalists do this by removing the superfluous, keeping only the possessions that serve a purpose or bring joy. Everything else goes by the wayside.

This way of living just keeps pulling me. These guys tell it as it is and they continually repeat that minimalism is different for everyone. I know for me I want less things around me and more things around me that I find joy in. I want the time to do what I want without concern that I need to be taking care of my things. This book was just what I needed to read. I do not agree with every thought, idea or philosophy they write about and it should be that way. I want to create my own definition of minimalism. English Let's start off with this honest revealing I'm a minimalist by nature  :D , I have no problem to share even  my dear books with others . The biggest anti-minimalism in my world is my affectionate mother , she tends to collect many superfluous stuff; empty bottles, used wraps, rags, yarn, carton boxes...She believes that the more you accumulate things, clothes,  ..the more safer you will be. Actually, I think that is something related to a psychological matter .

I've tried several times to convince her in order to get rid of some excess stuff each time I became certain that arguing with her  won't make any change.. sigh!

I think minimalism is something that was born with us, many people may get lost beyond its expansive concept(or rather, as  they think) or by misunderstanding its real benefit and even more consider it as a  vague and difficult approach because they believe that  minimalism is allergic to money or against the modernity and the high technology but this is utterly wrong and   falsehood.

Minimalism is all matter of common sense  and being contented human being who takes control of all aspects of his life and never considering material things as a measure of his happiness .

This short book contains a collection of essays to motivate people and advise them to live freely and to make a radical change in their lives; starting by getting rid of life's excess, stop worshiping our stuff and focusing more on life's deeper meaning which includes significant points such as:
_sharing love and care with our families, friends and beloveds instead of wasting time on the internet and social media..

_contribute to  people, donate  our money and reclaim time.
_ get rid   of superfluous because they bind us to uncomfortable mood; the clutter probably led us to stress and overwhelm..
.
The writers induced the readers to be minimalists and they set few ideas and tips, they shared also their own experience  and the enduring experiments for the last few years of being minimalists, they are aspiring to inspire and enhance people's lives through their book and   website in  meaningful ways.

To be blunt , you can sum up the book in few hints and tips; some portion are very useful and interesting but it is quite repetitive in latter chapers. If I reach the enjoyment and entertainment during my reading then nothing else will matter after all for me.
I loved their inspirational insights and expressions as well and their honest intention to help people .
The book is pretty easy to read, simple and meaningful :).
  English I was surprised that I actually really liked this book. The essays are short enough that I can read one right before clocking in at work and it gives me something to think about throughout the day.

I initially purchased this book as I was minimizing my own belongings (apparently 30 pairs of shoes are unnecessary for someone my age) and it gave me somewhat of an accountability? to make sure that I was actually getting rid of things. Every now and then I find myself going back and rereading passages/essays as a reminder.

I loved that Joshua was able to put my thoughts into words and organize it in a format that's easy for me to access and refer to. Loved the book. I'll be on the lookout for the next one. English I downloaded this book for free on my kindle. I overpaid.


This collection of poorly written (overwhelm is not a noun), repetitive (please keep telling me how you quit your job), and platitude filled essays does little to inform. Devoid of practical advice or an exploration of the philosophical elements of minimalism this book falls short of any of the other books on minimalism I’ve read.

Being a quick read is it’s only positive.
English I feel the same way about this book as I feel about their podcasts; I like the message, but the style comes across as douchey. At least one of the essays is about writing and they talk about winnowing things down to only what's important. That's a noble thought and certainly fits in with the rest of their philosophy, but it ends up generating a lot of one liners that reek of faux-profundity and self-congratulatory cleverness.

Plenty of food for thought in this book, you just might have to hold your nose to eat it.




See? Douchey, right? English

Joshua and Ryan both jettisoned most of their material possessions at age 30 to pursue more meaningful lives. Essential Essays highlights essays from the first nine months of their journey into minimalism.

Essential Essays is an edited collection of 29 of The Minimalists' favorite essays about living a more meaningful life with less stuff. This collection also contains a special forward by Joshua and Ryan, as well as two bonus essays you can't find anywhere else: Dealing with Overwhelm and Focus On What's Important.

The book is organized into seven interconnected themes: Living in the Moment, Emotional Health, Growth, Contribution, Taking Action, Passion and Mission, and Change and Experimentation. The order of this collection is deliberate; it is meant to be read from beginning to end. Doing so will result in a better overall experience--a different experience from reading these essays all over the web--connecting various concepts that might otherwise seem unconnected. Minimalism: Essential Essays