Throw Out Fifty Things Book Review

Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life by Gail Blanke was one of the books that I found on the library website and I had saved on my list for a long time.  I finally decided that I should read it so I released my reserve to come into the library.  I was super excited to pick it up when it got in.

The 25 short chapters made it easy to pick up and read a chapter while you might not have a long time to read.  The sections were broken out to four parts.

1.  Getting Rid of the Physical Stuff
2. Your Office: Paring Down the Professional Clutter
3.  Attacking the Mental Mess
4.  Stepping into the Clearing

The organization was really easy to follow because with the physical clutter they went room by room on clearing out their houses.  The office was good about getting your office (home or otherwise) cleaned up and ready to work.  The mental mess was a little bit of a farther reach for me although it seemed motivational if it was as easy to make those decisions as it was to clean out the family room.

Overall, I am glad that I read the book but I am not sure if it gave any different information that wasn't in other books.  It was a good structure and easy to read.  Worth the time to read but I would probably give it 3 out of 5 stars for usable information if you want to get organized but 5 out of 5 when you are talking about the writing style and humor. 

It is really funny and you feel like you really know the writer.  She mentions specific people that she has ran into through the course of her disorganization including a story about how she got out of a cab to walk around to the other side to get her stuff and the cab driver took off.  All of her stuff was sitting in the back seat and she didn't know the cab company or the car number.  Someone else stepped up and gave her the car number while calling around and finding out where the cab was.  This perfect stranger was her angel that helped her and got the cab driver back with all of her things.  When does that happen?  It is true that people can't do everything all by themselves but I do understand the inclination to try. 

Want to start out looking at the internet?  She gives a section in the back of the book for websites that might help.  Some that I found interesting are:

Authors website http://www.throwoutfiftythings.com/
Donate Used Formal Dresses http://princessproject.org/ or http://glassslipperproject.org/

For lots more look in the back of the book and you will see websites for everything from craiglist to recycling batteries!!


I am glad that I have read it and I found the entertaining portions very motivational.  What it is lacking in detailed information, it makes up for in stories that most can relate to.  I think that she would be great to hear as a public speaker to motivate the crowd.  I would recommend the book to read and hope that you check it out at the local library especially so that you don't add to the clutter :)  Hope you enjoy the personal stories that she has included throughout the journey as much as I did.