Peter Walsh has won over millions of people, including Oprah, with his good humour and reassuring advice as he's coached viewers through the process of de-cluttering their homes and reclaiming their space and their lives. Now, in It's All Too Much, he challenges you to answer a very simple but scary question: Does the stuff you own contribute to the life you want to live or does it get in the way of your vision of a happy life? Peter shows you how to assess the state of your home and then with simple techniques and a very clear plan he shows you how to go room by room to identify priorities and part with the things that are weighing you down. From the 'holding onto the past' clutter - your grandmother's china or your first report card to the 'living in the future' clutter - that GBP100 dress you may fit into again or the untouched fondue set you got as a wedding gift. Filled with real-life examples and hands-on advice for homes and lives of all sizes, Peter helps you understand the purpose and place for everything in your home and gives you the freedom to let go and move on. The result is freed-up space and more energy for living a happier, richer life.

Reviews

While books on clutter control abound, these two offerings delve into the emotional factors that prevent people from parting with their possessions. Library patrons might recognize Walsh (How To Organize (Just About) Everything) as the organizational guru of The Learning Channel's Clean Sweep. In a book geared to busy families, he draws on his experiences tackling family clutter issues to help readers assess the emotional cost of their clutter and their excuses for hanging on to things. He then provides a household assessment for determining each room's function and the items necessary for optimal use. There are also handy guidelines for holding a garage sale and selling items online. Print and broadcast journalist Ware's book is aimed at those baby boomers making the transition to smaller quarters because of age, lifestyle, or illness. Through a seven-step program, she helps readers take account of their future finances and family situations to make a successful downsizing plan. She concentrates on the emotional factors that can interfere with the process, such as nostalgic partners, overattachment to possessions, and reluctant children. A particularly helpful section addresses an elderly parent's move to assisted-living quarters, a rarely covered topic. Both books offer valuable suggestions and are recommended for public libraries. If one must choose, however, Ware's is preferred because of the gap it fills in books about aging, though Walsh's high media profile may spark demand. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

"The best organizing advice we've ever heard!" -- "Woman's Day"