Love People, Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works
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- Create Date：2021-07-08 08:51:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Joshua Fields Millburn
- ISBN：1250236517
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Summary
How might your life be better with less？
Imagine a life with less: less stuff， less clutter， less stress and debt and discontent—a life with fewer distractions。 Now， imagine a life with more: more time， more meaningful relationships， more growth and contribution and contentment—a life of passion， unencumbered by the trappings of the chaotic world around you。 What you’re imagining is an intentional life。 And to get there， you’ll have to let go of some clutter that’s in the way。
In Love People Use Things， Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus move past simple decluttering to show how minimalism makes room to reevaluate and heal the seven essential relationships in our lives: stuff， truth， self， money， values， creativity， and people。 They use their own experiences—and those of the people they have met along the minimalist journey—to provide a template for how to live a fuller， more meaningful life。
Because once you have less， you can make room for the right kind of more。
Imagine a life with less: less stuff， less clutter， less stress and debt and discontent—a life with fewer distractions。 Now， imagine a life with more: more time， more meaningful relationships， more growth and contribution and contentment—a life of passion， unencumbered by the trappings of the chaotic world around you。 What you’re imagining is an intentional life。 And to get there， you’ll have to let go of some clutter that’s in the way。
In Love People Use Things， Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus move past simple decluttering to show how minimalism makes room to reevaluate and heal the seven essential relationships in our lives: stuff， truth， self， money， values， creativity， and people。 They use their own experiences—and those of the people they have met along the minimalist journey—to provide a template for how to live a fuller， more meaningful life。
Because once you have less， you can make room for the right kind of more。
Reviews
Readingcaptures
，
Loved the title and the concept。 That’s about it。 This is just all over the place and quite frankly outdated。For example there’s a section advice on how one should throw a photoscanning party with friends to try to get rid of the boxes of photos you have accumulated in the Attic。 Well gee first off everyone under 50 basically has the opposite problem。 There’s a pile up of photos in clouds and drives that need to be actually printed。 Do yourself a favor and skip this book。
Paul
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I really like these authors， and have listened to their podcast on/off for many years。 For their fans， there will be very little if anything new here。 For those that are new to their work， there's some great stuff here。 I could have done without the preface and intro （of personal background）， but some readers will no-doubt find it relatable。Minimalism is tough to discuss over a long time period， since there is a finite amount to say about it （in my view）。 But this book summarizes some excellent I really like these authors， and have listened to their podcast on/off for many years。 For their fans， there will be very little if anything new here。 For those that are new to their work， there's some great stuff here。 I could have done without the preface and intro （of personal background）， but some readers will no-doubt find it relatable。Minimalism is tough to discuss over a long time period， since there is a finite amount to say about it （in my view）。 But this book summarizes some excellent idea/approaches。 Recommended。Thanks very much for the review copy！！ 。。。more
Emma Griffioen
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2。5 stars！i had never heard of the minimalists before reading this， they have a podcast， other books， a website and more！ so when i looked them up before starting this i was really excited！ this book started off strong but plateaued quite quickly as i read it if i am going to be honest。 i went in thinking that it was a non-fiction book， but it was more of a mix of that， a memoir， and a self help book！ what i liked about this was the “memoir” style sections， the main narrator josh had a very inte 2。5 stars！i had never heard of the minimalists before reading this， they have a podcast， other books， a website and more！ so when i looked them up before starting this i was really excited！ this book started off strong but plateaued quite quickly as i read it if i am going to be honest。 i went in thinking that it was a non-fiction book， but it was more of a mix of that， a memoir， and a self help book！ what i liked about this was the “memoir” style sections， the main narrator josh had a very interesting life from his childhood to his journey into minimalism and i thoroughly enjoyed those sections！what i didn’t love as much was the self-help aspect of this book。 there was exercises at the end of each chapter to do and i’m just not a big fan of those in books at all sadly！ i also found a lot of the initial discussion about minimalism so interesting， but as we got into each chapter i just felt like it was an info dump and each topic could use a whole book of its own！ along with that a lot of their discussions never made the full circle back to minimalism， i would have found it more applicable if it did！ i also found them referencing a lot of discussions that were to come in later chapters in the footnotes with “more to come on that later！”， which i could have done without！ i do understand now though that this is not their first book， and on that they mentioned was their book on values and i think that i would love that one！ i think starting with one of their earlier books， or ever listening to their podcast to get a better grasp on their approach to minimalism would have benefited me before reading this！ thank you so much to caledon books for sending me an arc to read and review！ i really appreciate it！ and if you’re into minimalism or non fiction definitely check out the minimalists podcast and give this book a go！ 。。。more
♥ Kym
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Creating this book must have been very crucial for the authors。 I get that people want a straightforward "How-To" clean your crap and all， but I think this book gave its best to reach out to a certain audience。 It's difficult to teach people how to live their lives and I think the experiences that were shared in this book， helped some of us in a way。 Reading a self-help book doesn't always tell you to do this and that to achieve something， you also have to have a bit of imagination and perspecti Creating this book must have been very crucial for the authors。 I get that people want a straightforward "How-To" clean your crap and all， but I think this book gave its best to reach out to a certain audience。 It's difficult to teach people how to live their lives and I think the experiences that were shared in this book， helped some of us in a way。 Reading a self-help book doesn't always tell you to do this and that to achieve something， you also have to have a bit of imagination and perspective which this book wants us to do。 The experiences shared here were real and some of us may not have experienced it but at least the moral lesson is there: to appreciate people around us more than what we buy。 It doesn't necessarily mean to cut the crap and give up on things you want the most， you can still buy things you want， after all， the reason we buy clothes is that we want to dress up for the occasion or for someone to notice us， or just about ourselves feeling great。 。。。more
Kate
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I had never heard of this author duo prior to winning this ARC， but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learning about them。 One of the things I loved most about this book is that it applied minimalism to life in general。 The basic premises is minimizing distractions so that we can spend time with loved ones doing what matters。 While the book is about minimalism， it is heavily autobiographical as well。 I typically either really love this or find that it distracts too much from the overall messag I had never heard of this author duo prior to winning this ARC， but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learning about them。 One of the things I loved most about this book is that it applied minimalism to life in general。 The basic premises is minimizing distractions so that we can spend time with loved ones doing what matters。 While the book is about minimalism， it is heavily autobiographical as well。 I typically either really love this or find that it distracts too much from the overall message of the book， if I don't relate with the author or their writing。 I really enjoyed what Joshua shared about his and Ryan's lives。 Although it wasn't that I necessarily understood everything they went through， I felt like Joshua masterfully crafted it in such an accessible way to the audience， that also tied in well to his points。 The book teaches a lot of tools to teach the reader how to move from massive consumerism to minimalism。 I find it extremely helpful that the authors have been on the other end of things。 Some minimalist have been minimalist most of their lives and don't understand how those who are not have different struggles and mindsets。 In short， their methods don't work for people on the other end of the spectrum。 However， Joshua and Ryan get it。 They have dealt with poverty， childhood trauma due to unfortunate circumstances， and the appeal of stuff。 They have the empathy to understand and help bridge the gap for those who do not come by minimalism easily。 Yet， they also do preach some tough love， when needed。 I would say that they are not as abrasive as Dave Ramsey， who I love， but he is definitely a no-nonsense type of guy， but also not permissive about getting to business and making changes。 The book takes a look at relationships with stuff， truth， self， values， money， creativity， and people and identifies a minimalist approach that helps the reader prioritize what matters most in their lives。 He offers some great advice and suggestions that I am excited to utilize。 Ryan suggests some thought provoking questions to help the reader personalize the chapter and make changes in their life。 Overall， I thought this was a fantastic book and I enjoyed it immensely。 It was actually quite a bit different than I had initially expected， but that wasn't a bad thing。 I enjoyed the concepts taught throughout and learning more about this awesome duo， who minimalized their own lives， even quitting their high paying corporate jobs， and teach by example how to pursue passions while also giving to others generously， as things have lost their hold on them and people have become their priority。 Thank you Celadon Books for an ARC of this book！ 。。。more
Alecia M
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Overall this book had tons of life-development material。 I enjoyed reading about the statistics and the research behind minimalism。 Being a reader of color （black） I did find hints of attempted inclusion （with the joke that his mom made， that I didn’t particularly find humorous） but I felt like it wasn’t a book written particularly for me。 That doesn’t say another person of color won’t find the book 100% for them。 @celadonbooks
Penny lurkykitty
，
Prior to reading Love People， Use Things， I had not heard of the Minimalists。 I expected this book to be a how-to guide on how to get rid of your excess stuff。 Practical tools and advice are definitely abundant， but the overarching message is on materialism's negative consequences and how to strive towards living a positive and meaningful life。 The book is divided into the following chapters: Stuff， Truth， Self， Values， Money， Creativity and People。 The emphasis is on focusing energy on people， Prior to reading Love People， Use Things， I had not heard of the Minimalists。 I expected this book to be a how-to guide on how to get rid of your excess stuff。 Practical tools and advice are definitely abundant， but the overarching message is on materialism's negative consequences and how to strive towards living a positive and meaningful life。 The book is divided into the following chapters: Stuff， Truth， Self， Values， Money， Creativity and People。 The emphasis is on focusing energy on people， creativity， positive values， healthy relationships and giving back， rather than accumulating stuff and chasing the latest and greatest shiny new thing。The authors reveal some very personal aspects of their past lives that do not cast them in a positive light。 At some point， they were both living lives that were completely out of control。 I appreciated their honesty as they provided real life examples on how materialism and consumerism negatively affected them。 Amassing objects to fill a void did not work for them and will not work for anyone。 In some ways， this book is like a memoir。Love People， Use Things provides advice on how to critically evaluate your relationships with material goods， money and the people in your life。 They include strategies for saving and managing money and really questioning the your purchases。This book was interesting， eye-opening and easy to read and will benefit so many people。@CeladonBooks #CeladonReads #partner #LovePeopleUseThingsBook 。。。more
Christine
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Celadon Books in exchange for a fair and honest review。 This is the first book of this type that I have read， so if you read these types of books， you might want to take that into consideration。tI hadn’t heard of the Minimalists before reading this book。 I have heard of Marie Kondo， if that helps。 This book address a minimalist lifestyle not only in terms of belongings but also in terms of self。tI agree with the book’s title， the idea that we can do with less t Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Celadon Books in exchange for a fair and honest review。 This is the first book of this type that I have read， so if you read these types of books， you might want to take that into consideration。tI hadn’t heard of the Minimalists before reading this book。 I have heard of Marie Kondo， if that helps。 This book address a minimalist lifestyle not only in terms of belongings but also in terms of self。tI agree with the book’s title， the idea that we can do with less things， and I found some helpful bits in the book （such as the questions to ask before you buy things and some of the coda bits for the chapters）。 The authors make it quite clear that what every person considers needed is going to be different。 I liked that。 The chapter about relationships has some valid， if at times oversimplified point。 However， those good parts didn’t outweigh the problem though。tThe first problem is the structure and the writing style。 The bulk of the book seems to have been written by Joshua Fields Millburn， and the book cannot deicide if it wants to be his memoir （which would be fine） or a self help guide （which would be fine）。 While some times this works， if not well， on a functional level， many times it does not。 Too often it feels like the reader is being treated to a digression about Millburn’s life for little or no reason。 Some of the bits are also repetitive。 Quite frankly， his writing style is the total opposite of minimalist。 It also feels like he throws in words just show that you he knows them。 （Honesty， if I had to read about how he earned 200，000 a year in Dayton， Ohio before he became a lifestyle guru in LA， I was going to stab something。 One or two mentions is fine， but after awhile it sounds like bragging）。 There are also a couple times when Millburn sounds downright cruel about people。 For instance， he talks about a big fat guy eating a pizza and watching Netflix while on lunch break。 While we can agree that this is unhealthy in terms of lunch， Millburn doesn’t know why the guy is unhappy and tone is on of superiority mixed with a small degree of pity。tMy second issue， and to be fair this is undoubtedly a criticism of the genre as a whole。 It is the amount of selling that this book does。 He mentions people they work with and their works （including that of his wife）， he talks about the conferences and shows， the reader is encouraged to buy things and listen to things。 So if we are suppose to get read of things， why are you selling things？ （Let me stress this seems to be the case for pretty much every person who advocates a simpler， less thing filled life）。 Additionally， the rules， while good， are also adaptions of philosophy and ideas from other sources （again， this is most likely status quo for the genre。 It is true of mindfulness for example）。 To be fair to the authors， they do seem to mention people they either have worked with or consulted and those people’s blogs， podcasts， businesses， so they are spending the consumer wealth around。tBut there are more serious issues at pay in the book。tMillburn writes that he wishes this book had come out earlier because it could have helped people though the pandemic， that the solutions and questions presented would have allowed people to escape without as much harm。 But which people is he talking about？ The book proposes solutions to things， but in some cases you have to have a certain income to do some of those things。 （For instance， adjunct faculty can find it extremely difficult to save three months of income and set it aside。 Could an artist？） The comment about the pandemic comes across as tone deaf when you are aware of who were most effected either by COVID or by the lack of work。 To imply that this book by itself would have saved those people the discomfort is， well， many things other than believable。 It also is， unintentionally no doubt， dismissive of the people who died， over half a million in the US alone。tThen there are the statistics that are cited to showcase consumerism and focus on status （which is rich coming from a guy who keeps stating his income）。 The problem is that some of the statistics are over ten years old and the data has changed （in particular in regards to malls， though it is unclear how that term is being used）。 One study that is， in fact， British， is implied to be American by the structure of the paragraph it is in。 If I can’t trust how you use data or how recent your data is， can I trust you？ tBut for me the biggest issue is the chapter about self。 Millburn starts this chapter by mentioning his own battle with depression。 The chapter then keeps moving （though it always feels like digressing） to various subtopics – such as healthy eating and taking care of yourself （the presumption is that everyone has health insurance， can afford a gym membership， has access to green space， and money to afford good food）。 While Millburn never directly states it， the implication or sense in the chapter is that in order to get over depression， you simply have to keep moving and work though it。 （For instance， when Millburn mentions drugs of any type in this chapter he is usually negative）。 While this might be true for some people who suffer from depression， it is not true of everyone who suffers from depression。 To even passively suggest that you just need to pull yourself out is insulting and， quite frankly， dangerous。 It is this type of thinking that leads to much of the stigma attached to mental health。 tThis chapter combined with the privilege that pervades other sections （health care， pay， what happens after arrest among other things， what a person could afford to do as a family outing even） weakens the argument。 It should be noted that question of privilege is only addressed once， really， and then it is dismissed。 On one the dismissal makes sense in terms of cost， on the other， not everyone lives an easy 20 minutes away from good shops。 This true even in a city where a bus routes do not always go the quickest route。 Not to mention， the privilege of having too much stuff。And while the book itself isn’t the type （nor is does it have the purpose） to challenge the whole of societal issues that plague us – some realization that some women in some jobs cannot get away with only four outfits or that a black teen arrested for shop lifting is likely to be treated differently than a white teen， for instance – would have made the book better。（Note: Thanks to Celadon Books for the ARC。 Normally I would tag the publisher and use the hashtag， but I do not feel comfortable doing that with a negative review）。 。。。more
Christina Barber
，
I am truly in awe by the simple things that we can replace in life that can leave us feeling not only lighter but happier！ This book was very well written （in not a judgy way） and helpful in many ways！ The material things that we think will bring us happiness or not Important and this book proves that。 I have personally used some of the tools that are found throughout this book to free up not only financial stress， but I have also been able to spend much more time with loved ones。Hearing someone I am truly in awe by the simple things that we can replace in life that can leave us feeling not only lighter but happier！ This book was very well written （in not a judgy way） and helpful in many ways！ The material things that we think will bring us happiness or not Important and this book proves that。 I have personally used some of the tools that are found throughout this book to free up not only financial stress， but I have also been able to spend much more time with loved ones。Hearing someone else's story can be very motivating and encouraging。 This both provided both for me。 What would you do with extra time instead of working overtime to meet life's demands that you have set for yourself？ Who wants to spend more time with family？ do we really need to add extra pressure to our lives by trying to meet the standards that others have made us think to bring happiness？ Read this book and use it as a guide to simplifying your life & unwanted stressors！ 。。。more
Barbara （The Bibliophage）
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Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。A new book from podcasters The Minimalists is almost here。 Called Love People Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works， it’s about relationships。 And about why our relationship with stuff gets in the way of developing meaningful relationships with people。 Written mostly by Joshua Fields Millburn， with assists from Ryan Nicodemus， it’s a practical self-help book for the 21st century。 According to The Minimalists， getting our volumes of Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。A new book from podcasters The Minimalists is almost here。 Called Love People Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works， it’s about relationships。 And about why our relationship with stuff gets in the way of developing meaningful relationships with people。 Written mostly by Joshua Fields Millburn， with assists from Ryan Nicodemus， it’s a practical self-help book for the 21st century。 According to The Minimalists， getting our volumes of stuff and money management under control deepens our connections with people。 Because things—their acquisition， costs， and storage—ultimately takes over our lives。 Also， living with less stuff changes the available cash we have for traveling or contributing to our communities。 Millburn discusses getting straight with our values， ourselves， and our creative endeavors too。 The Minimalist path is about being true to ourselves so we can be honest with friends， coworkers， family， and significant others。 In between the many suggestions， rules， and ideas， Millburn shares stories about his childhood， early adulthood， and relationship with his mother。 He admits that he did many things wrong in those years。 Mostly， he chased the “American Dream，” with its focus on unrestricted acquisition and career advancement。 Still， his life felt hollow and lacked connection until he started following the minimalist path。 Since then， he and Nicodemus have introduced these ideas to thousands or millions of people through their podcasts， speaking engagements， and books。 Yet they seem like down-to-earth guys。 Living simply will do that to you。My conclusionsI’m not a self-help reader。 But when Celadon sends me a book， I read it。 They never steer me wrong， and this is no exception。 The Minimalists inspired me to clean out some drawers because all ten of those sunglasses aren’t necessary。 My husband and I are debating upgrading our 2007 Honda for a hybrid。 After reading this book， we unflinchingly discussed priorities and cash flow。 Still haven’t settled on a vehicle yet， though！Early in the book there’s a story about a family losing everything in a fire。 The way Millburn tells it， the fire made them （of course） grateful for their lives。 And second， it freed them from lugging around a house full of mostly unnecessary stuff。 Obviously， seeing sentimental items go up in flames is awful。 But Millburn’s goal is inspiring us to sort and release things we don’t use。There are plenty of less dramatic stories too。 For example， people pack everything up in one room， and then they unpack only items they truly need。 It’s a Minimalist shock to the system， but it also sounds more honest than reorganizing。 According to Millburn， reorganizing and sorting through stuff still leads to keeping more than we need。The more I think about this book， the more I must mention the preponderance of white privilege within it。 Even though neither author had an easy childhood， their adulthood is certainly colored by the fact they’re white men。 I felt the same way when I read You Are Awesome by Neil Pasricha。 There’s no doubt that white men can “pull up their bootstraps” and find success。 The same process isn’t accessible as easily （if at all） for people of color。 If you need that perspective， I recommend reading books by Mychal Denzel Smith or Mikki Kendall。 Nevertheless， Millburn and Nicodemus seem genuinely interested in helping readers。 Their choices are admirable， and the book explains it well。 I recommend Love People Use Things if you’re looking for a new outlook that’s less about collecting stuff and more about creating meaning。AcknowledgementsMany thanks to Celadon Books and the authors for an advanced reading copy in exchange for this honest review。 Expected publication date August 13， 2021。 。。。more
Susan Beamon
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When I started this book， I thought it would be all about downsizing （something I need to do since I'm 72） and organizing your life （something I have never mastered） and minimizing。 It did start out that way。 However， it didn't stay there。Now I will confess I have a house filled to overflowing with things， mostly books。 I've tried the "does it give me joy" technique to help me divest myself of some of the excess。 All my possessions give me joy， so that wasn't going to work。 What I have found tha When I started this book， I thought it would be all about downsizing （something I need to do since I'm 72） and organizing your life （something I have never mastered） and minimizing。 It did start out that way。 However， it didn't stay there。Now I will confess I have a house filled to overflowing with things， mostly books。 I've tried the "does it give me joy" technique to help me divest myself of some of the excess。 All my possessions give me joy， so that wasn't going to work。 What I have found that works is "do I have two of these" and "would I buy this again if I didn't already have it"。 It would have been fine if the book had stayed about things。 But it didn't。 The authors went into attitudes and relationships。 So again， here I am， an introvert in an extrovert expecting world。 I was disappointed。 I was not anticipating a personality self-help book， and that's what I had。I received the copy of the book I read for this review from BookishFirst 。。。more
library4one
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I was skeptical of this book but it is really eye opening。 I really enjoyed the thorough research and personal stories that accompany the journey to a more fulfilling life。 The only aspect I slogged through was the introduction。 I wish the book opened with chapter 1。 I also loved the idea of incorporating actual exercises at the end of each chapter。 These helped put the life lessons into perspective for my own life。 Im not really one for self help books but this one was not only entertaining bu I was skeptical of this book but it is really eye opening。 I really enjoyed the thorough research and personal stories that accompany the journey to a more fulfilling life。 The only aspect I slogged through was the introduction。 I wish the book opened with chapter 1。 I also loved the idea of incorporating actual exercises at the end of each chapter。 These helped put the life lessons into perspective for my own life。 Im not really one for self help books but this one was not only entertaining but offered real examples for how minimalism can improve life。 I can fully appreciate the idea of living a more meaningful life。 This book outlines the way to achieve that life。 I fully recommend this book to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed and looking for a way to add value in the areas of life that truly matter。 Also I havent even finished it but im still giving it four stars for how its motivated me to make small changes that have improved my life already。 。。。more
Amanda Pecotte
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I would like to start off by saying thank you to the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I did enjoy reading this book when I started it。 I just had to put it down halfway through because it was a lot of information and I felt overwhelmed by it all。 I am going to try it again at a later time。 I definitely feel like it is worth reading。
Elaine Otis
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I don't believe in the de-clutter movement and once you have stuff getting rid of it only makes it someone else's problem。 Like the overseas countries that get donated used clothing by the ton。 They don't want it。 If you amass stuff take care of it and use it。 Living mindfully doesn't mean you have to be a minimalist。 Besides only people who have had more than enough in there lives find that having stuff is a detriment to finding meaning and purpose。 I don't believe in the de-clutter movement and once you have stuff getting rid of it only makes it someone else's problem。 Like the overseas countries that get donated used clothing by the ton。 They don't want it。 If you amass stuff take care of it and use it。 Living mindfully doesn't mean you have to be a minimalist。 Besides only people who have had more than enough in there lives find that having stuff is a detriment to finding meaning and purpose。 。。。more
Leah Wolff
，
**I received this ARC from Celadon Books in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。**Full disclosure， I am not a self-help， non-fiction type of person。 When I received this， I was hesitant to agree to read it and give my honest opinions， because I thought I would be biased simply because I don’t like the genre。 I had never heard of the Minimalists （haven’t seen the Netflix doc， heard the podcast， read the blog， etc） so I went into this completely blind。 Like I said， I don’t reall **I received this ARC from Celadon Books in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。**Full disclosure， I am not a self-help， non-fiction type of person。 When I received this， I was hesitant to agree to read it and give my honest opinions， because I thought I would be biased simply because I don’t like the genre。 I had never heard of the Minimalists （haven’t seen the Netflix doc， heard the podcast， read the blog， etc） so I went into this completely blind。 Like I said， I don’t really care for self-help books because I think they normally make maybe 1-2 good points and then spend the rest of the 290 pages reiterating that point or doling out common sense。 However， this book broke up their main points into seven topics and provided anecdotes for each point， as well as direct questions to help incorporate their tips into your daily life。 The Minimalists use personal stories and examples for reasons why they wanted to reboot their life with less as well as examples of how living minimally has helped them。 This book is broken up into seven topics that they describe as relationships with: Stuff， Truth， Self， Values， Money， Creativity， and People。 AKA， this is not a how-to guide to clean out your closet。 That’s just chapter 1。 The rest is how to clean out your life and not just how but WHY。 The “why” is an amazing question to ask and through their own experiences – they’ll be the first to tell you that they’ve messed up and had to turn it around – it provides examples of why it’s important to pause and reflect every once in a while instead of just consuming。 We live in a very consumer-heavy culture so it’s easy to fall into the trap of “if I have enough money， I’ll be happy” or “If I can just get that new thing it’ll bring me joy” and the Minimalists provide example after example of why that ultimately won’t bring your life meaning。 Will I become a minimalist after reading this？ No。 But will I use some of these tips to stop acquiring so much STUFF？ Yes。 I will also use their budgeting tips， people tips， and self as well。 By following their advice， they are giving you the tools to live your life and be PRESENT for it。 So many people just coast these days， but this book was a great reminder to pause and think about why you’re doing something – does it bring value to your life？ Does it bring you joy？ Overall， I give this a 3。5/5 star rating。 Some of it is very common sense， like I thought it might be， but I was pleasantly surprised and I’m glad I went in this blindly so I was open to learning something new instead of already knowing all their philosophies from their podcast or documentary。 I would recommend this book to people who are open to kickstart a change in their life， if you need a baseline for organizing your living space， and those in need of a good reminder to cut the extra from your life that is weighing you down。Thank you again to Celadon Books for my advanced free copy！ 。。。more
Elizabeth Chandler
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This book definitely left me with some thoughts on dealing with downsizing some items both mentally and physically。 It also talked about the relationship between people and our “stuff” and how it can effect relationship ships with others。 It has plenty of tips and even has sections at the end of each chapter to help you reflect and work our steps to enact what you have just learned。 At least for me， there were a few sections that I did not feel that the two ideas， downsizing and relationships， This book definitely left me with some thoughts on dealing with downsizing some items both mentally and physically。 It also talked about the relationship between people and our “stuff” and how it can effect relationship ships with others。 It has plenty of tips and even has sections at the end of each chapter to help you reflect and work our steps to enact what you have just learned。 At least for me， there were a few sections that I did not feel that the two ideas， downsizing and relationships， worked well together。 Both great on their own but they did not flow together as a chapter。 A specific example being chapter 2 where the tips at the end where great but I did not feel that they went with what we had just read。 The only disclaimer I will give is the one that the authors give them selves that this is a book about relationships and not downsizing though it does have some tips on it！ 。。。more
Pat
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I received an advance reader copy of this non-fiction， self-help category book entitled "Love People， Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works" by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus due for publication release July 13th， 2021 by Celadon Books。 The authors are best known as The Minimalists and have shared their philosophy of living with less to millions through documentaries。 podcasts， newsletters， and prior books。In this new book， Love People， Use Things， Joshua and Ryan go into more I received an advance reader copy of this non-fiction， self-help category book entitled "Love People， Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works" by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus due for publication release July 13th， 2021 by Celadon Books。 The authors are best known as The Minimalists and have shared their philosophy of living with less to millions through documentaries。 podcasts， newsletters， and prior books。In this new book， Love People， Use Things， Joshua and Ryan go into more depth beyond simply teaching one how to declutter to show how minimalism makes room to reevaluate and heal the seven essential relationships in our lives: Stuff， truth， self， money， values， creativity， and people。 They use their own experiences along with those of other people who they have met along their journey to provide a template on how to live a fuller， more meaningful life。While I heard of The Minimalists and may have read a few Facebook posts they wrote or saw them interviewed on TV， I never really paid much attention to them or their books before。 Now， after reading Love People， Use Things， I have to admit I am intrigued by their premise that once we have fewer things in our lives we can make room for the right kind of more。 That personal relationships and our creativity often suffer when we succumb to the idea that having bigger， better， more up-to-date， more status symbol-type things in our lives。 Part memoir， part confessional， part collection of rules and guidelines this book gave me quite a bit to ponder。 I was shocked to read in their book how many possessions the average person owns， the amount of debt many people occur， and the lack of savings many have toward retirement。 In the constant quest to acquire things many actually only add stress and unhappiness to their lives。 That often overflowing collections are relegated to storage units--a growing and almost uniquely American phenomenon。The Minimalists made me realize that it is better not to keep things "just in case，" or "maybe I'll need it someday。" More often than not that never occurs or the object will have become outdated or out of style。 An example of this is the much smaller size clothes most of us keep in the back of our closets "just in case we lose weight。" Even if we do lose that weight we often find we don't reach for the old or even remember that we saved it！Some exercises and suggestions in this book are how to get out of debt， the best investments to make， how to withdraw from constant use of electronics and smartphones， how to increase our creativity and utilize our time， how to improve our relationships with both ourselves and others。 When you read Love People Use Things you will most likely find， much as I did， much to think about beyond decluttering the possessions we have。 It is a self-help primer to ridding ourselves of emotional baggage， of being driven to acquire more material things， and encouragement to instead enjoy our relationships， experiences， and have a life with fewer distractions。Disclaimer: I was provided with an advanced copy （ ARC） of the book Love People Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works by Celadon Books in exchange for my honest review。 No other compensation was provided#LovePeopleUseThingsBook #CeladonReads @CelandonBooks #partner。 。。。more
Kate TerHaar
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This book is not one of the usual decluttering books that have cluttered the market in the past few years， It is really a look at the minimalist life stye。 I do have some good takeaways from the advise given however I found the tone of the writing pretentious and condescending which was off putting to me。
TRISTAN HUNTER
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I was a little skeptical initially but found this book was overall inspiring。 It had a good middle ground of providing insights into how to live more intentionally without sounding over-preachy。 Having never heard of The Miniminalists， this was a great introduction into their philosophy。 There were a few small lines that didn't sit well with me， however that seemed merely a difference in mine and the authors tone （i。e。 a small remark toward suicide that I felt was a little too lighthearted but w I was a little skeptical initially but found this book was overall inspiring。 It had a good middle ground of providing insights into how to live more intentionally without sounding over-preachy。 Having never heard of The Miniminalists， this was a great introduction into their philosophy。 There were a few small lines that didn't sit well with me， however that seemed merely a difference in mine and the authors tone （i。e。 a small remark toward suicide that I felt was a little too lighthearted but was the author's way of expressing his feelings）。 I think the way to read this book is to recognize not every recommendation will work for you， but there are plenty of great tips on how to improve your day to day living。 。。。more
bethany
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Without a doubt， this novel left me wanting nothing more than to reorganize my life to provide clarity。 Unlike many books that aim to provoke a change in the reader’s life， this is a wonderful account of how we need people more than ever and the value of relationships do more good than harm。 As human beings， we are wired by nature to be socially active with others。 This instinct instills the importance of formulating lasting relationships that better both parties。 I found that this minimalistic Without a doubt， this novel left me wanting nothing more than to reorganize my life to provide clarity。 Unlike many books that aim to provoke a change in the reader’s life， this is a wonderful account of how we need people more than ever and the value of relationships do more good than harm。 As human beings， we are wired by nature to be socially active with others。 This instinct instills the importance of formulating lasting relationships that better both parties。 I found that this minimalistic approach was very easy to imagine and did not provide this unattainable feeling to its message。 By loving people， we are not forcing this reliance on objects that would leave us wanting more ‘stuff’。 Instead， this void of emptiness would be filled with the meaningful experiences spent with those people who matter。 An important message in this book highlights the methodical and reasonable changes that everyone can form to live healthier。 。。。more
Michelle
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I'll admit to never having heard of the Minimalists before seeing the except of their book Love People， Use things offered on BookishFirst。 The concept of the book is simple enough: we have too many material possessions。 When the Celadon Readers program gave me the opportunity to review a copy through NetGalley， I figured I'd give it a try， hoping that it would give me some insight into home organizational techniques。 After all， the Marie Kondo method has ushered in a new era of "sparking joy" a I'll admit to never having heard of the Minimalists before seeing the except of their book Love People， Use things offered on BookishFirst。 The concept of the book is simple enough: we have too many material possessions。 When the Celadon Readers program gave me the opportunity to review a copy through NetGalley， I figured I'd give it a try， hoping that it would give me some insight into home organizational techniques。 After all， the Marie Kondo method has ushered in a new era of "sparking joy" and finding contentment in one's space。And I do agree with it's basic premise: America is laden with rampant consumerism and it's not improving our lives。 But I had several issues with this text。Firstly， for a book about simplifying your life， the narrative is anything but simple。 In fact， it's all over the place， seeming to not know what type of book it is。 I had assumed it was going to be a how-to book in finding a system to get rid of all that extra stuff in your house。 But the parts that deal with that are relatively few and are scattered through a variety of other topics。 Is this about organization？ Building community relationships？ Strengthening your marriage？ Focusing on your financial literacy？ Improving your health/healthy eating/not taking dozens of/abusing prescription drugs？ I suppose it can be all these things， but it had a strange flow。And I'm very weary of people whose mantra is: "simplify your life and don't do any unnecessary spending， so you can give to others and be fulfilled， but oh， do buy this book （instead of me providing the contents on say， an online blog） and go buy a special 'companion notebook' so you can journal with our prompts （what's wrong with suggesting you use one of the old notebooks you have lying around your house you found when packing up all your worldly possessions in boxes？）。"Secondly， I absolutely hated the tone of this text。 Maybe I'm not the target audience， as my family's financial situation is fairly responsible at the moment， but I found the authors' （mostly Joshua， I suppose， as Ryan was only thrown into 'codas' at the end of each chapter） voice really off putting。 From insulting the audience （your stuff is a "child's blanket" and a "pacifier"） and just being downright preachy。 You're irresponsible for using a credit card because you can't afford what you're buying？ Excuse me？ How does one make an online purchase then？ This is pretty tone-deaf as we're just coming out of a global pandemic where everyone panicked and shut a bunch of stuff down soooo。。。how would one go about paying in cash on location？ And what of people who don't max out a dozen cards （as the author admitted to doing） and pay off their balance every month？ Maybe I needed to listen to their podcast first， but this book is filled with so much pretentious condescension， that I'm going to pass on that。 It's really hard to relate to someone who is basically using this book as a platform to say "we screwed up everywhere in life （it details 5，000$ a month drug habits， divorce， huge credit card debts）， so you shouldn't enjoy the finer things in life either。 I mean， really。 I found it hard to sympathize with a guy who claims to have been making 200，000$ a year by his mid twenties while at the same time was driving around in not one， but two Lexuses and a Range Rover in that same time。 AND built his own house。 You know where I was at the same time （we are the same age roughly， so living through the same economies）？ Driving my beat-up Chevy Cavalier to my 30，000 a year teaching job。 And I also recognize that even I enjoyed many privileges others didn't。I'm sure we've all heard the saying that money doesn't buy happiness。 There are plenty of anecdotal evidence of lottery winners and Hollywood types living with depression to know that this adage is somewhat true。 But money does make life a little easier （as people who grew up poor--including the authors， according to their narrative--know）。 And to imply that there's no way to lead a fulfilling life and enjoy material things at the same time is a little shortsighted。 What is the alternative anyways？ Because the book doesn't give anything as an antidote to the issues of Western capitalism。 I can think of the historical opposite， and well， I suppose people were living minimally under the Iron Curtain！ I'm not sure I want that either though。。。So in the end， I was hoping I'd find some fresh insights in this book， and maybe some of the charm that Marie Kondo exudes。 Unfortunately， this didn't work for this reader。Thank you to Celadon Books for allowing me this copy in exchange for an honest review--I always appreciate your titles！ 。。。more
Kristina
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I enjoyed quite a bit about 'Love People， Use Things' and I'm already a fan of Joshua Field Millburn's Netflix special 'Less is Now' and The Minalmists podcast he hosts with Ryan Nicodemus。 To say I was reminded more than once we are still such a consumerist society would be an understatement。 Many of the self-evaluation exercises are ones I'm going to try to follow。 I enjoyed quite a bit about 'Love People， Use Things' and I'm already a fan of Joshua Field Millburn's Netflix special 'Less is Now' and The Minalmists podcast he hosts with Ryan Nicodemus。 To say I was reminded more than once we are still such a consumerist society would be an understatement。 Many of the self-evaluation exercises are ones I'm going to try to follow。 。。。more
Kim
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I'm at a loss on how to tell everyone how much I loved this book。 I don't usually read any type of self-help books。 But the tittle interested me and when I read the first look on Bookish First it really caught my attention。 I was so thrilled to read this book。 It is so much much more then how to just minimalize your life。 Its how to get to be that person we all want to be。 To love ourselves so we can then love and be loved by others。 How to be a better person in order to live a better life。 Who I'm at a loss on how to tell everyone how much I loved this book。 I don't usually read any type of self-help books。 But the tittle interested me and when I read the first look on Bookish First it really caught my attention。 I was so thrilled to read this book。 It is so much much more then how to just minimalize your life。 Its how to get to be that person we all want to be。 To love ourselves so we can then love and be loved by others。 How to be a better person in order to live a better life。 Who wouldn't want that！The authors describe there lives， Past and present （very entertaining） which adds a lot to the book。 Then each section of the book describes your relationship toStuff， Truth， Self， Values， Money， Creativity， and People。Never before have I used a highlighter in a book。 But this one I did because I will be rereading this book again and again。I can't wait for this book to come out。 It will make a GREAT gift for my daughters and close friends in my life。If you read only one book this year， This is the one you should read！ 5 STARS 。。。more
Julie
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I Love This Book！This book really took me by surprise。 I started reading about consumerism， debt， clutter and relationships and soon found myself learning about health， diet， exercise， creativity， and forgiveness。 I also found helpful information about finances， college education， electronics as tools vs。 distractions， and personality types。 Furthermore， I was not expecting the in-depth self-analysis in the different areas of life。 The authors do a great job integrating a large diversity of topi I Love This Book！This book really took me by surprise。 I started reading about consumerism， debt， clutter and relationships and soon found myself learning about health， diet， exercise， creativity， and forgiveness。 I also found helpful information about finances， college education， electronics as tools vs。 distractions， and personality types。 Furthermore， I was not expecting the in-depth self-analysis in the different areas of life。 The authors do a great job integrating a large diversity of topics in their book， making them relevant to the main subject of relationships。 The book is easy to read， and it flows nicely。 Additionally， the authors make reference to other sources of information throughout the book if the reader wants to learn more about some of the topics。From the beginning， the authors use real life stories to make a connection to their readers through issues that most of us see as a normal part of life。 Throughout the book， they give the reader a different perspective on a wide variety of issues。 The authors include end-chapter sections as tools to help the reader take a closer look at their own life， making it easier to create a plan of action to implement if the reader chooses to work in any or all relationship areas: stuff， truth， self， values， money， creativity and people。 Even if the reader chooses not to apply the information found in this book， it will give them a different perspective not only to their relationships， but also to how they view the world around them and how they see themselves。 This book will change people’s lives， if given a chance。 It has changed the way I view my life， and it has helped me to be more aware of what's truly important to me。Review in exchange for an advanced reading copy （ARC）。 。。。more
Danielle Hammelef
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I've known for a long time that I need to do more than just organize and declutter my home; I tried organizing and still have too much stuff for the spaces in my closet。 When I tried to get rid of things， my thoughts either crept to "but I may need this some day" or I realized the object had a strong emotional attachment to it， whether because someone I cared for gifted it to me or I bought it from a favorite trip。 This book helped me see these thoughts are normal and ones I can overcome in time I've known for a long time that I need to do more than just organize and declutter my home; I tried organizing and still have too much stuff for the spaces in my closet。 When I tried to get rid of things， my thoughts either crept to "but I may need this some day" or I realized the object had a strong emotional attachment to it， whether because someone I cared for gifted it to me or I bought it from a favorite trip。 This book helped me see these thoughts are normal and ones I can overcome in time。 And as I send things away， it will get easier and already has as I started implementing the ideas before finishing this book。The authors not only discuss objects， but how to view relationships， creativity， and even money with a critical eye and how they are affecting your personal values in life。 So much of this book contains the authors' personal stories and struggles with the idea of minimalism that it reads like a memoir。 After reading this book， I have my own ideas of how I can best "declutter" my life， and it doesn't need to be done all at once。 Just a shelf， a drawer， one object a day will work for me。 I also know that before I buy something， I need to really consider if I need this object。 So many tools are in this handbook that everyone reading it will find ideas to fit his or her life。 。。。more
Jamie Bryant
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I’ve been a big fan of The Minimalist for a few years now。 I actually received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway and I was beyond pleased out of all books I’ve signed up for this is one I ended up with。 I felt the universe was speaking to me giving me yet another tool to use towards creating the life I’ve been wanting。 When I first heard of The Minimalists and watched their original Netflix documentary and also started listening to the podcast on a regular basis， I really felt a shift in m I’ve been a big fan of The Minimalist for a few years now。 I actually received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway and I was beyond pleased out of all books I’ve signed up for this is one I ended up with。 I felt the universe was speaking to me giving me yet another tool to use towards creating the life I’ve been wanting。 When I first heard of The Minimalists and watched their original Netflix documentary and also started listening to the podcast on a regular basis， I really felt a shift in my life。 I felt like someone finally understood me！！ They’ve really guided me through all the changes I had been wanting to make but didn’t know where to start。 I’ve really enjoyed this book。 I really took my time reading it and I plan to continuously go back to reread the 7 relationships they focus on。 If you feel unsatisfied with your life， I suggest giving this book a read and really doing the work to see how it changes you。 #LovePeopleUseThingsBook 。。。more
Jo
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This is quite the intriguing book; lots to ponder and think about。 I have been wanting to getting rid of things I have accumulated and now have some tools to put that into practice。 This book （really a manual） covers not only getting rid of material things but getting rid of things in your life and your work。 This one is a keeper because I will want to refer back to it。
Joan
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Self-help is not my genre。 There were a few things working against Love People Use Things。 One is that I’ve never heard of the Minimalists before reading this， and so I was immediately skeptical of the advice they had to offer （call me a cynic， but I’m just going to question any self-promoting franchise that asks me to live with less while also purchasing their books）。 Since I don’t immediately buy into the authority of the author（s）， I need data to back up any recommendation made （that’s the sc Self-help is not my genre。 There were a few things working against Love People Use Things。 One is that I’ve never heard of the Minimalists before reading this， and so I was immediately skeptical of the advice they had to offer （call me a cynic， but I’m just going to question any self-promoting franchise that asks me to live with less while also purchasing their books）。 Since I don’t immediately buy into the authority of the author（s）， I need data to back up any recommendation made （that’s the scientist within me）， but self-help as a genre doesn’t have to cite the literature – which irked me as there were times even when I agreed with what Millburn was saying and *knew* of evidence that could be referenced， but wasn’t （ex。 winning the lottery doesn’t actually make you happy – this has been well-studied）。 That’s just a bias against the genre， so I admit， Millburn and Nicodemus had an uphill battle when it came to winning a positive review from me。 And I would have overlooked it if their philosophy really wowed me。Their brand of minimalism does have its insights。 I agree， overall， with its broad points – it’s not so much living minimally， but living intentionally。 But to me， that’s not mind-blowing。 It’s as old as Buddhism， and doesn’t have the catchy practicality of Marie Kondo-ing your entire home。 Yes， I agree that as Americans we consume too much。 I agree that debt is bad。 I agree in transparency and healthy eating and yadda yadda yadda。 But I also feel like I was the wrong audience for their impact to land。 I may not be as explicitly conscious of my spending habits as Minimalism asks， but I’m also not someone who maxes out credit cards on cars， TV’s， and vacations I can’t afford。 That’s not to belittle people who do， or suggest that those behaviors aren’t problematic or widespread – more to say that with all his emphasis on the former， it felt like Millburn was pitching ideas that weren’t aimed at me。 There were also small things that bugged me。 One was the totally weird preface， with an opening sentence that had the word “erumpent” in it （I had to look it up， and still not quite sure if it was used correctly）， and sentences like “。。。devastating silence blanketing empty movie theaters galvanized by dust and darkness。" How do dust and darkness galvanize， exactly？ I also， probably unfairly， judged Millburn early in the book， which further undermined his authority as a lifestyle guru （view spoiler）[ specifically for cheating on his wife with his dying mom’s nurse – I really do appreciate his honesty and people make mistakes！ But as a medical professional， I just find that icky and a huge violation of patient-provider relations （hide spoiler）] At the end of the day， this book only reinforced my skepticism of self-help as a genre。 I do feel vaguely motivated to declutter and donate some of my excess stuff though。 Perhaps will start with Love People， Use Things。 。。。more
Literary Redhead
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LOVE PEOPLE， CHANGE YOUR LIFE uses minimalism as a springboard to align your values with your activities。 A must-read for anyone who wants to live more fruitfully。 Written by The Minimalists， whose popular Netflix documentaries have gained them lifelong fans。 Pub Date 13 Jul 2021。 Thanks to @joshuafieldsmillburn， @ryannicodemus， and @celadonbooks for the review copy; opinions are mine。
Kathleen
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