Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

[Ultralight]

I am in the middle of Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki.

So far it is an excellent book on minimalism. It is part memoir, part case studies (with photos!), part instructional manual, and part philosophy.

Fumio is an Apple nut -- so he talks about how he used his iPhone to simplify his life. He also uses Steve Jobs as an example of a minimalist hero. While I disagree with him on these points, I can see where he is coming from.

Other than that, there is a great deal of wisdom about the minimalism process and minimalist reasoning in his book. I am only half-way through, but I'd say confidently that the book is worth a read.

[Alan]

If you read an entire book, are you truly a minimalist? Wouldn't a real minimalist stick with the Cliffs Notes version? Asking for a friend...

[Ultralight]

If you read an entire book, are you truly a minimalist? Wouldn't a real minimalist stick with the Cliffs Notes version? Asking for a friend...

I don't know if they have Cliff's Notes version. They might...

But my question to your friend is this: "What is important to you and what is extraneous?"

Minimalism is a way to toggle your lifestyle so you can focus on the important things.

For instance, Yppej thinks my jet-setting around the world is excessive. But I minimized the unimportant things in my life to allow me to travel more because that is important to me.

[catherine]

If you read an entire book, are you truly a minimalist? Wouldn't a real minimalist stick with the Cliffs Notes version? Asking for a friend...

(I think Alan is kidding--I think he's the "friend")

That's my strategy with self-help books. This site has over 500 book summaries available by 2-page pdf, 10 minute video or 20-minute podcast. I try to "read" 3-4 a week

So, does that make me a minimalist? (For the record, my aunt had a full collection of Reader's Digest Condensed Books at her cottage and every summer I read a bunch of them.)

[Alan]

(I think Alan is kidding--I think he's the "friend")

That's my strategy with self-help books. This site has over 500 book summaries available by 2-page pdf, 10 minute video or 20-minute podcast. I try to "read" 3-4 a week

So, does that make me a minimalist? (For the record, my aunt had a full collection of Reader's Digest Condensed Books at her cottage and every summer I read a bunch of them.)

Yes, it was me. It's funny you should mentioned the Readers Digest Condensed Books, that's exactly what I was thinking of when responding earlier. Haven't seen one in years, are they still around?

[iris lilies]

Yes, it was me. It's funny you should mentioned the Readers Digest Condensed Books, that's exactly what I was thinking of when responding earlier. Haven't seen one in years, are they still around?

Oh yes, they live in grandmas’ basements all over south city here, haha.

But if you mean are they still manufactured? Nope. Neither are book club editions. Remember those? They were printed on flimsy paper with cheap bindings.

[catherine]

Oh yes, they live in grandmas’ basements all over south city here, haha.

But if you mean are they still manufactured? Nope. Neither are book club editions. Remember those? They were printed on flimsy paper with cheap bindings.

Yeah, I just looked them up and they stopped publishing in 1997. But I was reading the ones that came out late 50s, early 60s.