Review: MINIMALISM: LIVE A MEANINGFUL LIFE by The Minimalists

Rating: 3/5 stars

I think this book is important, but my guess is that there are probably others out there that are much better.

I liked learning about the life story of Joshua and Ryan and how they got to where they are today as minimalists. Their situations played deeply into how this book came to be.

I think the five aspects of their book (health, relationships, passions, growth, and contributions) are important things to consider when leading a minimalistic lifestyle. I especially like that this book focuses on those specific areas of your life when it comes to minimalism besides just saying "get rid of excess material possessions." Each of those areas talks about an abstract aspect of life that shouldn't be neglected when looking for lifelong fulfillment.

The biggest issue I had with this book was the constant repetition. Every chapter was repeating the same things (while, yes, also touching on new ideas), especially about the two authors' background and situation. I was seriously rolling my eyes with how many times I had to read how they left their "big corporate jobs in pursuit of a happier lifestyle."

Despite how short this book is, it could have been even shorter had all the repetitions been removed prepublication. Likewise, it also could have been longer had they added more details on exactly how to accomplish these minimalistic goals. The book was full of questions to ask yourself to gauge what you need to do to achieve these goals, but I do think a lot was left out. I was left with many questions and wanting more details.

The book is written in a casual tone that is open and friendly to the readers, but it reads like an essay, which wasn't very enjoyable for me.

I personally think I already lead a rather minimalistic life, but I am struggling with what more I can do. This book addressed ending goals for me but didn't address how I could reach those goals. It explained how the authors reached those goals, but their methods didn't always work for me. They even said that people can claim minimalism is "easier said than done," and explained how that isn't true, but in some cases, it is if the pathway to the goal isn't detailed clearly.

Overall I think this book is a good introduction to minimalism, but I am still searching for something more comprehensive and more relatable. And possibly something edited a little better.