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4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,848 global ratings
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Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists

Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists

byJoshua Fields Millburn
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From India

Rohan
5.0 out of 5 stars Some concepts became clearer
Reviewed in India ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ on 26 May 2019
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I have been following the Minimalists for quite some time now. They have changed my life. This book gave me a deeper insight on the concept of Minimalism.
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Giridhar Rajan
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
Reviewed in India ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ on 26 July 2018
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In this book, the author chose to tell his life story instead of telling the reader what they need to do. This has more impact and the learnings stay.
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Arun
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in India ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ on 4 November 2016
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I could relate to so much that was written in here. I'm glad to have experienced this beautiful piece of writing.
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Rakshit Baveja
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally beautiful
Reviewed in India ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ on 25 May 2021
Haven't read a better book so far!!! Nothing beats this book, just glad to have found it at an early stage.
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From other countries

Scotty954
5.0 out of 5 stars Time to live YOUR life
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on 21 November 2017
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This is a brilliant and scientific approach to how to spend both critical resources - money and time - only on items and experiences that add value to your life. Over the past 10 years I have slowly grown into this philosophy - this is what drove me to it:

1. In 2007 I was working for a great start up in Ohio - I thought the time was right to buy a home - I did - a good condo. 6 months after passing papers the company I was working for closed down - I had to move.
2. I decided then to move to Florida and start a business. I could not imagine parting with everything in my condo (value of items were about $2,500 at most) - so I spent $3,500 to move everything to Florida - and keep it in storage until I found a permanent home for myself.
3. I found an apartment in Florida - moved in with my stuff - business was doing OK - so why not upgrade? After my lease was up I chose a newer nicer apartment - that needed all new stuff - paid $500 to have my old stuff disposed of - as thrift stores did not want it.
4. At this point - I am starting to make the connection that the things around me do not make me happy - but experiences do - my new business fails - and I need to downgrade again (keep in mind only 1.5 years after I moved into the nicer apartment with new stuff) - for the first time I consider just going into a studio and getting rid of almost everything - but not at appoint where I can stomach that - I do what then - find a better priced apartment that can fit my belongings.
5. While I find a job - money is very tight - after a year - I say let's give the studio a try - move in with my mattress, desk, small table and TV only - and found the freedom that came with the low rent incredible! But again - make another mistake when my fortunes turn for the better and upgrade to a great apartment building with great amenities (that I never use). Following this upgrade I am stuck at home - can't afford to eat out due to my high rent (I love eating out / going out).
6. Get a job overseas - great job - have a choice between living in temporary hotel or full permanent apartment - I take the apartment - why not - it is a bit more expensive but I will be there for 5 years (my colleagues had been there for 10) - I fully furnish the apartment (total investment probably $20,000) - and guess what - layoffs announced - while I find a new job very quickly - it is in another country - I sell my belongings for $4,000.
7. At this stage, I am FINALLY starting to get it - when I arrive at my current assignment - I forgo the apartment - and stay in a month to month hotel - paying cash - small amount - and guess what - I could not be happier. Also - through this process I have paired my belongings down to that what fits into a suitcase.

Yes - if you follow this journey - I was probably forced into moving towards the minimalist lifestyle due to circumstances that are unique to me - but what the above does not detail is my evaluation over these years of what brings value to me and what does not. I love experiences - eating out, traveling - and to be honest if I am on a 15 hour flight I would not even hesitate to pay for business class - on the other hand my homes filled with "possessions" never added any value to my life - they actually took away - because the money spent to fill these homes and the weight of the belongings kept me home to pay for them - when I would have rather been out having a nice dinner. The fact that I can fit my life into a suitcase could not make me happier - I do not feel that I am missing out on anything - and I have never felt richer. Now - the truth of the matter is - with digital everything over the past 5 years - times have changed. I have my pictures, music, books, TV series - all available via apps / sites. I can keep in touch with family and friends with mobile as well.

What I have detailed above may align with much of what is described in this read - but may not align with everything - this I believe is a key point. It is your life - your money - and your time - what is important is that you understand what truly brings value to you and spend only on that. For you - it may be a 5 bedroom 2 living room home - maybe you wish to have this instead of traveling and eating out - if you can genuinely say that makes you happy then go for it - with no guilt.

We live in a capitalist society that is kept going from over the top levels of consumption. Think of one example - the US auto industry - what would happen to this if everyone decided to keep a car for 10 years (which is very possible) - think about the lost revenue, jobs, taxes lost. Now apply this to everything you are subtly programmed to buy from a very young age - and the debt we are all forced into. While it is this "American Dream" that keeps our country afloat - it is also this dream that subtly stops us from living the rich lives we wish to. Do not worry anymore about keeping up with the Joneses, or meeting the requirements of the American Dream - as the only dream that matters is yours....
54 people found this helpful
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Cat Meyer
4.0 out of 5 stars Work in process
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on 31 December 2022
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We tried the authorโ€™s ideas to help us on our minimalist journey. Lasted about a month. Then I was on my own. Still working my way to becoming a successful minimalist .
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Holly
5.0 out of 5 stars Has the potential to be life-changing
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on 10 July 2017
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I am a huge fan of Joshua and Ryan and have been since early on in their public journey toward minimalism. The first book I remember reading on the subject (called simple living back then) was a book called  Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter  by Elaine St. James and was published in 1994. I read it shortly after it was published and the ideas really resonated with me. Fast forward about 15 years and The Minimalists stepped into the spotlight, sharing their experiences and thoughts on paring down our material possessions to only what is useful or brings us joy. They go beyond our "things" and their impact on our lives to explore how to live the life we want and make room (and time) for the things/people who are important to us.

I loved this book since it gives the back story of how they lived when mindlessly buying things and assuming material possessions would bring them happiness and contentment. They walk the reader through the catalysts that turned their old assumptions upside down and how they approached creating the life that would bring them the serenity they were looking for. This tome is a wonderful blend of the "why" and the "how" so no matter where you are on your journey, there is something here for you.

I have been working incorporating many of the principles explained here for about 20 years, while living in suburbia with my husband and daughter. While Joshua and Ryan were, and are, in a different place in their lives, the principles apply to both of us and can be used to live a minimalistic life however each individual defines it.

There are some nuggets of wisdom that are worth the price of the book and that I have found myself holding onto and quoting to friends as my husband and I are finally downsizing our home to 1/3 of what we live in now and are doing so joyfully:

1) On keeping things just in case we might need it some day : The 20/20 Theory: "basically, anything I jettison can be replaced for less than twenty dollars, in less than twenty minutes from my current location -- IF I discover I truly need to replace it."

2) "most organizing is nothing more than well-planned hoarding."

3) "These days I know that every dollar I spend adds immense value to my life. There is a roof over my head at night, the books or the music I purchase add unspeakable value to my life, the few clothes I own keep me warm, the experiences I share with others at a movie or a concert add value to my life and theirs, and a meal from China Garden with my best friend becomes far more meaningful than a trip to the mall ever could."

For those just exploring what minimalism means and how they can incorporate it into their lives to people who believe in the principles but need a booster shot of motivation (and to remember that they are not alone in their beliefs), this is an excellent book. I have given three copies as gifts to people who want to understand how I try to live since it's so appealing to them. I am not perfect, and I do fall back into old, traditional habits from time to time, but the ideas expressed by Joshua and Ryan are aligned with what I believe to be one of the keys to a happy, fulfilling life.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.
5 people found this helpful
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Jed Butler
4.0 out of 5 stars Convincing, Flawed, and Highly Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on 17 March 2014
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This is a very convincing book on adopting an alternative lifestyle that is very different from what the author's believe is the current "American Dream," the dream of wealth, material goods, and consumerism at its most rabid form. The argument to pare down what we own to simplify our lives is very strong, and it makes sense. We absolutely attach meaning to things, and it is emotional to part with material possessions but ends up feeling very liberating when all is said and done.

The more difficult aspect of this book, and the one that I particularly struggle with, is following your passions in terms of "work," or rather, how we make do financially. The authors are able to adopt a freeing, very liberal lifestyle because they are authors, and much of what they cherish towards the end of the book is a direct result of their new profession, rather than perhaps following their passion. I believe there is a difference here.

At the end of the day, not everyone is passionate about being a janitor or a garbageman, but they are nonetheless important in our society, even a minimalist society. I am glad these two get to write, but I find it extremely difficult to apply to my own life in terms that make sense. I am not an author, nor do I have an e-commerce business which I can operate while traveling the continent and the world over. I feel passionate about some things, but those pursuits are not particularly liberating in the sense that I can live in a Montana cabin for 6 months. I see this part of the book as an unanswered question for the majority of readers.

Another aspect that I think the authors missed is how environmentalism and urbanism play into their concepts of minimalism. Reducing waste, recycling, and protecting the beautiful wilderness with which the authors clearly enjoy are all concepts that very much align with the principles of minimalism. But we are all new to this and after two years of this new lifestyle I should not expect the authors to address this. Perhaps in their next book Josh and Ryan will have begun to embrace the enormous environmental impacts that minimalism can contribute to.

In all, a very thoughtful book. It does come off preachy at times, but it is because of their passion and it feels oddly appropriate. The authors are sharing what they believe, and that is valid and I found it very worthwhile, and yes, entertaining (I read this over a weekend).

4.5/5 stars.
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McGurk
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it, it's worth it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง on 14 January 2014
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Anyone familiar with The Minimalists website run by Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus will recognise much of this book as ground already covered in essays posted on the site. To that extent this book is a bit of a re-hash of existing material. What makes the book interesting and worthwhile though is that, rather than a series of short and discreet musings, or any kind of gung-ho exhortation: "you've got to do this and all the problems of your life, the third world and the rest of the solar system will be solved in 27 easy steps starting on Monday morning![just $44.99]", which is all too prevalent even in the more cerebral and laid back minimalism section of the self-help and self-development literature, you actually get a coherent narrative of how someone discovered some life-changing ideas and tried to apply them to their own life.

If that sounds narcissistic - it, strangely, does not come across like that. And though the book does very much focus on Joshua's "story" of how he discovered minimalism and used it to get out his particular rut, the fact that it is a brief story told simply and well, makes it much more enjoyable to read, and to glean the essential lessons to start you thinking about whether this all may really be relevant for you. I must confess to being a reader of their blog, as well as Leo Babauta's Zen Habits, and while minimalism has in the past seemed an attractive idea (usually bathed in California sunshine at the end of some distant and imagined journey very different from my current life) this book got me thinking about how I might do my own changes, right here, right now, as the saying goes.

Of the two it is clear that Joshua is the writer, and so it is mainly his story, with Ryan relegated to a kind of footnote commentary (David Foster Wallace as the model?) which is often very amusing and also light relief as Joshua can occasionally get a bit, um, earnest. While I for one would have liked a bit more from Ryan, what there is works really well, as does the overall format of the book.

I have a healthy dislike for a lot of this navel-gazing self-help stuff, but as I discovered from their website, these guys are a lot more real-world, the book is enjoyable, and thought-provoking, and very much worth a read.
9 people found this helpful
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Tracy L. West
4.0 out of 5 stars loved it
Reviewed in the United States ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ on 10 March 2015
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I, too, at 56, am looking for a simpler, more meaningful life. I've raised two wonderful children who are now finding their own way. Instead of empty nest syndrome, I feel a rebirth beginning. I'm excited, but scared.

2 yrs ago, I had 4 yard sales, sold most everything except for a bedroom suit and some clothes, pictures, etc. I put it in storage and I went traveling as a nurse, and experienced life in California and Alaska. Now I'm ready to come home, but I'm going to get a place in the country, instead of the city, like Joshua moving to Missoula. Already I'm thinking not about what I want to put in this new place, but what I don't want, which is much of the stuff in storage. And I'm seriously considering not having a TV, but I live in hurricane country so I'll need it for weather alerts.

What he's written here is what I've been feeling rustling around in my heart, mind, and soul for quite a while, ie: actually feeling the warmth of the sun, the chill in the air in winter , birds singing, frogs chirping, rain falling, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and the appreciation of the value that my family and dear friends bring to my humble life. Really living, like its my last day on earth. I've also vowed that I want to continue to travel and explore new things. Not spending my hard earned money on Stuff will enable me to follow my dreams!

I'm looking forward to the future, and will probably read this book again, just to keep myself from falling back into my old life of accumulating things, trying to please others, or just keeping up with the Joneses.. I work with young women raising families, buying the latest jewelry, clothing, cars, phones etc and I am resolved not to fall back into that trap again. If there were a Minimalist support group nearby, I'd go to it religiously.

So, thank you fellas, for writing this book and starting a movement. It is much needed and appreciated. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff, right? At least the Stuff is, hiding the real reason for getting up everyday: loving yourself, your family and friends, and living a meaningful enjoyable rest of your life. God bless you both.
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