Many helpful ideas, but repetitive and it was written in 2004 - before smart phones, the cloud, social media, Gmail. The section on technology is a journey down memory lane, but the basic concepts are still somewhat relevant. Heavy emphasis on how to organize paper files, which many of us still do need to do. One chapter is devoted to living or working with a disorganized person. The author is very gentle about not insisting that you throw out everything. ( )

The first 2 parts are the nuts and bolts here. For me, that's where the real value lies. Part 3 repetitive, but would be useful as reference if you are focusing on organizing one specific room. The technology section at the end is outdated to the point of providing little value. Of course that should be expected from a book that is over 15 years old. ( )

A sensible and thorough guide to tackling organization, which I re-read recently. It gives an overview of a strategy based on deciding what's important to you, and then organizing your spaces and your time to suit. The guide is a wee bit dated, because some technology has outpaced her suggestions since the last revision in 2004. PDAs have been replaced with smartphones, for instance, and few people use Rolodexes. It's a solid reference, though, and I found good tips in every section.

Morgenstern says there are three causes of clutter: technical errors, factors beyond your control, and psychological obstacles. Technical errors: things don't have a home, storage is inconvenient, you have too much stuff, your system is too confusing, you leave stuff out as reminders, or you find organizing boring. Uncontrollable factors include too much work, uncooperative partners, not enough time or space, and life transitions. As for psychological obstacles, abundance make some people more secure, while others enjoy the thrill of living in chaos or use clutter as a shield. Some aren't clear about their goals or fear failure or success, or they are perfectionists. Some connect disorganization with creativity, or look to it for distraction, while others just hate the space they are using. Finally, sentimental attachment can be a huge obstacle. Each obstacle must be tackled differently, and you can't deny their existence.

She suggests starting with a needs assessment in each area you organize. Ask: What's working, what's not, what items are essential, why do you want to get organized, and what's causing the problem. She advocates the "Kindergarten" model of organization - a zone for everything, with things stored at their point of use. Build them around your natural habits - don't try to banish books to the bedroom, for instance, if you only read them in the living room. Then estimate the time it will take you to sort, purge, assign homes, put things in containers, and "equalize" (that is, allot time for maintaining your organization system).

I used her system to tackle my handbag, which always causes me problems. I have a big collection of (capacious) bags, I change them often, and I have a tendency to carry too much "in case I have time." Once I looked at it, I realized I don't need to carry a book with me or even my iPad (I can keep another book at work to read, and my iPhone is sufficient), and I should only bring home work if I have scheduled time to do it. Also, I should empty out my bag every night and re-pack it. My wallet should consistently be in the inside zipper pocket (I don't use it much and it's safer there), and my phone in an outside pocket so I can reach it because it is unrealistic to keep it inside. I bought two lipsticks in my favorite color so I can keep one at home and one at work, and did the same with my asthma inhalers, because I had to dig in my bag too often at the wrong times. Once I did all that, I was surprised at how little I was carrying and how easy it was to find things.
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I didn't really need to read this book. I just simply picked it up to see if I could learn any new techniques that I could use on my room. My bedroom is the only room in the house that is organized and it was like that before I started reading the book. I have tried to organize other rooms and tell my grandmother where to find everything and where to put it back at but she just ignores me and my system so I just gave up trying, I just organize my room. I did learn one thing, how much wasted space I have, I cleaned out my closet and just got rid of the pants I didn't want and never wear, I have all sorts of space in there now. ( )

Loved Morgenstern's systematic, fun approach to organising. This book was instructive, well-structured, and chock with interesting stories both personal and professional. I had little clue how to organise until I read this book, but didn't even know it. I cannot recommend it highly enough, if you feel disorganised in your life. Here is an outline of the book: http://www.minezone.org/wiki/MVance/OrganizingFromTheInsideOut ( )