This book is quite a departure from what I normally read, but it was wonderfully worth it.  Joshua Becker’s The More of Less is inspiring, encouraging and remarkably practical.  It’s a super short book that I probably could have read in a day or two if it weren’t for all the ideas and suggestions that I wanted to put into practice one at a time.  The main idea of the book comes from Mr. Becker’s own story of moving from owning too much to a lifestyle of minimalism.  At the very beginning of the book, and the beginning of his own journey, he notes: “Our excessive possessions are not making us happy.  Even worse, they are taking us away from the things that do.  Once we let go of the things that don’t matter, we are free to pursue all the things that really do matter.”

This little book is laid out in such a way so that each chapter builds on the one before.  Starting at the beginning by answering questions such as “what is minimalism” and “what could minimalism look like in my own life”, Mr. Becker moves thoughtfully and carefully, at quite a slow speed, through each of the steps laid out.  He talks through some of the reasons we have too much stuff, such as the fog of consumerism (chapter 4) or the search for acceptance or security (chapter 5).  Chapter six helps the reader to declare their why.  I really appreciated this chapter and even wrote down my own reasons for wanting to pursue minimalism (hello – FIVE kids!).  The author gives practical advice about how to begin the process, including what to keep and what to give away.  There is so much grace and kindness in this chapter that it is obvious that the author has experience with the type of people that are attached to their stuff.

There is a chapter on maintenance, one on minimalizing for the family, and a couple of chapters on the difficulties you might come across as you begin your journey towards minimalism.  The book ends with two very quotable chapters on living intentionally (in every area of our lives) and not settling for anything less than purposeful living.  These were the best two chapters of the book.

Perhaps my favorite quotable in the book comes from the final chapter and summarizes very well the tone of the entire book:  “..life is about choices, but some choices are more valuable than others.  Some things matter more.  Some things matter less.  There is greater life available for those who recognize the difference.”

The More of Less by Joshua Becker will inspire you to take a look at the things in your life and your home that might be keeping you from the things that really matter.  It will encourage you to take a good, long look at your stuff and begin to make better decisions for your future.  Since reading this book, we have given away over 400 books, over ten bags of clothes and over 50 DVDs!  We’ve begun working through the rooms in our home one by one to make more room for us to actually live and play here and I hope and pray that this is just the beginning of our family’s minimalist journey.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the Blogging for Books blogger review program in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.