Sasaki was a magazine editor in Tokyo, thirty-five, living alone in a room stacked with books, CDs, DVDs, and gear for hobbies he’d quit, comparing himself to everybody and losing. So he spent a year getting rid of about 95 percent of it. What’s left is a 215-square-foot apartment with a wooden box, a desk, and a futon he rolls up. He’s clear that he’s no expert and no guru, just a guy who tried it, and that keeps the book from preaching. The useful part is the middle: 55 tips for letting go, then 15 more for when you’ve gone further than most people go. Start with obvious junk. One in, one out. A photograph of the thing carries the memory as well as the thing does.
Goodbye, Things