Favourite Organising Books

Last month I conducted a survey of professional organisers to see which are their favourite organising books. The results are in.

It seems organisers enjoy a wide range of reading and are drawn to their favourite books for various reasons. Here are a few quotes from organisers who were keen to share their thoughts.

Kendall Barter from Organised Spaces by Kendall loves the simplicity of No More Clutter by Sue Kay. That book is a favourite of mine too, and for the same reason.

Organised Enough by Amanda Sullivan was mentioned a few times in the survey results. Adi Unsworth from Declutter Designs said it was down to earth with realistic solutions. There were great tips and it was easy to read. Nathalie Ricaud from Get Organised & Beyond agreed, saying “I think her approach is very down to earth and can encourage many people to start their organising journey. Nathalie was even inspired to write a blog about it. Read that here.

Marie Kondo got a few mentions. Kirrilee Lehman from Queens of Clutter said The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up inspired her. Joy at Work by Marie Kondo and organisational psychologist Scott Sonenshein was another that came through in the survey results.

One of my favourites which featured in the responses is Organizing From the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern. Stefanie King from The Organising Project said, “It’s very well structured and gives good planning advice.”

Another organising industry legend, Judith Kolberg, wrote Organized in the Era of Endless. Chantal Imbach from Photos in Order said, “I like the depth of her thoughts and approach. It’s not just a random sharing of common-sense tips. Plus I’ve met her at a conference and I admire what she does for the industry and her passion for sharing her wisdom.” I agree, Chantal.

Buried in Treasures by David Tolin, Randy Frost and Gail Steketee got the thumbs up several times. Tracey Warren from Professional Organising Solutions loves that it’s realistic and easy to use.

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things is another book by Frost and Steketee which Roxanne Walker, The Space Specialist, finds useful to her and her business. In fact, Roxanne had a long list of favourites, including Minimalism by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan & Al Switzler.

Lauren Jackman from Serene Spaces for You loves the photos and easy reading of Susan C Pinsky’s The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution: No-Fuss Clutter Control from a Top.

The pretty pictures in The Home Edit by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin got the tick of approval from Angel Willis. Angel said “It goes into detail on each room and project. And has a lot of pretty pictures of organized spaces.”

Don Aslett, prolific author, featured a couple of organiser’s responses. Shari Robinson from Sensibly Sorted loves Freedom from Clutter and said, “It’s clear, it’s funny and it has pictures.” Clutter’s Last Stand is another Don Aslett fun book mentioned in the survey. And you’ll find Lose 200 Lbs This Weekend on my own bookshelf.

And finally, the list of favourite organising books is rounded out by

• How to Organize Just About Everything by Peter Walsh
• The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson
• The ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization for Professional Organizers by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization

Now it’s over to you. What else would you add to the list of favourite organising books?