If clutter is an issue in your life, this book is a must-have. It will motivate you with knowledge and empower you with techniques. Kingston doesn’t suggest that we live in spare, minimalist homes. She says, “This whole clutter-clearing thing is not about being obsessively perfect — it is about handling your possessions in such a way that the energy of your home is vibrant and flowing rather than dull and stagnating.”

Her writing style is clear and powerful. Numerous examples are quoted of people who have de-cluttered, and who testify to the life change.

Clutter and excess possessions are often tied in knots with our emotions. Here’s one of her suggestions, “‘Should’ is one of the most disempowering words there is. When you use it, you feel guilty and obligated. My advice is to dump the word from your vocabulary forever, and use the word ‘could’ instead.”

She explains the bagua quite well. Basically, I have no complaints with this book, which is somewhat unusual. When I review a book, I read it thoroughly and am ready to pick it apart for the sake of helping a prospective reader decide which book to read. This is simply an A#1 book. I always recommend it to my clients when I discover clutter in their homes. It’s part of the education we all should have received in school.

Random House, New York, 1999, www.randomhouse.com, 0-7679-0359-5, 179 pages, black-and-white drawings, paperback, $10.95