2017
Maniacs’ Book Club Reports
Each month the Organizing Maniacs’ team selects an organizing book, reads it, and prepares a Report and Video with a summary and tips for you. You get access to applicable strategies that you can put to use right away! We’ve gathered the 2017 videos and reports all in one place on this page.
MARCH 2017
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
This book was a Maniac favorite! It explains why habits exist and how they are changed. It combines scientific research and analysis with personalized case studies that bring the book to life.
APRIL 2017
Messy by Tim Harford
As professional organizers, we often are called upon to create order out of clutter. But in Messy, Harford explores the concept that mess has the potential to be an advantage in one’s life. The book explores the connection between chaos and innovation, mess and creativity, disorder and success.
MAY 2017
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller
The author uses scientific research, and interesting examples to debunk six common lies that keep people from reaching their full potential and ultimate success.
JUNE 2017
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Masterclass on the Art of Organizing and Tidying up by Marie Kondo
The KonMarie Method has become a world-wide phenomenon. Copies of Kondo’s books always seem to be popping up at our client’s homes. Frequently we are asked for our opinions on the concepts they introduce. Whether you agree or disagree with Kondo’s somewhat extreme method of tidying, it cannot be denied that she has brought a real awareness to the emotions and feelings that surround our relationship with our stuff.
JULY 2017
Junk: Digging through America’s Love Affair with Stuff by Allison Stewart
In this book, Alison Stewart shares a personal story that many of us can relate to involving the death of a parent and the complex process of going through their lifetime of stuff. Her experience led her to a “Junk Crawl” across America to investigate the trillion dollar industry revolving around our junk. It is full of vivid stories and interesting introspect on a world that often goes unnoticed.
AUGUST 2017
Delivered From Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward M. Hallowell, MD and John J. Ratey, MD
Understanding how your ADD comes about and what it does to your work, to your family, your work life, personal life, and to friends, is extremely important. The more you understand how your brain works, the better off you’re going to be.
SEPTEMBER 2017
Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder: Inside the Minds of History’s Greatest Personalities by Claudia Kalb
This interesting collection of twelve biographies of famous historical figures focuses on their individual struggles with mental illness.
OCTOBER 2017
The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts
In this #1 New York Times Bestseller, Chapman defines the five different love languages. He explains how identifying your spouse’s primary love language and communicating in it can be the key to a successful relationship.
NOVEMBER 2017
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by Scientist John Medina
For every brain rule, Medina uses easy to read scientific studies to explain how the brain works and then offers creative suggestions that can help build a more productive life.
DECEMBER 2017
ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau
Understanding how to manage your focus is a really big deal for a lot of our clients with ADHD. The author talks a little bit about how to manage that, which I find is very, very useful and helpful.