
Clutter
An Untidy History
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $17.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Emily Durante
-
By:
-
Jennifer Howard
About this listen
"I'm sitting on the floor in my mother's house, surrounded by stuff."
So begins Jennifer Howard's Clutter, an expansive assessment of our relationship to the things that share and shape our lives. Sparked by the painful two-year process of cleaning out her mother's house in the wake of a devastating physical and emotional collapse, Howard sets her own personal struggle with clutter against a meticulously researched history of just how the developed world came to drown in material goods. With sharp prose and an eye for telling detail, she connects the dots between the Industrial Revolution, the Sears and Roebuck catalog, and the Container Store and shines unsparing light on clutter's darker connections to environmental devastation and hoarding disorder. In a confounding age when Amazon can deliver anything at the click of a mouse and decluttering guru Marie Kondo can become a reality TV star, Howard's bracing analysis has never been more timely.
©2020 Jennifer Howard (P)2020 HighBridge, a division of Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
From Clutter to Clarity
- By: Kerri Richardson
- Narrated by: Kerri Richardson
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you are tackling perfectionism, procrastination, or toxic relationships, Richardson's straightforward advice will help you to finally clear those stubborn stacks, piles, and boxes for a clean start, with a wealth of space for your freedom and happiness to grow.
-
-
Feel Feelings + Take Action = Clarity
- By Lorie Driscoll on 01-01-21
By: Kerri Richardson
-
Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff
- Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
- By: Matt Paxton, Jordan Michael Smith - contributor
- Narrated by: Matt Paxton
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your boxes of photos, family’s china, and even the kids' height charts aren’t just stuff; they’re attached to a lifetime of memories - and letting them go can be scary. With empathy, expertise, and humor, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff helps you sift through years of clutter, let go of what no longer serves you, and identify the items worth keeping so that you can focus on living in the present.
-
-
amongst many, my favorite book on decluttering
- By bananasfosterwallace on 08-15-22
By: Matt Paxton, and others
-
What Your Clutter Is Trying to Tell You
- Uncover the Message in the Mess and Reclaim Your Life
- By: Kerri L. Richardson
- Narrated by: Kerri L. Richardson
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With practical and warm advice, lifestyle designer and coach Kerri Richardson guides you to accept your clutter as a natural manifestation of your mind, body, and spirit looking out for yourself. It is your soul calling out for you to invest in self-care and to face the fears holding you back from being your best self. Richardson dives into the most common categories of physical clutter and provides efficient and effective steps for clearing the space for your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to flourish.
-
-
Andrew Mellen meets Mari Kondo
- By Rush Adams on 09-13-19
-
Cluttered Mess to Organized Success
- Decluttering Your Home and Life (Free Checklists Included!): The Art of Cleaning Your House, Organizing, Sparking Joy, Digital Minimalism and Tidying Up Your Mind
- By: Marie White, Dana Kondo
- Narrated by: Amy Lovato
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Feeling overwhelmed and under unnecessary stress? Constantly feeling like you have not reached your maximum potential yet in life, like you can do more? You are not alone, as many like you have come here before you. Discover how to ditch society’s expectations and live by your own rules by following the blueprint you wished you had earlier.
-
-
Left wing indoctrination
- By Rose O'Connor on 06-01-21
By: Marie White, and others
-
It's All Too Much
- An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff
- By: Peter Walsh
- Narrated by: Peter Walsh
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When you think of what it will take to clean your house, are you so overwhelmed you throw up your hands and cry, "It's all too much"? If somewhere along the way you've simply lost the ability to keep your home organized and clutter-free, then It's All Too Much has the solution you've been searching for.
-
-
Most Life-Changing Book I've Read in Years
- By Ro on 07-30-07
By: Peter Walsh
-
Things That Matter
- Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life
- By: Joshua Becker
- Narrated by: Joshua Becker
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everywhere around you are distractions: That text you respond to quickly, just to get it out of the way. The newest money-making side hustle to cross your mind. The evening spent organizing your overflowing kitchen cupboards. Disruptions are the enemies of a life well lived—both the new distractions of our generation and timeless ones that have existed for centuries. They all add up to make you feel restless, tired, and unfulfilled. They’re keeping you from living with joy, from accomplishing the good that only you can do.
-
-
A ton of preaching about being “selfless”
- By Amazo rrrrrrrrrrr on 08-25-22
By: Joshua Becker
-
From Clutter to Clarity
- By: Kerri Richardson
- Narrated by: Kerri Richardson
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you are tackling perfectionism, procrastination, or toxic relationships, Richardson's straightforward advice will help you to finally clear those stubborn stacks, piles, and boxes for a clean start, with a wealth of space for your freedom and happiness to grow.
-
-
Feel Feelings + Take Action = Clarity
- By Lorie Driscoll on 01-01-21
By: Kerri Richardson
-
Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff
- Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
- By: Matt Paxton, Jordan Michael Smith - contributor
- Narrated by: Matt Paxton
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your boxes of photos, family’s china, and even the kids' height charts aren’t just stuff; they’re attached to a lifetime of memories - and letting them go can be scary. With empathy, expertise, and humor, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff helps you sift through years of clutter, let go of what no longer serves you, and identify the items worth keeping so that you can focus on living in the present.
-
-
amongst many, my favorite book on decluttering
- By bananasfosterwallace on 08-15-22
By: Matt Paxton, and others
-
What Your Clutter Is Trying to Tell You
- Uncover the Message in the Mess and Reclaim Your Life
- By: Kerri L. Richardson
- Narrated by: Kerri L. Richardson
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With practical and warm advice, lifestyle designer and coach Kerri Richardson guides you to accept your clutter as a natural manifestation of your mind, body, and spirit looking out for yourself. It is your soul calling out for you to invest in self-care and to face the fears holding you back from being your best self. Richardson dives into the most common categories of physical clutter and provides efficient and effective steps for clearing the space for your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to flourish.
-
-
Andrew Mellen meets Mari Kondo
- By Rush Adams on 09-13-19
-
Cluttered Mess to Organized Success
- Decluttering Your Home and Life (Free Checklists Included!): The Art of Cleaning Your House, Organizing, Sparking Joy, Digital Minimalism and Tidying Up Your Mind
- By: Marie White, Dana Kondo
- Narrated by: Amy Lovato
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Feeling overwhelmed and under unnecessary stress? Constantly feeling like you have not reached your maximum potential yet in life, like you can do more? You are not alone, as many like you have come here before you. Discover how to ditch society’s expectations and live by your own rules by following the blueprint you wished you had earlier.
-
-
Left wing indoctrination
- By Rose O'Connor on 06-01-21
By: Marie White, and others
-
It's All Too Much
- An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff
- By: Peter Walsh
- Narrated by: Peter Walsh
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When you think of what it will take to clean your house, are you so overwhelmed you throw up your hands and cry, "It's all too much"? If somewhere along the way you've simply lost the ability to keep your home organized and clutter-free, then It's All Too Much has the solution you've been searching for.
-
-
Most Life-Changing Book I've Read in Years
- By Ro on 07-30-07
By: Peter Walsh
-
Things That Matter
- Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life
- By: Joshua Becker
- Narrated by: Joshua Becker
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everywhere around you are distractions: That text you respond to quickly, just to get it out of the way. The newest money-making side hustle to cross your mind. The evening spent organizing your overflowing kitchen cupboards. Disruptions are the enemies of a life well lived—both the new distractions of our generation and timeless ones that have existed for centuries. They all add up to make you feel restless, tired, and unfulfilled. They’re keeping you from living with joy, from accomplishing the good that only you can do.
-
-
A ton of preaching about being “selfless”
- By Amazo rrrrrrrrrrr on 08-25-22
By: Joshua Becker
-
Organizing for the Rest of Us
- 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control
- By: Dana K. White
- Narrated by: Dana K. White
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
So you want to keep your kitchen counter clean but you aren't ready to toss the toaster? You want to be able to find your kids' socks but aren't looking to spend your 401(k) on clear bins? You long for a little more peace but minimalism isn't sparking joy? Discover 100 practical, do-able tips to organize, declutter and manage your home.
-
-
Helpful book for cleaning and organizing your home in a simple way
- By Angie D. on 01-11-22
By: Dana K. White
-
Release
- Create a Clutter Free and Soul Driven Life
- By: Peggy Fitzsimmons PhD
- Narrated by: Adele Cabot
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Release: Create a Clutter Free and Soul Driven Life provides practical strategies to release clutter in your inner and outer environments and create a more soul-directed life. It introduces the skills of presence, mindfulness, resonance, and inspired action to put you on the road to freedom, free to live with only the things that help you share your love with the world in your unique ways.
-
-
Holy Moly! Add it to your collection!!
- By AoM on 04-18-24
-
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
- How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
- By: Margareta Magnusson
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner rather than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs listeners to embrace minimalism.
-
-
Great Title, Bad Book
- By Jane on 01-03-18
-
Ways of Being
- Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence
- By: James Bridle
- Narrated by: James Bridle
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Artist, technologist, and philosopher James Bridle’s Ways of Being is a brilliant, searching exploration of different kinds of intelligence—plant, animal, human, artificial—and how they transform our understanding of humans’ place in the cosmos. What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it something unique to humans, or shared with other beings—beings of flesh, wood, stone, and silicon? The last few years have seen rapid advances in “artificial” intelligence.
-
-
Ahh, I don’t know
- By Anonymous User on 12-14-22
By: James Bridle
-
The Minimalist Way
- Minimalism Strategies to Declutter Your Life and Make Room for Joy
- By: Erica Layne
- Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover how to apply the minimalist mindset to every aspect of your life by changing the way you think about your home, career, relationships, family, and money. The Minimalist Way will help you take it one step at a time with simple exercises and activities. Ease into minimalism at your own pace and learn how to let go.
-
-
Minimalism. Lives up to its Title
- By AdaManda on 12-30-19
By: Erica Layne
-
The More of Less
- By: Joshua Becker
- Narrated by: Joshua Becker
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing. While excess consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, fancier technology, and cluttered homes, it never brings happiness. Rather, it results in a desire for more. It redirects our greatest passions to things that can never fulfill, and it distracts us from the very lives we wish we were living. But it doesn't have to be this way.
-
-
Need a strong stomach for Christian faith to get through this one
- By Kate Lockhart on 12-29-16
By: Joshua Becker
-
The Hoarder in You
- How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life
- By: Dr. Robin Zasio
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Hoarder in You provides practical advice for decluttering and organizing, including how to tame the emotional pull of acquiring additional things, make order out of chaos by getting a handle on clutter, and create an organizational system that reduces stress and anxiety. Dr. Zasio also shares some of the most serious cases of hoarding that she’s encountered, and explains how we can learn from these extreme examples - no matter where we are on the hoarding continuum.
-
-
THIS is the book.
- By bentley120 on 01-20-15
By: Dr. Robin Zasio
-
The Joy of Less
- A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify
- By: Francine Jay
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having less stuff is the key to happiness: Do you ever feel overwhelmed, instead of overjoyed, by all your possessions? Do you secretly wish a gale force wind would blow the clutter from your home? If so, it's time to simplify your life! The Joy of Less is a fun guide to minimalist living. Ready to sweep away the clutter? Just listen to this book, and you'll be on your way to a simpler, more streamlined, and more serene life. Francine has helped hundreds of thousands of people declutter their homes and simplify their lives with her bestselling book, The Joy of Less.
-
-
Joy of Less: Yes, I'm judging you.
- By Brenda Murray on 05-27-18
By: Francine Jay
-
The Minimalist Home
- A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life
- By: Joshua Becker
- Narrated by: Joshua Becker
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A popular minimalist blogger and author of The More of Less shows you how to methodically turn your home into a place of peace, contentment, and purposeful living.
-
-
Marie Kondo Goes to Church
- By Leah Gallant on 12-28-18
By: Joshua Becker
-
Declutter Workbook
- How to Organize Your Life and Home with a Practical Decluttering Guide and Simple Cleaning Exercises to Grow Daily Stress-Free Mind Habits to Get Rid of Anxiety
- By: Rebecca Larsson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Prost
- Length: 3 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you are one of those people who suffer from having excess random stuff in the home, then this audiobook is for you. It's a problem that is becoming more and more common nowadays. This is why it is important to learn how to properly organize your home so that it does not get out of hand. Some people simply do not have the organization skills to unclutter their homes and make it appropriately livable once again. This audiobook offers a plan to reverse this obsession and clear the home from clutter for once and for all.
-
-
Narrator was horrible!
- By auntbee on 01-18-21
By: Rebecca Larsson
-
Declutter Your Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplify and Organize Your Home
- By: Chloe S.
- Narrated by: Lili Dubuque
- Length: 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you desire to have a much cozier and cleaner home? Do you currently feel confounded by your possessions? This audiobook, Declutter Your Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplify and Organize Your Home, is the right guide that will help you to downsize your home as you keep it practical and cozy. Before you get to the concepts of how to declutter a house, your doubts about decluttering a home will be cleared so that you are sure about what you are getting into.
-
-
Short listen and Good Info.
- By ted m kinney on 02-13-18
By: Chloe S.
-
Lightly
- How to Live a Simple, Serene & Stress-Free Life
- By: Francine Jay
- Narrated by: Casey Turner
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What's more, Lightly is a complete philosophy of life. When you're tempted by an impulse purchase, trying to resist a chocolate donut, or struggling to say no to another obligation, all you have to remember is one word - "lightly" - to boost your resolve and make beautiful choices. It doesn't get any easier than that. Lightly is like a recipe book for minimalism, designed so you can dip into it anytime for advice and inspiration.
-
-
Good message, too repetitive
- By Amazon Customer on 05-30-19
By: Francine Jay
What listeners say about Clutter
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- VoxVolat
- 08-29-21
Enjoyable & Thought Provoking: credit worthy
Just finished listening to Clutter this morning. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of keeping clutter to a minimum. But until listening to this book I had not thought about the cost to society ( or to myself ) of the clutter I have. The book was engaging and motivating without being preachy. Now to see if any behavior changes stick. 😃😃
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bea
- 01-31-23
Disempowering and whiny
I expected this to be an interesting look at the history of stuff followed by practical ideas or methods for managing my clutter. Instead, it’s a whiny telling of a story that our stuff has been forced upon us since the Industrial Revolution, and that the only possible way to break the cycle requires exhausting work and large amounts money to amply overcome this three centuries’ long deluge of consumerism.
The only positive is the narrator’s well-done performance.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Booker
- 04-30-23
Thought Provoking
This book really makes you evaluate the effects that clutter has on us, those around us, our society and those worldwide. We must think before we buy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zeozombz
- 10-23-24
History of Clutter
Wow! What a great book on clutter. Being a working mom of two small children, I am living the clutter life. I am working hard to get out of the clutter life and looking to embrace a more meaningful life with less things.
What I truly enjoyed about this book is the fact that the author strings a linear web of how things have become so important to us. She starts with the history of the Victorian times and how the addiction to cheap nick-nacks started there. She strings us along the line of current period and how our stuff has become so overwhelming that a lot of charities are having to send even good quality items to landfills.
I like how she discuss the heavy weight of our items and how they impact our families and our lives. She does this in a way I think most of us do not think about.
I commend her deeply for the insight in her reuse, recycle, and repurpose. Mostly, maybe just giving your item to someone else in need.
The author did a lot of research in writing this book and gives credit to many of the minimalist and tidy authors.
The narrator was fantastic.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Karen Bauer
- 05-04-22
Touches on a lot of useful information
Having listened to and read numerous organization/clutter books I feel this book was valuable in that it brought to my attention more thought provoking topics of where does everything go once you’ve donated or trashed your items. A few times I found my mind drifting elsewhere while I listened (chapter 2 and discussing trinkets and souvenirs from the Victorian Era) but the writer did a great job touching on many subjects and I feel there is room for her to go even further in another book regarding the discard of our country’s plastic and waste problems. She cites useful books that I’ve added to my library checklist and websites. 👍🏻 the narration was ok, too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 11-30-23
Microcosm of a Much Bigger Problem
I am on another listening of this book. I find it to be a unique approach as it relates to bigger issues in our world. It causes you to think of our world itself. I find it a useful read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AoM
- 05-20-24
Informational Book About Consumerism
The book gives a history lesson on how we have acquired so many belongs... and a ride along as the author cleans out her mother's cluttered house...
If you are looking for tips on decluttering - this isn't your book. If you want to know why you clutter - this is probably the best book for that either...
If you want to know how you've got to thw point of acquiring too many belongs and/or you're cleaning our a beloved parents home - probably a good listen!
Happy Listening!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amanda B.
- 03-14-24
History lesson
Mostly a history of clutter, not particularly useful for how to handle it. The reading of it was okay though, something to listen to while cleaning.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sharon C
- 12-17-23
It did not have any ideas on decluttering
Boring 15 word review is ridiculous. I’ve got better tighten things to do than that.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rey
- 09-14-23
Interesting, but not helpful!
The author’s purpose seems to be simply to express the built up resentment toward her own mother. However, it’s not her mother’s fault; it’s because capitalism is evil. Yeah, I didn’t think that made sense either. I guess writing a book is cheaper than therapy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!