61 books like Organizing from the Inside Out

By Julie Morgenstern,

Here are 61 books that Organizing from the Inside Out fans have personally recommended if you like Organizing from the Inside Out. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

Havard Mela Author Of Digital Discipline: Choosing Life in the Digital Age of Excess

From my list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who has felt the consequences of spending too much time online on distractions, I am compelled to share how much better life can be when we are conscious of the time we spend online. In my early twenties, I experienced digital addiction. I managed to turn things around by cultivating discipline and finding purpose in life. In the process, I developed a deep interest in neuroscience and psychology. My book explains how you can take conscious control of your life in a practical way based on my experience backed up by research.

Havard's book list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention

Havard Mela Why did Havard love this book?

Newport shares his philosophy that less is more when it comes to technology use.

There is so much noise in the digital world that minimizing your online time will not result in missing out on anything. Instead, it will give you the clarity of mind to pursue your interests, live in a more relaxed way, and improve your productivity and mental capabilities.

Newport provides a framework that helps you decide which digital tools to use and under what conditions. Overall, this is a great, well-written book with many great examples and stories that underline his philosophy.

By Cal Newport,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Digital Minimalism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Learn how to switch off and find calm - from the New York Times bestselling author of A World Without Email

'Digital Minimalism is the Marie Kondo of technology' Evening Standard

'An eloquent, powerful and enjoyably practical guide to cutting back on screen time' The Times

'An urgent call to action for anyone serious about being in command of their own life' Ryan Holiday

'What a timely and useful book' Naomi Alderman, author of The Power

Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through social media or the news while your anxiety rises? Are you feeling frazzled after a long day…


Book cover of All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know about Getting and Spending

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From my list on inspiring you to change your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Why did Elisabeth love this book?

A candid look at how we spend and how we feel about our spending. Vanderkam braids examples from her own life with deep research and statistics on the relationship between happiness and money. A memorable, practical read that I refer to often.

I love all of her books—she is definitely my continuing education for adulthood—but this one is probably my favorite.

By Laura Vanderkam,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All the Money in the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? The universal lament about money is that there is never enough. We spend endless hours obsessing over our budgets and investments, trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar. We try to follow the advice of money gurus and financial planners, then kick ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little. For all of the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances?

According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective.…


Book cover of The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From my list on inspiring you to change your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Why did Elisabeth love this book?

One that I give to anyone who is stuck in a pickle. Saunders’ book for young readers, illustrated in the oddball style of Lane Smith, tells of a girl named Capable who does her best and finds that it is still not good enough. So she makes an unthinkable change.

Reading this book to my children led to a eureka that we might change our own family life in a similarly unthinkable way.

By George Saunders, Lane Smith (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A gapper is a bit of a 'burr' but it is a dangerous thing. When it attaches itself to the goats the goats become very unhappy and even stop giving milk. There is nothing gappers like more than goats and nothing goats hate more than gappers. When gappers get your goats it means trouble. In one small town gappers are a real pest and it takes the ingenious approach of Capable to find a soution - if a solution exists at all.


Book cover of For You When I Am Gone: Twelve Essential Questions to Tell a Life Story

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From my list on inspiring you to change your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Why did Elisabeth love this book?

A powerful case for thinking deeply and clearly about what legacies we leave behind for those we love.

Leder suggests that an ethical will—unlike an ordinary will—be a summary of our life’s wisdom. Asking such questions as ‘What do you regret?’ and ‘When did you lead with your heart?’ Leder offers a wise and inspiring way to live a life of value that is a blessing for others to remember.

By Steve Leder,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked For You When I Am Gone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller!

From the bestselling author of The Beauty of What Remains, a guide to writing a meaningful letter about your life.

Writing an ethical will, a document that includes stories and reflections about your past, is an ancient tradition. It can include joy and regrets, and ultimately becomes both a way to remember a loved one who is gone and a primer on how to live a better, happier life. Beloved Rabbi Steve Leder has helped thousands of people to write their own ethical wills, and in this intimate book helps us write…


Book cover of Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life

Matan Korin

From my list on planning a remodel of your house.

Why am I passionate about this?

Matan has over a decade of experience at Ecoline and has helped 3500+ clients to renovate their houses. He has earned the title of the best window & door expert of the year for four consecutive years, from 2013 to 2016, helping countless homeowners to create their dream houses. Matan has built a team of 50+ professionals across Canada for Ecoline. His leadership and mentorship have enabled his team to achieve remarkable success, consulting homeowners and helping them choose and install the best products. He looks forward to helping you!

Matan's book list on planning a remodel of your house

Matan Korin Why did Matan love this book?

Minimalist is our go-to book for visualizing a simpler, clutter-free lifestyle. I love how helpful it is for envisioning new ideas for smaller spaces. And if you are downsizing, this book will be extra beneficial. 

The book is broken down per room, and she guides you through the process in manageable chunks. It makes thinking about a remodel much more straightforward. 

By Shira Gill,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Minimalista as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Elevate your personal style, trim your belongings, and transform your life, one room at a time, with this visionary lifestyle and home organization book from professional organizing expert, Shira Gill.

“Warm, funny, and direct, Shira builds you up while helping you edit down to the best version of yourself.”—Stacy London, New York Times bestselling author of The Truth About Style

As a professional home organizer with clients ranging from students to multi-millionaires, Shira Gill observed that clutter is a universal stress trigger. Over the years she created a signature decluttering and organization process that promotes sustainability, achieves lasting results, and…


Book cover of Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home

Kim Kuhteubl Author Of Branding + Interior Design: Visibility and Business Strategy for Interior Designers

From my list on feeling at home.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning producer, author, and member of the Producers Guild of America. One of my fondest memories as a child is coming home from a weekend at my oma’s house to find that my mother had redecorated my room. The bedspread was pink, red, and white and so were the curtains but the main event was the fluffy white pouf of a rug on the floor. Home is a place that has always been important to me, which is why these books have found their way into my library.

Kim's book list on feeling at home

Kim Kuhteubl Why did Kim love this book?

Nikki Boyd first started growing her audience on Youtube sharing beautiful images and advice for creating a welcoming, and well-organized home.

Based in Charleston, Boyd is a professional organizer who started organizing as a hobby and built her audience several years before mainstream design magazines recognized her talent. Even if you can’t get it together and organize your own house, looking at the images of her home and the homes of the clients she organizes is a whole lot of zen. 

By Nikki Boyd,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Beautifully Organized as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Professional organizer Nikki Boyd has a gift of transforming a space into a captivating work of art. She sprinkles a little bit of glam and a whole lot of functionality into every space she touches."
-Toni Hammersley, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Author of The Complete Book of Home Organization In Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home, Nikki Boyd shares her best advice for how to create an organized, beautiful, and welcoming home. Nikki developed and honed her five essential steps to an organized home through her experience working as a professional organizer. In Beautifully…


Book cover of The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload

Melanie Deziel Author Of The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas

From my list on to make your marketing more creative.

Why am I passionate about this?

You know how most young kids go through a phrase where they ask “why” about everything, and then they ask it again, and again, and again? Well, I never really outgrew that. I studied journalism because it gave me permission to be curious about new things every day, and to ask experts “why.” Marketing gave me a new way to chase my curiosity: Why are people clicking this ad, opening this email, following that social account or searching for that phrase? I’ve helped 30% of the Fortune 100 answer the questions about why their content is working, or isn’t, and my first book, The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas, was born from my introspective curiosity about how my own idea generation process worked. 

Melanie's book list on to make your marketing more creative

Melanie Deziel Why did Melanie love this book?

This book is a hefty one—I recommend the audiobook if you’ve got a bad back—but it will help you understand how your brain works in a way that almost no other book can. And the better you understand your mind, the better you’ll be able to make it do what you want, and how to protect yourself from the things that might otherwise sabotage your creative thinking.

By Daniel J Levitin,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Organized Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Organized Mind, New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin offers practical solutions to the problems of information overload.
___________________________________________________

Overwhelmed by demands on your time? Caught in an unproductive spiral of emails and multitasking?

You're not alone. When we're deluged with information our creativity plummets, our decision making suffers and we grow absent-minded. Nowadays, we drown in our inboxes, forever juggle several tasks at once and try to make complex decisions ever more quickly. This is information overload.

Combining the latest neuroscience with everyday examples, Daniel Levitin explains how to take back control…


Book cover of Remodelista: The Organized Home: Simple, Stylish Storage Ideas for All Over the House

Christophe Pourny Author Of The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore & Care for Furniture

From my list on loving where you live.

Why am I passionate about this?

I opened my first history book in school at 6 and have been fascinated by how people lived since then. I found the evolution of furniture, interiors, decorations, exteriors, and everything that relates to how we live of the utmost importance if we want to know who we are and why. I am the son of antique dealers, growing up in France, so furniture is my principal domain of expertise, but I always put it in relation to the epoch they are from and the people who used them. I became the go-to of Martha Stewart for antiques and furniture restoration and have been featured in TV shows and magazines regularly.

Christophe's book list on loving where you live

Christophe Pourny Why did Christophe love this book?

I find myself consulting this book at least once a week. I know I will find the answer or the advice for every question that may arise in decorating, organizing, cleaning, and simplifying your interior.

I am always in awe of the simplest solutions being the best ones and that Julie and her team always have their pulse on it. Kuddos!

By Julie Carlson, Margot Guralnick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Remodelista as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Buy fewer (and better) things. Store like with like. Get rid of the plastic. Display-don't stash-your belongings. Let go of your inner perfectionist and remember that rooms are for living. These are a few of the central principles behind Remodelista: The Organized Home, the new book from the team behind the inspirational design site Remodelista.com. Whether you're a minimalist or someone who takes pleasure in her collections, we all yearn for an unencumbered life in a home that makes us happy. This compact tome shows us how, with more than 100 simple and stylish tips, each clearly presented and accompanied…


Book cover of Breathing Room: Open Your Heart by Decluttering Your Home

Lisa J. Shultz Author Of Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

From my list on getting rid of clutter.

Why am I passionate about this?

I speak from experience because within the decade of 20092019, I downsized from my enormous home and cleared out both of my parent’s houses. I felt like I was drowning in stuff when I added up all three houses. Lighter Living is a collection of my insights from, and candid reflections on, my journey of owning less. The benefits of lighter living are so broad and deep that they can’t be boiled down to one end result. My hope is that you will find the process of consolidation to be satisfying and fulfilling. That was my experience. My choice of a lighter lifestyle has brought me a greater sense of well-being. In a world that often seems stressful and chaotic, that’s a feeling I cherish.

Lisa's book list on getting rid of clutter

Lisa J. Shultz Why did Lisa love this book?

I love the concept of being able to breathe easier in life and at home. The first part of this book is about getting clear on the intention of decluttering each room. I appreciate that each chapter offers a blessing for that room as well. The second part of the book dives into spiritual decluttering: heart, mental and emotional clutter, relationships, roles, and responsibilities. I particularly love the concept of passing your clutter through the three gates of meaning: "Is it true to my intentions? Do I use it? Is it kind to my heart and spirit?" I enjoyed the gentle nature of this book.

By Lauren Rosenfeld, Melva Green,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Breathing Room as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Breathing Room, Dr. Melva Green, expert on A&E's Emmy-nominated series Hoarders, along with Lauren Rosenfeld, creator of the popular blog Your To Be List, help you find emotional healing and spiritual renewal through the unique practice of decluttering. Whether it's clothing that no longer fits or relationships we've outgrown, we all have burdens and attachments that manifest themselves in our physical living space.

In each chapter, Green and Rosenfeld focus on a different room, showing how each one represents a corresponding place in your heart. The bedroom is for peace and intimacy. The kitchen is for comfort and creativity.…


Book cover of Inheriting Clutter: How to Calm the Chaos Your Parents Leave Behind

Lisa J. Shultz Author Of Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.

From my list on getting rid of clutter.

Why am I passionate about this?

I speak from experience because within the decade of 20092019, I downsized from my enormous home and cleared out both of my parent’s houses. I felt like I was drowning in stuff when I added up all three houses. Lighter Living is a collection of my insights from, and candid reflections on, my journey of owning less. The benefits of lighter living are so broad and deep that they can’t be boiled down to one end result. My hope is that you will find the process of consolidation to be satisfying and fulfilling. That was my experience. My choice of a lighter lifestyle has brought me a greater sense of well-being. In a world that often seems stressful and chaotic, that’s a feeling I cherish.

Lisa's book list on getting rid of clutter

Lisa J. Shultz Why did Lisa love this book?

Sometimes I just need a major kick-in-the-butt motivational book. In 2020, author Julie Hall renamed her previous book entitled Boomer Burden: Dealing with Your Parents Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff. The content is the same, but the title and cover changed. Julie Hall is a personal property expert, who wishes to show you how to clear a family home and minimize family feuds. The book is filled with excellent advice and guidance and also a few horror stories to motivate the reader to take positive action sooner than later. It is a wake-up call if you need one!

By Julie Hall,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Inheriting Clutter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Every day, hundreds of adult children become middle-aged orphans when their elderly parents pass away. . . but what should you do with what they've left behind? Professional estate liquidator Julie Hall provides essential guidance for any executor, heir, or beneficiary.

You've heard the horror stories: arguments over stuff, an inheritance lost forever when easily deceived parents are scammed, siblings estranged, an adult heir taken from daily responsibilities for months because of the enormous task of clearing out a childhood home. It doesn't have to be that way.

The Estate Lady, professional estate liquidator Julie Hall, knows what to do.…


Book cover of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Book cover of All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know about Getting and Spending
Book cover of The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

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Interested in order and clutter, cleaning, and minimalism?

Cleaning 8 books
Minimalism 28 books