15 Best Minimalist Books (Our Top Choices for 2020)

Quotes from the book:

“In our overcrowded homes today, most possessions are not truly “belongings.” They are only distracting us from the things that do belong.“

“A home that is filled with only the things you love and use will be a home that you love to use.“

990 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“We are not what we own; we are what we do, what we think and who we love.”

“Anything you use often, and which truly adds value to your life, is a welcome part of a minimalist household”

1,042 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“Minimalism is just the beginning. It’s a tool. Once you’ve gone ahead and minimized, it’s time to find out what those important things are.”

“There’s another benefit to a minimalist wardrobe. Because we choose items that are timeless, we don’t need to worry about being out of style.”

1,232 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“Sometimes, minimizing possessions means a dream must die. But this is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it takes giving up the person we wanted to be in order to fully appreciate the person we can actually become.“

“Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it.”

1,094 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”

“Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.”

4,144 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“refuse what you do not need; reduce what you do need; reuse what you consume; recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse; and rot (compost) the rest.”

“What we did not truly use, need, and love had to go. This would become our motto for decluttering.”

848 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“The tycoons of social media have to stop pretending that they’re friendly nerd god’s building a better world and admit they’re just tobacco farmers in T-shirts selling an addictive product to children. Because, let’s face it, checking your “likes” is the new smoking.”

“Digital Minimalism A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.”

1,153 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“One lesson I’ve learned countless times over the years is that whenever you let go of something negative in your life, you make room for something positive.”

“But there were really only two categories I could see: the stuff I used, and the stuff I wanted the ideal version of myself to use. The stuff I wanted the ideal version of myself to use was everything I had once bought in hopes that it would somehow make my life or myself better.”

1,150 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.4 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“Now, before I spend money I ask myself one question: Is this worth my freedom? Like: Is this coffee worth two dollars of my freedom? Is this shirt worth thirty dollars of my freedom? Is this car worth thirty thousand dollars of my freedom? In other words, am I going to get more value from the thing I’m about to purchase, or am I going to get more value from my freedom?”

“You can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you.”

1,145 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.”

“The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.”

23,741 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.5 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“Overscheduled children lose the space to simply be with themselves and learn the art of being alone. In our noisy, busy world, the importance of developing the life skill of solitude, meditation, and quietly being with oneself can not be overstated.”

“There is more joy to be found in owning less than can ever be found in organizing more.”

473 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“Accept the limitations of the space you have, and declutter enough that your stuff fits comfortably in that space.”

“Touch things. I’ve said it again and again. Look. Always, always look. Assuming what is in a box or at the back of a shelf does no good whatsoever. But assuming is the hardest thing for me to fight in my war against clutter. I see a mass of stuff and assume it’s full of emotions. I assume every last item in the pile, box, or closet will rip my heart right out of my chest. Every single item will represent a part of life I’m not ready to accept is over.”

1,446 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.7 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are.”

“Start to think about what really matters to you. If you aren’t sure at first, don’t worry. Sometimes you have to get rid of the things that don’t matter to let the things that do rise to the surface.”

415 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.7 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“This is the beautiful secret of minimalism: It may seem like it’s about stuff, but once you’ve cut through the clutter and adopted a new frame of mind, you learn that it’s barely about ‘the stuff’ at all.”

“We live in a culture where our worth seems to be measured by our busyness.”

272 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“The race to the bottom is just as meaningless as the race to the top because the focus is still on the race.”

“When home feels out of control, no matter what the reason, unsettledness and anxiety can seep in, and then the chaos becomes internal as well as external. Our home influences us both positively and negatively. it’s wise to take notice and make a few small, immediate changes.”

916 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.6 out of 5

Quotes from the book:

“You can always hope and wait for someone to want something in your home, but you cannot wait forever, and sometimes you must just give cherished things away with the wish that they end up with someone who will create new memories of their own.”

“I often ask myself, Will anyone I know be happier if I save this?”

1,187 Reviews score this minimalist book 4.4 out of 5