Books
Remember: reading about cleaning up your house is no substitute
for actually cleaning up your house! Most of these books are about cleaning and household organization, but the list also includes books on depression, obsessive personalities, and compulsive hoarding. This symbol 
indicates a link to a Squalor Survivors book review. If you would like to write a review, contact details and tips are here
- Organizing From The Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Home, Your Office, and Your Life
- by Julie Morgenstern
- Review of Organizing From the Inside Out
- Excerpt of Organizing From the Inside Out
at www.bookbrowse.com
![[Organizing From the Inside Out]](../images/books/organizing-from-the-inside-out.gif)
- Time Management From the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule -- and Your Life
- by Julie Morgenstern
- Interview with Julie Morgenstern at www.newhomemaker.com
![[Time Management From the Inside Out]](../images/books/time-management-from-the-inside-out.gif)
- The Messies Manual: The Procrastinator's Guide to Good Housekeeping (or any of the Messies books)
- by Sandra Felton
- Review of The Messies Manual
![[The Messies Manual]](../images/books/the-messies-manual.gif)
- Living Organized: proven steps for a clutter-free and beautiful home
- by Sandra Felton
- Review of Living Organized
![[Living Organized]](../images/books/living-organized.gif)
- Sink Reflections
- by Marla Cilley - The FlyLady
- Review of Sink Reflections
![[Sink Reflections]](../images/books/sink-reflections-small.gif)
- Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding
- by Fugen Neziroglu, Jerome Bubrick and Jose A. Yaryura-Tobias
- Review of Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding
![[Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding]](../images/books/overcoming-compulsive-hoarding.gif)
- Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui
- by Karen Kingston
- www.spaceclearing.com is Karen Kingston's website, you can read extracts and reviews of this book. Click the BOOKS link in the menu on the left and scroll down to Clearing Your Clutter With Feng Shui.
![[Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui]](../images/books/clear-your-clutter-with-feng-shui.gif)
- Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff: The Q.U.I.C.K. Way to Bring Lasting Order to Household Chaos
- edited by Lori Baird
- Review of Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff
![[Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff: The Q.U.I.C.K. Way to Bring Lasting
Order to Household Chaos]](../images/books/cut-the-clutter-and-stow-the-stuff.gif)
- Is There Life After Housework?
- by Don Aslett
- Review of Is There Life After Housework?
![[Is There Life After Housework?]](../images/books/is-there-life-after-housework.jpg)
- Clutter's Last Stand
- by Don Aslett
- Review of Clutter's Last Stand
![[Clutter's Last Stand]](../images/books/clutters-last-stand.jpg)
- Speed Cleaning
- by Jeff Campbell and The Clean Team
- Review of Speed Cleaning
![[Speed Cleaning]](../images/books/speed-cleaning70.gif){kind=small}
- Sidetracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise
- by Pam Young and Peggy Jones
- Review of Sidetracked Home Executives
![[Sidetracked Home Executives]](../images/books/sidetracked-home-executives.gif)
- Shelter for the Spirit: How to make your home a haven in a hectic world
- by Victoria Moran
- Review of Shelter for the Spirit
![[Shelter For the Spirit]](../images/books/shelter-for-spirit.jpg)
- Too Perfect: When Being In Control Gets Out Of Control
- by Allan Mallinger and Jeanette De Wyze
- Review of Too Perfect
![[Too Perfect]](../images/books/too-perfect.gif)
- The Now Habit: A strategic program for overcoming procrastination and enjoying guilt-free play
- by Neil Fiore, Ph.D
- Review of The Now Habit
![[The Now Habit]](../images/books/now-habit.jpg)
- Feeling Good: The new mood therapy
- by David D. Burns, M.D.
- Dr. Burns describes how to combat feelings of depression so you can develop greater self-esteem. This best-selling book has sold over 3 million copies worldwide to date. In a recent national survey of mental health professionals, Feeling Good was rated #1--out of a list of 1000 books--as the most frequently recommended self-help book on depression in the United States.
(description taken from Feeling Good, Dr. Burns's website.)
![[Feeling Good]](../images/books/feeling-good.gif)
- The No Diet Diet: Do something different
- by Ben (C) Fletcher, Dr Karen Pine, and Dr Danny Penman
- This book really isn't a diet, it's about breaking the negative habits that bind you.
![[The No Diet Diet]](../images/books/no-diet-diet.jpg)
Reviews
We are always interested in hearing about books that are proving useful to you! If you would like to post a review for any organizing or cleaning book you feel has helped you overcome squalor (not limited to the ones pictured), please send it to . We are primarily interested in books on basic housekeeping issues, not "Martha Stewart aspirational"-type books, as well as books that address the emotional and cognitive issues that underly squalor—like perfectionism, depression, procrastination and anxiety. If you are unsure whether your book is a good match for the Squalor Survvivors audience, just email me and ask.
Kurt Vonnegut says the key to writing a good letter is to sit and really think about the person you're writing to until you can picture them sitting across from you. I'd say it's the same with your review. Imagine the poor squalorees coming here looking desperately for help. Write that person an email telling them what help they'll find in this book. This isn't literary criticism, this is one squalorer to another saying what books helped them. Steering us towards the good natured and the helpful, and away from the crazy-making control freaks. It's just us here, ya know? Nothing to panic about.Cassi