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Rating: 
Summary: A BIG Disappointment
Review: Although it was somewhat humorous, I did not find this book to be too helpful at all. Sandra Felton spends (wastes) too much time psychoanalyzing "why" someone is "a messie" than offering any useful tips. If I wanted to continuously get labeled or take a bunch of stupid personality tests, I'd go to a shrink. I also found it demeaning how she geared the book towards women--as if women are the ONLY people who should be concerned with cleanliness (a responsibility I'm personally not interested in having dumped on me). It's the new millenium, Sandra!!! There are plenty of guys out there who cook and housekeep, too!
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Summary: Bogus and disappointing...
Review: As an apparently "messie" college student, I received this book from my mother after years of hearing her complain about how messy I am. I was actually eager to spend some time flipping through it (I first saw it on the bargain rack at Barnes and Noble...I wonder why), but once I did, I was largely disappointed. This book is written expressly for the 1980's housewife, with its humor and voice only directly relevant for this group. In the first part of the collection, Felton tries to pigeonhole messy people (seeing the word "messie" feels like hearing nails on a chalkboard for me) into profiled categories (i.e. "The Clean Messie") and spends the rest of the book throwing out bogus and unfounded advice based on her misperceptions of the psychology of messy people. The second part of the collection is just as much of a mess itself, with more of Felton's bogus advice as a "former messie". "Messies Anonymous"? "The Mount Vernon Method?" Oh please. If you want to become more organized in this day and age (rather than 20 years ago), this isn't the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Superlative and Joyous!
Review: BUY THIS BOOK! Intelligently written, funny and unbelievably helpful, this book is a must for even those people who think they've got their home and life in order. Not just about cleaning your house, this book literally helps you clean your life and soul. Liberating without being condescending, or suggesting that one give up sentiment or family traditions. (i.e. you can keep your children's Christmas tree ornaments and give away that 1/2 finished needlepoint kit... and feel no guilt.) A celebration of family and respect. Ms. Felton is a truth teller and in this case, the truth doesn't hurt, it frees you from the bondage of your 'stuff'. Bravo! I've bought 6 copies and am passing them out to everyone I care about.
Rating:
Summary: I laughed all night!
Review: I found wonderful humor in Sandra Felton's book "How Not To Be A Messy" If you have lived a life of clutter, and disorganization then you, too, will identify with the authors hilarious past of cringing when company drops by unexpectedly and forgetting where you put things. The light at the end of the tunnel with this book is knowing that the author once led an extremely embarrassing life as a "messy" and now has conquered her bad habits once and for all. She gives some light hearted, yet practical strategies about how to learn to restructure your thinking and become a neat and organized person. If you are serious about wanting to change your ways then this book is a great tool to help you. Felton also provides many ideas about why we are messy in the first place.
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Summary: Quiet Wisdom
Review: I have only read the first of two books in this volume, but I am impressed with the combination of quiet wisdom dispensed in a plain-writing style. The style may not resonate with a woman who wants to be flattered as hard-charging or not to be confused with a housewife; I think the book is a small gem. Benjamin Franklin, another pragmatist not without humor, would have understood its tone. (BTW, I am a 59 year-old bachelor.) At her best, Felton offers compassion to those who have been intimidated into fear of making any decision or any move, counsels against compensating by inflating simple jobs into big plans that are never executed, and gently shows how to break things down into managable size. She offers useful and humorous warnings against "another good idea that doesn't work." As an older book, the book shows no awareness of how Felton's tools could fit into a small electronic PDA, but a reader who prefers a PDA to paper can figure that out.
Rating:
Summary: Quiet Wisdom
Review: I never thought of myself as a "Messie", I just thought I was just behind on a few things! Sandra Felton in her wonderful writing style makes you want to sing out loud and expect more from yourself and your home. This book is not for you if you want to learn how to clean but it is for you if you want to organize your home and life. Her system on organizing your cleaning and day to day life are quick painless and ultimately change your messie ways forever!
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a book that really helps!
Review: I've read a number of books on de-cluttering and organizing your life. They all contain lots of good tips, but never really helped me to get my life and house in order. This is the first book to do so. It is very motivating - Sandra Felton doesn't blame or belittle her readers. She used to be one of us! The book is slanted towards stay-at-home wives and moms. I am neither a mom nor stay-at-home, but I still used her advice successfully. I recommend this book for anyone who has read other books on the subject but find they are still lacking the motivation needed to actually change their habits.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a book that really helps!
Review: I've read a number of books on de-cluttering and organizing your life. They all contain lots of good tips, but never really helped me to get my life and house in order. This is the first book to do so. It is very motivating - Sandra Felton doesn't blame or belittle her readers. She used to be one of us! The book is slanted towards stay-at-home wives and moms. I am neither a mom nor stay-at-home, but I still used her advice successfully. I recommend this book for anyone who has read other books on the subject but find they are still lacking the motivation needed to actually change their habits.
Rating:
Summary: Not very good
Review: Long, long ago in another country, I had the original version "The Messie Manual". which is included in this tome.I bought it very cheaply in a second hand book store, but valued it very highly.
It fully helped me declutter my life very swiftly.
I didn't do everything, or totally, her way, but "my versions" of her advice worked. And still work. I found her "reasons why we are messy" extremely helpful. It helped me a great deal to know what angle I was coming from and enabled me to "self talk" to curb my impulse to hoard. It also broke up the huge,overwhelming problem of "I am a messy person who is out of control of my possessions and space" into smaller, easier-to-tackle areas. This seems to be an underlying premise: when its all too much, start small. Furthermore,understanding "why" also led to the discovery of my own very effective "anti-hoarding" technique; still trotted out when the "sentimental messie" in me won't let me discard something that absolutely must go (which,for those of you similarly challenged,is to photograph it) Sandra is a pastor's wife and not shy of weaving that into the stories, but big deal. It was quite amusing and always relevent. I still recall something almost a decade later about her quoting from Biblical "Proverbs" about a woman "needing her maidens" to help her and how the modern woman has "electric" ones.
Rampant feminists might get into a dither about the focus on women - so "slash" all the "she"s into "S/he"s ! Honestly, why let that get in one's way of an effective solution ?!! While effective and authoratative (she succeeded, and ended up holding popular seminars). it is an amusing, light approach to a potentially boring subject: most definately encouraging & most non-accusatory / judgemental (reminds me of Barbara di Angelo freely 'fessing to all her relationship faux pas in "Are you the one for me ?") If you are unhappy with the state of your living / working space,and want something effective and to-the-point to approach your problem, go for it. And have fun !
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