The accumulation of possessions leads to waste the tyranny of choice leads to dissatisfaction almost immediately upon selection. Minimalism, in this sense, is in direct opposition to our capitalist instincts. Do you need a television in every room of your house? Do you need the hard copy of your final exam in Biology from when you were 14 years old? Now, take it a step further: Do you need a second floor? Do you need a sofa? Do you absolutely need that second winter jacket just in case the first one gets wet? Now, take it another step further: Do you need more than one type and/or color of shirt? Do you need any television at all if you have a computer? Do you need more than a single place setting’s worth of dishware? In a very literal sense, this begins with your material possessions. Goodbye, Things carries with it the subtitle of The New Japanese Minimalism, a philosophy that revolves around the act of removing anything from your life that you don’t desperately need. Get past them and Goodbye, Things reveals itself to be a quick, fascinating read likely to resonate with anyone short on time and long on obligation.

From the tech that his company spearheaded to the minimal wardrobe he made famous, Goodbye, Things is almost as much a tribute to Jobs’ genius as it is a book about changing one’s own life. Fumio Sasaki worships at the altar of Steve Jobs, whose name appears with increasing frequency as Goodbye, Things progresses. Okay, one other thing: if Apple is not your preferred tech manufacturer, this book may not be for you.

One thing right off the bat: It’s difficult to trust a book about changing one’s own life and mindset when it straightfacedly uses a quote from Fight Club‘s Tyler Durden to back up a point.

Goodbye things book