Mess: One Man's Struggle to Clean Up His House and His Act

By Barry Yourgrau

Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Self-Help

Writer Barry Yourgrau describes his struggle with clutter after his girlfriend insists he clean up his overflowing New York apartment. Mixing memoir and reporting, he explores the psychology of hoarding, visits clutter-clearing experts, therapists and collectors, and tries to understand why he holds on to things. The book is a funny and candid look at why people accumulate possessions and how they can let go.

Recommended by 1 person

• Shane Parrish: “In the Inferno, Dante placed the hoarders in the fourth circle of hell. That circle would be overflowing today if you look around. This is the story of one man, a writer, who engages his clutter, “in all aspects, as an all encompassing project.” The most intersting bits for me were the psychological exploration.”