Over the Counter #257

What books caught my eye this week as they passed over the library counter and under my scanner? Well,Spring cleaning has been in the back of my mind lately....

First up is Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight: The 6-Week Total-Life Slim Down by Peter Walsh.

From the publisher, Rodale Books:

"A houseful of clutter may not be the only reason people pack on extra pounds, but research proves that it plays a big role. A recent study showed that people with supercluttered homes were 77 percent more likely to be overweight or obese! Why? Author Peter Walsh thinks it’s because people can’t make their best choices—their healthiest choices—in a cluttered, messy, disorganized home.

In Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight, organizing guru Walsh comes to the rescue with a simple 6-week plan to help readers: Clear their homes of excess “stuff” as they discover their vision for their personal space Clear their bodies of excess pounds as they follow a healthy, supersimple eating and exercise plan Clear their minds and spirits of the excess weight of too many possessions.

All the pieces are connected—and Walsh weaves them together for a 6-week program that leads readers step-by-step through decluttering their homes, their bodies, and their lives. Rodale took the program for a testdrive with two dozen volunteers who followed his plan. All reported great results—from significant weight loss to calmer minds and more organized, happier, and more efficient lives. With a room-by room organizing guide, plus supersimple recipes and an easy exercise plan, Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight is the only book to help readers clear the clutter while they zap the pounds all at the same time."

Next up is Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding by David Tolin, Randy O. Frost, and Gail Steketee.

From the publisher, Oxford Press:

"While most people find it relatively easy to manage their possessions, some find it extremely difficult. If you have a problem resisting the urge to acquire and you find your home cluttered and filled to capacity with items many people would find useless and unnecessary, you may suffer from a condition known as hoarding disorder.

Hoarding is a behavioral problem consisting of clutter, difficulty discarding items, and excessive buying or acquiring. Hoarding is often associated with significant reduction in quality of life, and in extreme cases, it can pose serious health risks. If you or a loved one has hoarding disorder, this book can help.

Discover the reasons for your problems with acquiring, saving, and hoarding, and learn new ways of thinking about your possessions so you can decide what you really need and what you can do without. Learn to identify the "bad guys" that cause and maintain your hoarding behavior and meet the "good guys" who can help motivate you and put you on the path to change. Useful self-assessments will help you determine the severity of your problem. Training exercises, case examples, organizing tips, and motivation boosters help change the way you think and behave toward your possessions. This book provides easy-to-understand strategies and techniques that anyone can use."

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But... I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)