The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Pocket Guide to Minimalism: Because Living Simply Doesn’t Need to be Complicated
Because The Pocket Guide to Minimalism was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Ekta Kumari
The book focuses on minimalism and how to live a minimalistic lifestyle to save money and time on unnecessary things. I wouldn't have read the book based on its blurb and the official OBC review because it wasn't of any particular use to me. Though, I did like the sample and the clean format in which the author presented the information. However, I didn't understand the use of hyphenated words like 'tech-niques' and 'season-al'. So, I would count these as editing errors and recommend another round of proofreading. The thing I liked the most while sampling is that the author divides the text into different segments and breaks the concept of minimalism into small steps. The official OBC review I saw also described the book perfectly. Based on the sample, I'm not going to recommend anything major for improvements except correcting the format of the text. In the Kindle edition of the book, some sentences break midway and the remaining part shifts to the next page, which is a little distracting. While I've enjoyed the writing, I don't think I'll read the whole book as I don't consider the main subject useful for me.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 5:23 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ann Ogochukwu
I surely would have sampled this book outside this program because I am interested in its subject matter. I would have tried out this book based on its cover, and I was intrigued by its OBC review.
One thing I learned from the bit I've read is that minimalism is relative; what I define as unnecessary is entirely up to me. I liked that this book was segmented into several subchapters, which helps for easier assimilation. Like the author, I believe that life should be simple, so I'll complete this book to learn more about how to keep my space free and simple.
I noticed only one error while sampling, a typographical error, I believe. There is an error in the spelling of "realize" in this sentence: "...seeing them all together makes you ..." Other than this little hitch, I didn't notice any other errors while reading this book. I don't think this book needs any improvement.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 4:53 am by Ann Ogochukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Asma Aisha Ansari
I wouldn't have chosen to sample the book based on the cover, the title, the genre, the blurb, the positive Amazon reviews and the OBC review because I'm not interested in reading any self-help book on minimalism. As for the sample, I liked the author's straightforward approach towards the book, as she jumps right into the topic without wasting any time on personal anecdotes, etc. She makes a great point by saying that everyone's journey of minimalism is different because we all have unique needs and wants. However, I already know of most of these tips through blogs and magazines. Hence, I'm not going to read the rest of the book. But I'll recommend this book to those who have no knowledge of minimalism.
It seems that the book isn't professionally edited, as the kindle edition I sampled contained many hyphenation errors. For example, in the sentence, '... before you end up in tears sur-rounded by piles of photos.', the word 'surrounded' is unnecessarily hyphenated. I suggest that the book be edited thoroughly once for such errors.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 4:43 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
I would have read this book outside the First Ten program. The title hinted at minimalism, a theme that always piques my interest. From the sample, I liked the subject of being orderly. It is key to realizing minimalism. The book wasn't exceptionally edited as I flagged a few errors (such as 'Subgroups and Smaller Subgroups (based on your volume of clothing.' A closing bracket is missing in the sentence in page 16). I recommend another round of editing to ensure there is consistency in paragraphing of the text. Having read the OBC review, I will buy this book to nudge my minimalism skills.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 4:41 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Manang Muyang
That's a no-nonsense minimalist cover, and it speaks well of what the book has to offer. Knowing that I have much clutter in my little corner of the world, I would have sampled the book on my own. The author's writing style is simple, and the three steps she recommends are mighty clear. She may need to check on the book format, though. Some sentences and pages are cut in the middle, and there are words that are hyphenated unnecessarily like "tech-niques" at 72% of the sample and "elimi-nating" at 50%. I don't think I will buy the book. I think the only thing I lack is resolve, and the book can't give me that. The official OBC reviewer thought highly of the book.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 4:36 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Eunice Geres
I wouldn't have checked the sample if it weren't on BOTD because I am done researching how to be a minimalist. I've already disposed of my clutter, so I'm now a minimalist by heart. The official review mentioned that it's great that this book is short so that the readers won't get bored. I agree with that sentiment because I love picking up self-help books, but I haven't finished anything. The first typographical error I found is 'elimi-nating' in the second paragraph of the first chapter; that word should've been just 'eliminating.' I like that this is a straightforward guide. However, I feel like this is just an internet article turned into a book. I feel like this book is just for someone who already knows what minimalism is. There was no in-depth explanation. But for a guide, I admit that this is great because it's very direct and easy to understand. I won't be continuing to read this because I don't actually need this book. My only recommendation is that the author could improve the formatting of the book. I find the kindle sample annoying to read because of the line spaces.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 4:35 am by Eunice Geres.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The title "The pocket guide to minimalism" and the cover that contains very few items indicate that the book is about the minimalism theme. There are only seven Amazon customer ratings, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide if I should sample the book or not. The Amazon summary clearly states that the book is about defining and elaborating what minimalism is. As I am generally interested in this topic, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration containing a few pages from the first chapter as well as a section that talks about the author. As I am generally interested in this topic, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There were no grammatical or mechanical errors in the sample. What I liked most about the book is its clear formatting. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 3:59 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Justine Ocsebio
I wouldn’t have sampled this book had it not been for this program. I’m not interested in reading a book about minimalism. In the sample, I like how the guide is very concise. The author does not dabble in unnecessary narrative. She is very straightforward in her points. On the first page, she defines minimalism as an act of letting go of unnecessary clutter. She introduces three simple steps: minimizing, organizing, and maintaining. While minimalism sounds like a good lifestyle to adopt, I’m not interested in reading a book about it. The OBC review was a huge help. I don’t have any improvements to suggest, as I don’t have anything negative to say about the book. I didn’t find any grammatical errors, so the book must be well edited.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 3:35 am by Justine Ocsebio.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Dzejn_Crvena
Outside this program, I'd have sampled this book based on its title. The book sounds promising in helping me get rid of things I don't need anymore. The OBC review convinced me to read it when I learned that it's short and direct to the point. Also, I didn't change my mind when I read the sample. There are three steps that help identify what things are essential. "Minimizing" is deciding whether an item is frequently used or not. I'm looking forward to reading more about the other two steps, namely, "organizing" and "maintaining." I like that contents are very refreshing to read because the entire pages are not crowded with many words. The book seems professionally edited, so I don't have suggestions for improvements.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 3:32 am by Dzejn_Crvena.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sanju Lali
It was evident to me after seeing the title that this is a self-help book for a better life. I read the OBC official review of this book to understand its benefits. The OBC official review gave me the idea that this book shows that we can make our lives efficient by discarding unwanted things. This idea inspired me to read the first ten pages sample of this book. After reading the first ten pages, I realized that this book was not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "We will cover simple tricks so you know how to maintain this amazing minimalist lifestyle to which you aspire." The sentence could be as follows. "We will cover simple tricks so that you know how to maintain this amazing minimalist lifestyle to which you aspire." I liked the trick of bringing together all the clothes in one place and discarding the unwanted among them, instead of cleaning closet by closet. Other than the above trick, I could not find anything new to learn in the sample because I was already familiar with the other content in the sample. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing and introduce some innovative tricks to make our lives better. Considering all the aspects of this book, I decided not to purchase and read this book today until the author adds some innovative content to the existing content.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 2:47 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
As I wasn't interested in the genre, I did not intend to read the book despite the full rating in the official OBC review. I found no errors in the first ten pages. The author described three simple steps to decluttering, namely minimization, organization, and maintenance. I liked that the author did not impose unrealistic guidelines but emphasized individual needs. I had no suggestions for improvement. However, I still don't want to read the entire book as self-help books are not my forte.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 2:33 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub, the ratings on Amazon, and the cover look alright, but the idea is not creative. Reading the first ten pages about how to start minimalism did not change my mind from my original guess.
To be frank, I don't like anything in the bit I read. The methods and the idea of discarding unneeded things are identical to those of Marie Kondo, who shares her tips for free. I also think another round of proofreading is needed. Since I don't need this book, I won't buy it.
Error example: Ultimately, minimalism is about elimi-nating unnecessary clutter in your life, so you can have a clean and inspiring space that is free from distractions. -> The hyphen is not needed. It should be "eliminating"
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 1:26 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. I had just been talking to a friend about downsizing things and about how nice minimalism can be. I was interested in what the book had to offer. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. It didn’t have anything new that I didn’t already know. I already follow the tips to “minimalize” that were given. I did like the way the book is broken up into sections and steps. The three simples steps are given at the beginning then described in more detail later on. There wasn’t anything specific that needs improvement. I just didn’t see the point in purchasing a book that isn’t super helpful. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 1:16 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
brooke oakes
I doubt I would have sampled or read this book outside this program. I didn't fancy its cover, and neither its OBC nor Amazon review appealed to me with the mention of focusing on the keeping your number of items at 100 or less. It starts with explaining minimalism and what it is. It shows you how to get rid of items that you don’t need and how to choose which items those are. I liked the descriptions provided in this book, but nothing else in the book appealed to me, so I won't complete it.I don't notice any errors, while I read. I don't think this book needs any improvement.
First Ten review added on March 9, 2022, at 12:15 am by brooke oakes.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabriella H
The title and the cover complement each other perfectly. I like how simple and nice the cover looks. From the OBC official review, the blurb, editorial review, and customer reviews, it seemed like a good book for those looking to become minimalistic and more organized. I, however, didn’t feel like it was the right book for me. It’s nice to live simply, but I’m not looking to become a minimalist. Therefore, my mind wasn’t changed by the first ten pages. I like how the book looks and how it was arranged. It makes it look easy to read, and this will help people not to procrastinate about reading it. However, I will not be completing this book because the subject matter isn’t one I’m currently interested in. If I weren’t a part of this program, I would’ve admired the cover, but I wouldn’t have sampled it because of the subject matter. I didn’t see any errors, and I have no suggestions for improvements.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 11:33 pm by Gabriella H.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabrielle Sigaki
The Pocket Guide to Minimalism by Katy Moeggenberg is a non-fiction book that talks about how the readers can become a minimalist and how they can keep that kind of lifestyle. It involves keeping the essential things and throwing away what isn't essential. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review, its customer reviews, its blurb, and its genre since I'm not interested in non-fiction books about minimalism. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book because of the reason I stated before. Its cover and title didn't affect my decision. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book because of the reason I stated before. However, the book seems professionally edited, there's nothing to be improved in it, and my favorite aspect was the fact that the author used the concept of minimalism while writing the book since the sentences are short, direct, and contain only the essential information.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 9:05 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I might have read this book. I've been curious about minimalism and this looks like a good introduction. After reading the first ten percent I didn't change my mind and therefore will be buying and reading the rest of this book eventually. I really liked some of the tricks given early on in the short sample. For example, bringing all your items in one location when minimising is a brilliant idea. Although the book looked well written and edited, there was an error, likely in format conversion, that I saw in the Kindle sample. Under the header of "ORDER", there was an instance of where the word "surrounded" was unnecessarily hyphenated as "sur-rounded" as if it was a word hanging from one line to another (which wasn't the case). The thing I would have improved from the sample I read is to minimise spacing. I found that the line and paragraph spacing was way too big to be necessary. There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 8:59 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sarah_Khan
I like how calming the cover of this book feels, the title is average. I would not have sampled this without the First Ten program because I do not read non-fiction. I did not understand why certain words were spelled with a hyphen in the middle (e.g. minimalism is about elimi-nating unnecessary clutter in your life). I hope minimizing the clothing you own by 50% will not cause people to go out and buy some more. The OBC review, customer reviews, and comments were all positive, but they did not change my mind. I do not think I need a book about minimalism in my life, so I will not be reading the rest. My one suggestion for the author is another round of proofreading.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 4:53 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I like how organized this book is and how it didn’t waste time with a lengthy introduction. It gets right to the point with how to start ditching things you don’t need. The cover and title are both very fitting, so I also like that, and I have no suggestions to improve the book because the editing looks exceptional and error free. The OBC review mentioned this book is short, which I also really like. All of the Amazon reviews are high stars, so it seems this book is not just a good read, but also really useful. I enjoy self help books, so if I saw this book outside of the program, I would be interested in reading it. I don’t really use blurbs or editorial reviews to decide whether or not to read a book.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 3:34 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jorge Leon Salazar
The title and cover look in keeping with the theme of minimalism and the practicality of the book, so I think it should appeal to the target audience. In general, I like self-help books that explore useful topics, which is the case with this guide. The blurb comments that this guide provides readers with what they need to live a better minimalist lifestyle. It defines minimalism as the process of eliminating unnecessary clutter in your life, so you can have a clean and inspiring space free of distractions. What is defined as unnecessary clutter depends on the needs of each person. The customer reviews are flattering. Based on these aspects, I might give this book a try. From the beginning it is clear that the book is precise and direct since it focuses on three simple steps that seem very logical: Minimizing, Organizing, and Maintaining. Plus, I liked that the objective of minimalism is defined as eliminating the unnecessary clutter to have a clean space free of distractions. This is important because other readings express otherwise so one can get confused. It seems right that the way to implement minimalism depends on each person, that is, there is no single recipe that suits everyone. For example, what is considered clutter depends on what each person wants and needs. In this sense, the recommendation is clear, if you use it regularly, keep it, otherwise discard it. In the sample, what I liked the most was how direct and simple the recommendations were, especially where to start. The official OnlineBookClub review indicates that this pocket guide is ideal for those who want to take on the lifestyle of minimalism but don't know where to start. The editing looks outstanding as I didn't see any errors or typos. The only issue I noticed was some words were hyphenated as if they were cut at the end of a line. However, this may be a problem with the Kindle version I used. As a whole, I didn't see anything that I believe could be improved. The sample was interesting and practical, and I liked the direct approach of this guide. In addition, the subject captures my attention since I hope to adopt this lifestyle. Therefore, I look forward to reading the rest of the book as soon as possible.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 2:16 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
gen_g
Looking at the title alone, it reminds me of Marie Kondo – it is most probably a self-help guide for people who are looking to declutter their life. I generally am not in the market for this genre of books, so I would not have sampled it. Additionally, I have also seen a positive official OBC review of the book, but the genre mismatch still means that I would not have sampled it. I can also see that the cover illustration is minimalistic – which is in line with the book's theme and content. Unfortunately, just looking at the first page, I can see that there has been no professional typesetting done – words and cut off from one page, paragraph breaks are not consistent, and the number of indents per paragraph are also inconsistent. This is extremely disappointing. Furthermore, there are a couple of grammar and punctuation errors. For example, at 58% in the sample, there is an instance of erroneous insertion of a spacing after an ellipsis: "...gifts you use...( )minimalism...". I think, with the grammar/punctuation errors and poor typesetting, it is obvious that more editing is required – I expect my reads to be error-free with proper typesetting. However, based on the entire sample made available to me, what I found most unique is that the author recommends grouping possessions according to the amount of sentimentality that one has. I am in no way an expert (this is actually the first book I've read about living a minimalist life), hence, I think that this is quite unique. However, I think the author can also go into deeper detail about why certain concepts are important; for example, she says that order matters when one is minimising and it sets one up for long-term success – why is this so? Why is order important? Elaborating further as to why order will help one to achieve long-term success (rather than just claiming it) will help readers to better understand Moeggenberg's reasoning, and this, in turn, will make the book a more effective one. I will not be buying the book today, because the typesetting is, frankly, atrocious, and this makes me not want to read it at all, even if the content is illuminating.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 10:12 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I liked the peaceful cover, and I thought the subtitle was great. I liked that the blurb included a quote from OBC. The OBC review made it sound like the author had come up with a simple plan. Both the blurb and the OBC review convinced me to give the book a try. I didn't like the random hyphenated words in the pages that I read. I didn't see any errors besides those words, which I assume were a stylistic choice. I am going to finish reading the book and hope that it will help me clean up some of my clutter. I don't have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 8:56 am by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Soraya Bayah
The Kindle edition is not completely compatible with Kindle, and I saw sentences cut off on one page and abruptly continue on the next. I was happy with the ideas the book offered, as I am slowly discarding what I do not use. This is mainly because I tend to have tons of unnecessary items since I live with many siblings. I will implement the “if you don’t use it, discard it” thinking, although not to be a minimalist. I found some words to have unnecessary hyphens, like page 11, “real-ize.” Page 16, “ Subgroups and Smaller Subgroups (based on your volume of clothing”- missing bracket. I would not pick this book from the genre, title, cover, or reviews, since I am not interested in being a minimalist. The OBC review made me more interested in the book. But I will read it since it is, first of all small, and secondly because I can use the advice to an extent that I am comfortable with. And so, the first pages cause me to want to continue the book. I enjoyed it and will continue it. The only issue is the organization of the book, and I hope it can be fixed soon.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 8:55 am by Soraya Bayah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sonya Nicolaidis
I was immediately attracted to this book, because I have a big problem with throwing away things that I feel I may need in the future. Ordinarily, I would have picked up this book for a closer look, because the front cover design is soothing and simple, and promises to deliver some good ideas. Upon reading, my first thought was that even the pages inside are minimalist, and the line spacing is wide and the sentences are few and uncluttered by too many words. This is what I really liked about this book, as it makes the whole reading process effortless. However, I’m not sure about the contents and how many new ideas she brings to the table. I suspect it might be just a rewriting of the same ideas we have heard from countless other sources and this aspect puts me off. I don’t think this book was professionally edited, as it is really simple in its aspect and there are some irregularities, especially with hyphenation, that are common, such as “elimi-nating“ and “tech-niques“. It would be a nice, short book to read to pass the time, so I would read it in the hope of learning something new. My suggestion to the author would be to edit it properly.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 4:32 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Harsh Soni 3
After looking at the cover and title, the book seems like a decent book about minimalism that is one of my favourite topics. Then, I read the Official OBC review of the book (after that I don't need any other blurb or review) where I came to know that the book is not boring like other self-help books. After reading the sample, I found that the book is well-structured and straight-to-point. That is my favourite aspect about the book. So, I will buy and read this book because of the reasons mentioned above. I found no errors in the book. I have no suggestion for the book.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 3:06 am by Harsh Soni 3.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would not have read the book. I do think I would like to live a minimalist lifestyle, but I don't think I need a book to achieve it. However, I do think the cover art fits the theme well and looks great. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I think another round of editing might be needed, as I noticed a formatting error in the first page where "eliminating" had a dash and was written as "elimi-nating." Overall, I like how simple the writing style is by breaking down the "how to" into 3 easy steps and short questions one could ask themselves. However, there were a few other similar formatting errors scattered throughout, so that's the only thing I would change. The official review on OnlineBookClub did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 3:02 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
I would have checked this book out based on the cover and title because I have always been interested in minimizing and loving the body. After reading the OBC review, I did not need to read any other reviews or blurbs because the OBC review convinced me to read the book. The first ten pages were well written, and the only errors I saw were formatting errors. For example, at locations 132 and 149, there are formatting errors. Location 132 has a partial sentence at the top of the page, with the rest of the page left blank. At location 149, there is a numbered list where numbers 10 and 11 are out of line. I found the formatting issues distracting and suggest they need to be corrected. However, I did not find them so distracting that they would deter me from reading the book. I have the book, and I am planning on reading it soon.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 1:36 am by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Ari Martinez
If it hadn't been for this program, I wouldn't have sampled this book based on its title, cover, or Official OnlineBookClub review because I don't like self-help books, and I have never wanted to be a minimalist. My favorite part of the sample was its overall look. As I flipped the pages, it was clear this book looks exactly like you would expect a book about minimalism to look like – simple and concise. In terms of the actual content of the book, I liked that the author mentions how much order matters when minimizing. This was new information about minimalism that I didn't know previously. After reading the sample, I will not continue reading the book because of the reason I stated earlier - I don't care about being a minimalist; therefore, this book isn't for me. The book seems professionally edited, and I don't think it needs improvement.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 1:08 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vidhi Adhikari
I like the fact that the cover and title of this book are simple and straightforward, just like the topic discussed in the guide. Even though I didn't come across enough customer and editorial reviews, I wanted to read this book since I, too, am trying to live a minimalist lifestyle. The sample did not disappoint and is filled with useful information on decluttering. Hence, I will definitely finish this book as it's subject is right up my alley. I loved the simple and cheerful writing style of the author. There weren't any major errors in the sample, making for a smooth read ('We’ll walk {add 'you'} through several examples of how to put this simple concept into practice.') I would suggest discussing the environmental benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle in the sample, as I'm sure that people who are trying to live a low-waste lifestyle would find this book very helpful.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 12:58 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Stephanie Runyon
The cover of the book fits the title perfectly with the white background. I would have sampled this book because the topic has always been somewhat interesting to me. There was a possible error. I like the approach the author takes with grouping items that will show exactly how much clutter a person has versus going from one room to another. Despite the error I found, I think this book is edited professionally. There isn't anything I would change about the contents. The OBC review didn't influence my choice to bypass the book. The sentimental items that I have, I will not part with, and this seems a factor that the author wants to eliminate anything I don't use. I don't own very much, I could probably move all of me belongings in the back seat of a two-door car. I don't think this book would be useful for me. I didn't see anything online that would convince me to alter my decision.
ERROR: Ultimately, minimalism is about elimi-nating unnecessary clutter in your life, so you have a clean and inspiring space that is free from distractions.
There is no need for the hyphen in eliminating.
First Ten review added on March 8, 2022, at 12:14 am by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The cover art is attractive and the title tells me exactly what the book is about. I try to declutter regularly, so I believe this book would interest me. The Online Book Club review was very positive and increased my interest in the book. I didn’t read any additional customer reviews. The first ten pages describe how to get rid of clutter and live a more minimalist life. The book suggests that you keep only the things you use regularly and get rid of everything else. I feel like the advice is too simple but it may get more detailed later in the book. I saw some errors in the first ten pages, so I don’t believe the book was professionally edited. Many of the errors look like formatting issues where the writing on the page ends in the middle of the page and continues on the top of the next page. Also, on page 12 it refers to “season-al clothing.” There should not be a hyphen in “seasonal.” I think the author could have improved this book by having it professionally edited. Although I believe that I could benefit from advise on living a more minimalist life, I did not learn anything new in the first ten pages. For that reason, I will not finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 10:39 pm by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
Even if The Pocket Guide to Minimalism hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have read it simply because of the title. I enjoy finding ways to minimize the things I own, which is why I wanted to read it. I did not have to read the description or the customer reviews to know that this book is a good fit for me. I like that the sections are small and easy to understand; there is nothing confusing or overwhelming about what the author is saying. While I do not think any improvements need to be made, I noticed that some words were hyphenated when they should not have been. An example is the following from the 2% section of the sample- "Ultimately, minimalism is about elimi[-]nating unnessesary clutter in your life..." There is an official OnlineBookClub review, but I already decided that I wanted to read the book because of how fitting it was. As such, the official OnlineBookClub review did not affect my decision to read the book. If a reader wants to make more space in their home, this title may be a great starting point.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 10:28 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jennifer Garcia 555
I like the cover and title of this book. It is a simple and clear representation of what the book is about. I don’t usually read self-help books but really dislike clutter, so I figured this book was worth a closer look. The official OnlineBookClub review that I saw spoke highly of this book. After reading the sample pages, this book is well organized, and I like the part about putting all your clothes together before getting rid of some. It will help you to truly realize how much you have. I did not see any editing errors, so this book seems professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvement. I already live the way the author talks about so I don’t think I can learn much from this book. I will not buy or finish reading it, but if you find yourself struggling to get rid of things this book may help.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 9:40 pm by Jennifer Garcia 555.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rodel Barnachea
After I pored over the title’s Amazon page and official OnlineBookClub review, I decided not to acquire the book. I am not really fascinated by the concept of “minimalism,” so I don’t think this non-fiction guide would serve me any purpose. I am also not intrigued by how being a minimalist will improve the quality of my life. I do not have any plans to read the title and try being a minimalist for a certain period to see if I will like it. Reading its Amazon sample failed to change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the text piqued my curiosity or had me wanting to peruse the rest of the guide. Since the non-fiction guide is under a hundred pages, the Amazon sample is quite short. It contains the first two sections entitled “Defining Minimalism for You” and “3 Simple Steps,” and the first few pages of the chapter entitled “Minimizing.” My favorite part is when the author clarified that minimalism and deprivation are not the same concepts. I noted a possible error (”...tips and tech-niques...”) wherein there is a hyphen in the word “techniques” when there shouldn’t be any. Since the error is minor, I still believe the book is professionally edited. I have no advice to offer to the author.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 8:39 pm by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because I don't think minimalism is for me. I like that the book states that minimalism isn't one-size-fits-all, that each person determines what unnecessary clutter means for each of us. This book seems professionally edited, I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official Online BookClub review. I didn't see anything that needed improvement. Neither the blurb, customer reviews, nor editorial reviews affect my decision not to read the book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 7:55 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
The title, cover, and genre attracted me immediately. I was sold after reading the blurb, and the sample pages cemented my decision. I like that the author doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. She recommends starting with clothing, and I was already thinking about my closets even before I read that. I live a pretty simple life, but I have accumulated clutter that I need to go through. I will buy this book and get to work! There were some formatting issues in the Kindle sample pages, but the book appeared professionally edited. I did not notice any grammatical errors, and I have no suggestions for improvement. The featured OnlineBookClub review reinforced my decision to buy this book. Other customer and editorial reviews had no bearing.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 7:16 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Hazel Arnaiz
The cover art goes nicely with the title. It is neat, organized, and appropriate for the genre. The blurb is clear about what to expect from the book. Customer reviews are positive. However, I seldom read self-help. Hence, I will skip this outside the program. I like that the book is concise. However, sampling did not change my mind. I am not keen enough on the topic to finish the book. There are no editing issues on the sampled pages. But, I suggest reconsidering the format of the page numbers. They seem to be at an odd location when zooming in on the page. The official OnlineBookClub review is enthusiastic and insightful.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 4:49 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
markodim721
I would choose to read a sample of this book because of the cover and title. I read customer reviews, Official OnlineBookClub review, and the blurb but they did not influence my decision. I didn't find any editor reviews. The cover of the book is minimalist and neutrally designed. The title of the book makes it clear to potential readers what it is about and fits well with the title. I will read the book because minimalism is the ideal I strive for and any advice is welcome. While reading the sample I did notice multiple typos (elimi-nating instead of eliminating, tech-niques instead of techniques, real-ize instead of realize, sur-rounded instead of surrounded) and the book does not seem like it is professionally edited. Reading the sample did not change my mind from my original guess. I like that the author focused on three basic steps in the minimization process: minimizing, organizing, and maintaining. I don't think anything needs to be improved in the book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 4:36 pm by markodim721.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Yvonne Monique
The book cover perfectly reflects the book's content. As this is a topic that interests me, I would pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore. The customer reviews, blurb and OBC review convince me that I need to read the sample because they give a very positive impression of the book. The sample is well edited and written in an understandable way. I liked the grouping concept because it definitely makes you aware of how much you own if you put all similar items together. Although I will never be a completely minimalistic person, I believe that this book can help me getting rid of many unnecessary items I have stocked up. That is why I will read this book. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 4:23 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Amy Luman
I won’t read this entire book. The cover is plain (understandable for a book about minimalism) and the title is uninteresting to me. I read some reviews, including the OBC one, and they all told me things that I could deduce from the title. I don’t want to be a minimalist, but I do think that I do a good job of decluttering my space. In addition, I generally don’t like self-help books. Many of the lists in this sample were poorly formatted. This, however, could be from reading on my Kindle app. I think that there are a lot of good ideals in this book, including categorizing and sub-categorizing items before a decision is made. I can’t think of any way to improve the book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 3:55 pm by Amy Luman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
While I enjoy reading nonfiction books about subjects I don't know much about, I will skip this book. I saw a lot of positive feedback on Amazon. The blurb is inviting too. My favorite is the cover, which matches perfectly the topic of the book. There is an excellent Official OnlineBookClub review of this book. However, not one of those things changed my mind about the book, not even the sample. I like that it is a concise book with easy to follow and understand narrative. There are some editing errors with the format, and it seems unfinished and messy. The first error I noticed is an unnecessary hyphen on location 68. "Ultimately, minimalism is about elimi-nating unnecessary clutter in your life, so you can have clean and inspiring space that is free from distractions." I wouldn't change anything about the book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 3:49 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chinazo Anozie
I knew I would not be interested in this book from the title, cover, genre, description, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I’m not a fan of self-help books, and reading the first few pages did not convince me to buy and read this book. However, I liked that the author was brief and succinct in her message on minimalism and how to declutter. This book will benefit from another round of editing because it contains many typographical errors. An example of such error from page eight is as follows: ‘There are hundreds of tips and tech-niques [techniques] out there for minimizing…'
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 3:44 pm by Chinazo Anozie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'The Pocket Guide to Minimalism' is a book written by Katy Moeggenberg. It is a guide that aims to help us to adopt a minimalist approach. I believe it should have been "eliminating" instead of "elimi-nating". However, this is just a minor error in my opinion. Hence, I think the editing is good. I like the pointer-based approach. The OBC review is good. However, the subject matter is not of my interest. Hence, I would have given this book a skip based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer review. After reading the first ten pages, I did not find anything in need of an improvement. Still, I will give this book a pass as I do not wish to read books of this genre as of now.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 2:56 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I like the cover because it is a beautiful example of minimalism. I never thought of trying this lifestyle, so I was curious to see more. The blurb, OBC review, and Amazon reviews were all positive and encouraging. I liked how simple the sample was. It made the process of decluttering very easy and approachable. However, I'm not interested in starting this lifestyle just yet. Maybe the author could've presented the benefits of the lifestyle. I would've liked that and maybe it could've convinced me to read it. That would be my recommendation for improvement. As for the editing, I didn't notice any errors, so it's professionally edited.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 2:32 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kira Bonita Reece
This is the perfect guide for persons seeking to minimize and declutter their lives. What I liked about this book was how the author kept her advice concise.
The sample I read was professionally edited and this book needs no improvements. Had it not been for this program, I would choose to read this book based on the cover, blurb, genre, title, editorial reviews, and the official online book club review. After reading the sample, however, this book doesn't seem to contain any information that is new to me being that I'm a minimalist myself. I won't be reading this one but it's a good self-help book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 12:46 pm by Kira Bonita Reece.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover is clean and simple, which is congruent with the topic. I always appreciate congruence. The blurb has a good balance between praise, a summary of the book, and an excerpt. It caught my attention because I admit I can be materialistic and it's an area of my life I can improve. The book also has perfect ratings. Adding all this, I would've bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages confirmed this would be a very useful book for me. I love the motto: "living simply doesn’t need to be complicated." Also, I feel the author understands how hard it can be to give up things like "gifts or family heirlooms." I think it's a great idea to first strengthen our minimalism muscle with more mundane items, such as clothing. I could relate and I think it can work. There were some editing and formatting mistakes that I found. For example, in position 159, the word "eliminating" shouldn't be hyphenated: "Ultimately, minimalism is about elimi-nating unnecessary clutter in your life, so you can have a clean and inspiring space that is free from distractions." Also, some paragraphs with the same kind of content have indentations and some don't, which makes the formatting appear careless. I suggest fixing the edition and the format. The official OBC review furthered my enthusiasm for this read.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 12:33 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Bertha Jackson
I would not have checked this book out based on the cover, title, and genre because I do not enjoy reading self-help books. I was pleasantly surprised when the blurb revealed that this book is about minimalism. The customer reviews did not influence my decision not to read the book. The factor that made me decide not to read the book is the number of errors in the first ten pages of the Kindle version on Amazon. Although the OnlineBookClub review stated the book had no errors, the version I read was full of them. The first one on Page 6 is, “Ultimately, minimalism is about [elimi-nating] (eliminating) unnecessary clutter in your life, so you can have a clean and inspiring space that is free from distractions.” I recommend that the author review her submission and resubmit it because the number of errors and the formatting are distracting. As it is, it appears that it has not been professionally edited. I like that the author leaves it up to the reader to define clutter and provides a guide to help the reader decide what is essential to keep. Although I find this topic interesting, the number of errors and the formatting issues in the free copy I downloaded prevent me from reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 12:31 pm by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
I liked the concise Amazon blurb, but I would not have read the book based on the genre, title, editorial reviews, and cover. As this is not my genre, neither the OBC review nor the sample changed my mind. In writing her 62-page book, the author wants to help you live a happy and stress-free life by highlighting the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle. The writing style was engaging, and I particularly enjoyed the conversational tone as she offered different techniques to help you minimize your belongings. The book, however, had editing and formatting issues. For example, it should be written "techniques" in the following sentence: "There are hundreds of tips and tech-niques out there..." (location 212 of 295 • 72%) It should be written "realize" instead of "real-ize." (location 259 of 295 • 88%) Considering the book has received seven positive customer reviews, those interested in self-help books will appreciate it. I would only suggest another round of editing.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 12:06 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Astral Magi
I wasn't interested in the title and I didn't find the cover inspirational. If I hadn't read the first ten pages, I wouldn't have chosen this book. The official OBC review, as well as the first ten pages, explained that the book wasn't about getting rid of everything, and this changed my mind. The customer reviews made it clear that the book helps you to simplify your life. I enjoyed how the book was organized in a step-by-step fashion to aid with the decluttering process. I'm excited to read the rest. I didn't spot any errors and I believe that the book was professionally edited. Nothing needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 12:04 pm by Astral Magi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Timothy Rucinski
I absolutely loved the cover. I'm a firm believer that the cover really needs to address the content, and what better way to portray minimalism than with a minimalistic cover? This cover would have most definitely grabbed my attention had I been browsing the self-help book aisle. So too did the Official OBC Review pique my interest. I read no other reviews or blurbs. The only reason that I wouldn't jump into reading this book is that my lifestyle, with the exception of an extensive book collection, is fairly minimal already. What I liked most about what I read was the author's recommendation for creating groupings of similar items by which to make a decision to eliminate those that are unnecessary. There was nothing that I disliked. I simply have no interest in the topic at the moment. I have no recommendations or suggestions for improvement other than for the author to take a look at the book using the Kindle app on a smartphone. The book may have been professionally edited, but it certainly was not proofread in this format where the text is poorly formatted. For example, on page 6 of the Kindle edition, using the Kindle app on my phone, the word "eliminating" is oddly hyphenated mid-sentence: "Ultimately, minimalism is about elimi-nating unnecessary clutter..." The same error appears on page 9: "There are hundreds of tips and tech-niques out there for minimizing..." This type of error occurs frequently within the text.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 10:56 am by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rizki Pradana
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read this book based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, customer reviews, and editorial reviews. Because the information that people share about a book could be enough to help a reader decide whether to buy a book or not.
I will buy the book to read the whole story because the writer is good at storytelling. Reading the first ten pages of the book changed my opinion from the original guess.
I liked this book because this book gave me a new understanding of minimalism. Also, this book taught me a lot of things that could be used in real life. For instance, how to save your money.
Based on what I read, the book seemed to be perfectly edited. I didn't notice any typos or errors. I don't think this book needs any improvement.
The book had an official OnlineBookClub review that I saw. But it didn't affect my decision. Instead, it strengthened my decision to buy and read the book.
First Ten review added on March 7, 2022, at 10:19 am by Rizki Pradana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 39%
The Pocket Guide to Minimalism earned a score of 39%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 39% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for The Pocket Guide to Minimalism
