24 of The Best Books On Minimalism

I am new to the minimalist world. Naturally, when I want to know more about a subject, I decide to hit the books!

The list I’m showing you today are the best books that I think would be great for anyone, no matter where they are on their journey to living a minimalist lifestyle. If you are looking for more practical tips on how to live more minimalistic, check out our other blog posts about minimalism, written by other GenTwenty Contributors. For now, let’s get into the best minimalist books.

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24 of The Best Books On Minimalism

Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Millburn, Ryan Nicodemus

Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life is all about the personal journeys of authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. They talk about the five areas that make a meaningful life (health, relationships, passions, growth, and contributions. By introducing minimalism to each of these areas, each of them were able to start living a better life. This is a great book for you if you are wanting to apply minimalist principles to all aspects of your life.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Next up on this list of books about minimalism is the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The author of this book is Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo. As you may have guessed we are switching the focus to minimalism in the home. Her method of creating a minimalistic, tidy, home comes from the KonMari Method, which is the Japanese art of decluttering. The success of this book led to a series, with the second book called Spark Joy, and a Netflix documentary called Tidying Up.

The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker 

Minimalist blogger, Joshua Becker, encourages us to create a simpler life in our home in his book The Minimalist Home. In addition to that he brings to light the underlying issues we may have with your need to have so much stuff. This is a great book for someone getting started in their minimalist journey who wants to get to the root of their current living style and create a  cozy minimalist home. This is only the first book of Joshua Becker’s that we will be discussing. Stay tuned for the next one.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White

If you talk yourself out of getting rid of stuff a lot, but you still would like a more simple life free of clutter, then this will be one of your new favorite books. Think of it as a minimalist living guide. In Decluttering at the Speed of Life you’ll learn the blocks that have kept you from decluttering, along with practical minimalist living strategies and how to implement them. 

The Joy of Less by Francine Jay

Fans of the inspirational tone of self-help books will enjoy The Joy of Less. In this practical guide you’ll learn how and why less stuff can lead you to a happy life. This book has four parts to it, starting out with an inspirational pep talk, and ending with practical tips on freeing both your house, and your to-do list, from clutter.

The More of Less by Joshua Becker

I told you we would be seeing more of this author. In this book, Joshua Becker shows us more about the why of simple living. You’ll learn all the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle, hint- it’s more than having a clean house. If you are on the fence about becoming a minimalist you need to add The More of Less to your reading list.

Slow: Living For A Frantic World by Brooke Mcalary

Life can be hectic and busy sometimes. Maybe that’s why you decided to look for a list of books about minimalism? You are searching for a more calm and focused life.In the book Slow you’ll read the practical advice that the author learned through her personal minimalism journey.

When Less Becomes More by Emily Ley

We have been talking about minimalism books, so the idea of the word more in the title of one of these books may seem off putting. However, in When Less Becomes More, the more isn’t talking about busyness and material possessions, it’s talking abou more time, peace, focus, etc.. Who doesn’t want more of that? This book will show you how to make it happen.

Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson

This is a great book for anyone wanting to learn more about being less wasteful. In Zero Waste Home you get a step by step guide full of tips and insights to get you started on the zero waste lifestyle. Not only that, but the author also shares her experience turning her home into a zero waste home.

Project 333 by Courtney Carver

If the idea of doing a complete 180 with your lifestyle seems to be too much, you’ll enjoy the next few books that just focus on one area of minimalism. The first one being Project 333, and we are talking minimalist fashion. This book is about a minimalist fashion challenge, which centers around the idea that you only need 33 items of clothing in your closet for three months. If you are ready to take on that challenge, or just want to look into what it entails, you’ll want to read this book.

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

Your phone may not be the first thing you think of when you think of minimalism. However, in my opinion, I think digital minimalism may be just as, if not more, important as any other area of minimalism. Your phone can hold so much, from games, to photos, and we can’t forget social media. It’s very easy to experience information overload in your cluttered phone. I dove into the concept of decluttering your digital life in a previous post.

Digital minimalism is a great next step to that. That’s where the book Digital Minimalism comes into the picture. In this book you’ll hear stories from people who have adopted a digital minimalism lifestyle, along with practical ways you can do this in your life.

The One Thing by Gary Keller

Time.

It’s constantly going and you can never get it back, but yet so many of us wate it on all the unimportant things. In The One Thing you’ll learn how to declutter your work life. By having a more focused life, in work, family, and other areas of life, you’ll leave more room for the important things in life, and less for the time-sucking activities that take up your productivity, home life, and more.

Essentialism by Greg Mckeown

This is another book about learning the minimalist way when it comes to your time. If you find yourself being burnt out more often than not, you may want to pick up Essentialism. With this book you’ll learn to decipher what tasks and activities absolutely need to get done, and which ones aren’t essential. 

The Joy of Missing Out by Tonya Dalton

If the idea of  looking at your to-do-list in the mornings makes you want to run back to bed, you may want to read this book. The Joy of Missing Out is a great resource that teaches you to determine the right things to focus on. The more you are able to do this, the less intimidating your to-do list will become, and the less time you’ll spend pondering over it.

New Minimalism by Cary Telander Fortin and Kyle Louise Quilici

So far in this list of books we’ve focused solely on minimalism in the different areas of life. With New Minimalism the authors also dig into sustainable living. You’ll learn all about the why behind your clutter then dig into decluttering your space. Next you’ll learn how to decorate your space in a way that is minimalistic and fits a sustainable lifestyle.

Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith

This book seems like the ultimate resource to creating your home in your own way by using what you already have. Whether you enjoy doing things yourself, or you just don’t want to hire an interior designer, this book is a great asset to have. By reading Cozy Minimalist Home, your dream cozy home can now be a reality, without the need to buy extra or make a big fuss over it. 

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz

As an indecisive person, I can definitely get behind the message of this book. The Paradox of Choice explores how, even though it’s great to have choices, too many choices can lead to not so great things. When reading this you’ll learn what are the right choices to make, and what’s not worth the effort to decide on. Thus saving us from decision making paralysis and psychological and emotional health problems. 

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist and Brene Brown

In this book we are getting into having a minimalist mindset. Meaning we are clearing our mind of all the mess, so that we can have more room for what really matters. Perfection is something that can, and most often does, get the best of us.

We know perfection is a level that no one can get to, at least we know that most of the time. It still doesn’t stop us from piling more and more onto our plate. We want to be the perfect girlfriend/wife, the perfect employee, the perfect mother, the perfect friend, the list goes on. When it doesn’t happen it not only leaves us depleted, but it can also leave us feeling worthless, depressed, etc..

In Present Over Perfect we are shown what it could mean for us to let go of the need to be perfect, and focus on who we really are. By reading about the author’s journey, you’ll be inspired to also go on this transformational journey.

You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too – Tammy Strobel

We live in a world obsessed with having the next best things, so much so that soon we are surrounded by all of this unnecessary stuff. That makes it clear that these things only temporarily make us happy, and is it really worth it then if it’s temporary? In You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap) you’ll hear first hand about the author’s downsizing journey with her husband. It doesn’t stop there.

Through her research and own experience, Tammy Strobel shares what she has learned to help readers start downsizing for themselves. The best news? She has found that to do this all you need to do is start taking micro actions. So anyone can start their downsizing journey.

Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames

As you have probably been able to tell, a lot of these minimalism books tell personal stories about the authors’ experiences creating a minimalist life. This book is no different. The Thames family dreamed of retiring early and settling down in a rural area living a happy life. That is exactly what they planned to do, although it would take a lot of sacrifice and perseverance. They were able to make it happen, and still are thriving with their frugal lifestyle. Meet the Frugalwoods is the story of how they made their dream a reality. The Thames family has found that it’s possible to have a much richer life, without all of the materialistic things. 

The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life by Leo Babauta

If you want to learn how to work less by working smarter, honestly who wouldn’t want that, this book is for you. The Power of Less is another book that focuses on a minimalist mindset. You’ll learn practical steps that will help you become less busy and more focused by giving more attention to what is essential.

Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More by Courtney Carver

In the world we live in today, extravagance is a word that can always catch our attention. We’ve gotten so used to this noisy world that we have forgotten the kind of happiness that can fill our soul. Simplicity is one of the things that can bring us that kind of happiness. In Soulful Simplicity you’ll rediscover the things that are truly important to you.You’ll learn what the excess things in your life are that need to be removed, and what truly makes your soul happy.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

If you like reading the history of greats, especially Henry David Thoreau, this should be an enjoyable read for you. This book is different from the other books in this list, but at the heart of it is the same story. What would it look like to simplify your life and cut out the distractions in life? Walden was known as Life In the Woods in the 1850s when it was originally published. It details Thoreau’s experience living alone in a cabin on Walden Pond. It’s a reflection of simple living at its most basic form.

Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized, and Happy Life by Rachel Jonat

This is a great book to have for a simple guide on how to minimize each area of your life. You’ll learn how to do things like simplify your home, finances, pretty much any area of your life. There are hundreds of practical tips for you to dig into in Do Less. 

We’ve made it to the end of our list. Which minimalism book are you looking forward to reading first?

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