Book Review – Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things
The general population probably isn't very familiar with the mental health disorder known as hoarding. It's difficult to understand the hoarder's plight unless you can get an intimate look at their lives, struggles, and thinking processes. This is exactly what the two authors do in their book Stuff as they take the reader from house to house, many rendered nearly unlivable by the stacks of clutter pressing against the ceiling.
This book gives a fantastic overview of hoarding in general, and it's possible causes and treatments. To an outsider the hoarding of "worthless" objects to one's own detriment seems nonsensical, but the authors take us into the minds and emotions of the hoarders to better understand why they do what they do. The knowledge provided by this book is key to having compassion and understanding while dealing with those who suffer from hoarding.