Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday - Stuff; Frost and Steketee

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.  What book are you waiting for to be released?

My pick is a non fiction about Hoarding (I'm not one; I toss way more than I keep). I am, however, fascinated by the A & E program on television, and just wanted to learn more about what  triggers someone to become a hoarder.  (BTW, books do not count...as hoarding...LOL)
:

(Houghton Mifflin - March 2010)

(amazon)
What possesses someone to save every scrap of paper that's ever come into his home? What compulsions drive a woman like Irene, whose hoarding cost her her marriage? Or Ralph, whose imagined uses for castoff items like leaky old buckets almost lost him his house? Or Jerry and Alvin, wealthy twin bachelors who filled up matching luxury apartments with countless pieces of fine art, not even leaving themselves room to sleep?

Randy Frost and Gail Steketee were the first to study hoarding when they began their work a decade ago; they expected to find a few sufferers but ended up treating hundreds of patients and fielding thousands of calls from the families of others. Now they explore the compulsion through a series of compelling case studies in the vein of Oliver Sacks.With vivid portraits that show us the traits by which you can identify a hoarder--piles on sofas and beds that make the furniture useless, houses that can be navigated only by following small paths called goat trails, vast piles of paper that the hoarders "churn" but never discard, even collections of animals and garbage--Frost and Steketee explain the causes and outline the often ineffective treatments for the disorder.They also illuminate the pull that possessions exert on all of us. Whether we're savers, collectors, or compulsive cleaners, none of us is free of the impulses that drive hoarders to the extremes in which they live.

For the six million sufferers, their relatives and friends, and all the rest of us with complicated relationships to our things, Stuff answers the question of what happens when our stuff starts to own us.

32 comments:

  1. I suppose sheer curiosity on the subject is what's enabled the show Hording to air in the first place. I keep seeing the same commerical for it over and over. I'm curious to see a review of this book soon...

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  2. Interesting! I myself hate clutter so am always fascinated as to what compels people to hoard stuff.

    Here's what I'm waiting for:
    theliterarystew.blogspot.com

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  3. tuckerThanks for the heads up on this book.

    Though not a hoarder myself, I have a stange obsession with watching these shows.

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  4. I'm kind of the opposite of a hoarder so the tv shows make me a little anxious. I have watched, though. Sounds like an interesting book.

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  5. I want to read this one, too. I keep waiting for someone to tell me I have a hoarding problem when it comes to books!

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  6. This is a very fascinating topic...partly because my kids think I'm one because of my collections! LOL. But I definitely do not hold onto anything that's not beautiful. (More laughter) It's also good to know that books don't count!!

    Here's my WOW:

    http://chezraine.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/waiting-on-wednesday-3/

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  7. I've seen shows on this before and I guess it is a real sickness. The weird thing about hoarding seems to be the fact that most of the stuff they hoard is nigh to useless. Of course, books never, ever, come into that category. Have a good week, Diane.

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  8. I haven't heard of Stuff before, but I definitely want to read it. While I am not a hoarder (I do admit to being a bit of a clutter bug (the kind that has junk drawers & closets)) I do know someone who has this issue and it is very sad. This person also suffers from agoraphobia (sp?) so their house is literally their world. It really is an illness.

    Thanks for sharing this book!

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  9. Sounds fascinating! Thankfully there are no hoarders in my family.

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  10. Oh, this one's going on my list. I'm so addicted to the A&E show, I think because I can't relate to it at all, so it fascinates me.

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  11. I also am fascinated by the A&E show and this book sounds really interesting. I'll have to check this out, too!

    Thanks for visiting me today!

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  12. This sounds really interesting! I also am fascinated by that A&E show. If nothing else, watching it compells me to clean up my apartment.

    My WoW pick is here!

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  13. Interesting, hope you get it soon! My WOW is at The Crowded Leaf.

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  14. Isn't the concept of hoarding amazing?! I've seen a few episodes of hoarding on television, and I can't imagine the stress the hoarders and their loved ones must be under. (I only have a small problem collecting lipsticks. ;)

    Anyway, this book sounds fascinating to me.

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  15. Ooh, I am planning to read that book next week! I got it last week and was reading my book club book so couldn't dive into it instantly but read the intro and am really looking forward to it! I love the TV show, too.

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  16. I am completely addicted to the show Hoarders... and I have a sister-in-law who probably qualifies clinically as a hoarder, so this of course goes on my list! If I could go & do it all over again, I might have become a clinical psychologist. I can not get enough of this stuff! (Pardon the pun.)

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  17. It seems like everyone is watching this show! Just last night my brother said that he watched it and then felt the need to clean his apartment. Then we had a great laugh because our mom actually is a hoarder (not as bad as the tv people but about 50-60% there) and so, of course, our homes are never very bad. We learned how to be clean by non-example. That said, I've had enough of the hoarding and I don't think I could read an entire book on it.

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  18. Stuff sounds very interesting, Diane!

    How's your new job going? :)

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  19. I love that show. I made the mistake of eating dinner the first time I watched it, though. I almost...well, you know. But it's such an addicting show. I can see why you'd want to read more about hoarding. Nice pick!

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  20. Maybe Homer and Langley should have read this book.

    I am always amazed by the people who have two- or three-car garages and have to park in the driveway because the garages are full of junk.

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  21. This looks like a really interesting book, and one that I might like to read. Thanks for the heads-up on this one!

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  22. I'm addicted to that show too...can't wait to find out if we qualify or not with our books??!! LOL!!

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  23. It would be very interesting to understand the Why of hoarding. I can't relate because de-junking feels soooo good! Only once have I thought "Hmmm...maybe I should have kept that."

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  24. It is very interesting.. sad but I should get this book for my mom.

    She got upset because I was using her "pretty" grocery store bags...

    What is the name of that recent semi biography Homer and Langley? One died under a pile of stuff and it took 2 weeks to find it.

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  25. That show is so addictive and fascinating. It seems like there is a lot of pschological problems involved. Like you though, I don't think keeping lots and lots of books is a problem, it's just showing that we're curious ;)

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  26. That's interesting! I consider myself a hoarder when it comes to books and magazines. I have piles and piles of them, and each time I look at them, I feel guilty... I need to declutter this weekend. It's my mission for this week. :)

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  27. Good one Diane. I'm fascinated by that show on A&E as well and now TLC I believe it is has a show too. I'm just amazed that people can keep so many layers of stuff in their homes and be ok with it. I will admit to hoarding books though but, like you, I don't consider that hoarding. lol.

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  28. All of your comments made me chuckle. I think deep down there is a bit of a hoarding tendency in ALL of us.

    For me it is books, pens, and on occasion coffee mugs (oh sorry forgot shoes and handbags) :)

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  29. Books COULD become hoarding ;0)

    Keeping things you value and treat that way I wouldn't think of as hoarding. Keeping things cumpulsively because you just can't not do it - that's hoarding. It is a fine line from a pack rat to hoarding. I am thankful I pulled myself away and am now able to throw out stuff!

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  30. After reading this post I watched the A&E show for the first time -- very sad, but at least the families on it are trying to get help. I really admire their bravery. Apparently, it is an anxiety disorder.

    The show also had a positive cleaning effect on me too. Today I dropped off two large bags of clothes & misc household goods to Goodwill. Maybe if I keep watching I'll have a clutter free house!

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  31. Kim....glad I helped you to do some spring cleaning :)

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  32. A little Hoarders update -- my mom is a middle-weight hoarder but the guy across the street was a full-blown example. In fact, he made it on to the show! If you watch next Monday, the episode about Jim is him. I'll be watching to see everything finally gone. We moved across the street from him in 1985 and he was already well on his way to maximum capacity. I can't believe that it has been that way for 25 years!

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