Secrets of an Organized Mom—From the Overflowing Closets to the Chaotic Play Areas: A Room-by-Room Guide to Decluttering and Streamlining Your Home for a Happier Family

In a straightforward and concise narrative, organization expert Reich promises, “Whatever organizational nightmare makes you crazy on a daily basis, the antidote can be found here.” It’s a tall order to fill, but Reich delivers. Not just for mothers, “this book shows how every member of the family can breathe easier,” says Reich. She starts off by advising readers to identify their homes’ “hot spots” areas that drive them the craziest. Her four-step method to organization follows: purge, design, organize, and maintain. Ground rules, which make up the “Ten Commandments of Organizing” include beware of junk mail, get it off the floor, and use one type of storage container, hanger, etc. Reich gives readers recommendations on the best types of items to use, such as clear plastic containers with drawers and trays, and tells them what questions to ask themselves when trying to determine what items to donate, recycle, or toss. Chapters on how to organize specific rooms are extremely detailed and make the tasks feel doable: “A Walk on the Wild Side,” for example, tackles children’s bedrooms and play areas; “The Bare Necessities” covers the bathroom and linen closet. Reich’s book just might take the anxiety out of tasks that many find completely daunting and overwhelming. Agent, Richard Abate. (Feb.)