I picked up this book almost at random at the library, but it's a truly fascinating (dare I say, compulsive) read. Frost and Steketee are psychiatrists who specialize in compulsive hoarding, and
Stuff is a multifaceted view of hoarders and the lives they lead.
Much of the book documents some Frost and Steketee's various clients, the reasons they hoard, and the consequences on their lives. It's really fascinating, and much more deep and complex than I otherwise might have thought. While the reasons for hoarding vary, some of the common threads stick one. One is that these people see many more possibilities in items than you or I might. (If you've ever seen an old piece of furniture and thought, "I could totally fix that up and make it awesome," imagine feeling that way for pretty much every item you find, even garbage.) Another is that they often perceive physical beauty in objects that other people might not, like the beauty in a bag full of bottle caps. Still another is that they often imbue objects with value because of the memories they evoke or because it gives them a sense of identity. (Imagine the feeling you'd get from holding a t-shirt autographed by your favorite celebrity, or a ticket stub from a really awesome concert by your favorite band, and now imagine feeling that way about
every t-shirt you own or every receipt for groceries.)
There's not much in the book in terms of concrete treatment ideas, but there's a lot of food for thought. If you want a more nuanced, sophisticated view of hoarders than you might get on half-hour t-shows, this is a great book.
