Although this book is aimed at baby boomers who are down sizing, it is full of simple, practical suggestions for a myriad of situations. Not only do the authors deal with the physical stuff but they also deal with the emotional side of the letting go. In addition to having some great cartoons, the book is written in a conversational tone and with a great deal of humor as exemplified by a chapter entitled "The Secret Life of Clothing".SCALING down is divided into five parts. In Part 1, the Challenges of Scaling Down, the authors discuss the nature of clutter including a quiz entitled "How Stuffed Are You?" They then present their approach, which is to develop with the client a simple mission statement that includes obstacles, as in "I need (or want) to _________________ but _____________. They then present 21 obstacles, excuses and fears and provide suggestions on helping the client past each of them.In Part 2, "The Culprits", the authors deal with the major issues of paper, clothing, gifts and what they call the `tyranny' of collections'. A simple filing system is suggested for a more simple lifestyle. Judi & Marj discuss how to help a recent retiree pare down "the physical evidence of a lifetime of work" in a compassionate and respectful manner. Since guilt is usually associated with getting rid of items that were gifts from others, the authors present options for getting past the guilt. They analyze the `why' of collecting and suggest ways to lead the client to the `better' not `bigger' collection.Special Situations are dealt with in Part 3. The task of clearing out a family home covers numerous issues from family dynamics and old hurts to allowing enough time and getting items successfully distributed to their intended new homes. In the chapter called "Your Cuisinart or Mine?", the authors deal with blending households as well as separating households. As in other Parts, Marj and Judi deal not only with the physical stuff but also handling the emotional issues involved in these emotionally charged situations.Although the Part 4 Scaling Down Strategies, such as skimming and triage, are pretty familiar, they also discuss the psychology of shopping. Additionally there is a whole chapter dedicated to helping clients cull through their life's memorabilia and enable the client to keep only that which is truly significant to their lives. They also provide a list of 28 techniques to prevent the return of clutter.The final part of the book deals with the rewards of living in a smaller space and emphasizes the avoidance of the bigger is better mentality that surrounds us in today's culture. Their definition of what a home should be sums it up. "Your own home...is a backdrop to help your life flow smoothly and provide comfort and self-expression---not be an end in itself."