Publishers Weekly
05/31/2021
Klotz (Sustainability Through Soccer), a University of Virginia engineering and architecture professor, makes a bold but poorly executed case for the benefits of a minimalist approach to life. Klotz argues that when one is seeking to make changes, the natural instinct is to add (more tasks, more content, more objects) while overlooking solutions that involve doing or having less. Unfortunately, Klotz gets lost in the weeds, and instead of supplying practical suggestions, turns his attention to examples of minimalism in art and science. While some illustrations of how excess is prized come off as too amorphous (Keynesian economic theories or the rise of the Anthropocene), his arguments are most memorable when they draw on the world of design, such as in his explanations of the genius of the cement block and the Vietnam Memorial. Some ideas are intriguing, with shades of Cal Newport’s minimalism and Daniel Kahneman’s paradigm-shifting approach to psychology, but Klotz’s reasoning is hindered by repetition, tangents, and philosophical overreach, such as reflections on “interdependent multitudes” and the duality of the Hindu goddess Kali. This overfilled and underbaked take on a fertile topic makes for frustrating reading. (Apr.)
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"A good book whisks you on a journey to foreign lands filled with exotic ideas and captivating stories. A great book changes the world you live in, pulling back the curtain to reveal mysteries you didn't even know were there. This is a great book. Anyone who has interest in understanding their lives better—and who doesn't—should read it."—Sendhil Mullainathan, MacArthur fellow and author of Scarcity
“This is a captivating, perceptive read on one of the most basic mistakes that we make in the pursuit of success and happiness. Combining his expertise in architectural engineering and behavioral science, Leidy Klotz pinpoints a gaping hole in our mental math: we’re constantly adding tasks, commitments, and possessions to our lives while neglecting to subtract any. If the defining word of your life is ‘more,’ you need to read this book.” —Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and ORIGINALS, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
“Leidy Klotz leads the reader on an intellectual journey as he explores the fascinating question: In designing our world, why do we always seem to add rather than subtract? Subtract is a great blend of academic research, stories, and practical tools. Enjoy the journey!”—Dan Heath, co-author of Made to Stick and author of Upstream
“The best book I read this year.” —Bob Sutton, New York Times bestselling author of The No Asshole Rule
“Behavioral science at its best helps people to improve their lives. It may help them think about old things in new ways or add new and better habits. In Subtract, Leidy Klotz shows us how deleting things from our lives can lead us to exciting new places.”—Carol Dweck, author of Mindset
“Subtract is simply brilliant. With engaging and moving prose, Leidy Klotz travels back and forth between kids’ toys, evolution, Dr. Seuss, anthropology, racism, cognitive psychology, urban planning, global warming, and architecture to teach us that often, the best way to solve problems is by taking things away—by subtracting. To learn how to subtract, you must first add Subtract to your reading list.”—Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice and Why We Work
“There could be no more important time to read this well-researched book, when so much needs subtracting: the prejudices, norms, and rules that perpetuate structural racism in our country; the mindless consumption that puts us on the hedonic treadmill and destroys biodiversity and a livable climate on our planet.” —Elke Weber, Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment
"The heart of Leidy Klotz's SUBTRACT is a brilliant catch-all philosophy for living well: humans are predisposed to add—money, ideas, inventions, possessions, complexity—but the route to well-being is to take away. Subtraction doesn’t require you to be rich, or to have superhuman self-control, or plenty of free time. All you need is the right attitude, and a toolbox that will help you learn you to subtract effectively. SUBTRACT is that toolbox." —Adam Alter, New York Times bestselling author of IRRESISTIBLE and DRUNK TANK PINK
“An engaging style and breadth of examples that guides the reader through an important new view of thinking by removing.”—Eric J. Johnson, author of The Elements of Choice
"The novel perspectives offered in Subtract make it a worthwhile read for decision-makers everywhere. Through its collection of contemporary psychology, anthropology, and economics, Subtract challenges its audience to defy standard modes of thinking and work to enhance organizations and cultures to reach new potentials." —J. Alexander Thew, War on the Rocks
