More Than Pretty Boxes

More Than Pretty Boxes (2024) investigates how professional organizers do far more than just help people tidy up – they reveal fundamental problems with how modern life is structured, especially for women. Through deep examination of the organizing industry, the book shows how struggles with clutter and chaos reflect larger systemic issues, while offering a path forward through both personal and collective change. 

• People who feel overwhelmed by traditional organizing advice
• Curious culture mavens exploring modern work and consumption patterns 
• Anyone interested in minimalism, decluttering, or simple living who wants to understand the deeper psychology behind their relationship with stuff

Carrie M. Lane is Associate Professor of American Studies at California State University, Fullerton, where she specializes in contemporary work cultures and women's labor. Her publications A Company of One: Insecurity, Independence, and the New World of White-Collar Unemployment (2011) and she has published extensively on topics ranging from professional organizing to craft economies. More Than Pretty Boxes won the Society for the Anthropology of Work Book Prize.