Careful What You Wish For – Hallie Ephron – Organizer Don’ts & Spoiler Alerts

Hallie Ephron, author of Careful What You Wish For, did a superlative job immersing herself in an Organizer’s world. I have huge respect for a writer who visits NAPO-New England (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) to get the insider’s perspective. Was even more gratified to see Kathy Vines, Clever Girl Organizing, herself the author of the incredibly empowering Clever Girl’s Guide to Living with Less, in the acknowledgements. Kathy is good people.

I thought it marvelous that Ms. Ephron concluded her book with suggested questions – most of which hinge on organizing – for reading groups! Equally delightful, Ms. Ephron openly acknowledges inspiration from Patricia Highsmith’s detective fiction Strangers on a Train.

And now for my take on the actual book. Lots and lots of fun, and so full of Organizer DON’Ts it ought to be required reading for the NAPO Certified Professional Organizer® exam. Don’t share an enormous glass of wine, or moaning about your husband, or identifying details about clients, with clients. Bad juju, mojo, karma, rule-of-three repercussions and generally anti-Girl-Scout. And oh wow, such AWFUL clients. Enough to scare newbies away from the profession.

And, I contend as always about make-believe Organizer shamuses, our Organizer heroine, Emily Harlow, is a TERRIBLE sleuth, no competition at all to a Miss Marple or Nora Charles. Fictional Organizers need to stick to what they know best, sorting and baskets!