Recounts the author's experience in restricting his personal possessions to only one hundred items, and includes his reflections on consumerism, the culture of materialism, and the personal growth he found on his journey.

Of cats and contentment -- pt. 1. The challenge takes shape : The 100 thing challenge ; A reluctant entrepreneur ; "American-style consumerism" got my attention ; Every challenge needs rules ; Personal change begins at home ; Purging things and "things past" ; The hardest thing to cut -- pt. 2. The challenge takes off : My 100 thing challenge begins: my 100 thing challenge list ; Imprecise goods: a challenge Christmas ; Naturally, our stuff goes only so far: a winter update ; Reactions to the spectacle: a new frugality ; The short answer to the big question: the 88 thing challenge ; My almost perfect Wednesday: my 10 thing hobby ; A modest proposal for the one thing: we should all keep -- Keep going -- Appendix 1 : How to do a 100 thing challenge -- Appendix 2 : Post-challenge things.