Tolin, Frost and Steketee, the authors of Buried in Treasures, have produced a second edition of their popular self-help manual for Hoarding Disorder, first printed in 2007. Research and interest in the field of hoarding has grown substantially since the first edition and in May 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) categorized Hoarding Disorder as a separate disorder. This is distinct from its previous categorization as a sub-type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Since 2007, the general media has helped to popularize the issue of hoarding behaviours with television documentaries on this chronic condition. Current prevalence is estimated to be in the range of 2%–6% of the general population. (Steketee and Frost, Reference Steketee and Frost2013).

Buried in Treasures is designed as a self-help book that can be used as a stand-alone intervention or as an adjunct or precursor to therapy. Additionally, it is designed as an accompaniment to a 15-week “Buried in Treasures” workshop for which there is a free facilitators manual and protocol. It is also a helpful resource for family members to read. For professionals, there is a Therapist Guide for the Treatment for Hoarding Disorder (2nd ed.) by the same authors in the “Treatments that work” series, which also has an associated workbook for clients (Steketee and Frost, Reference Steketee and Frost2013).

Buried in Treasures uses a cognitive behavioural approach throughout, looking at the role thoughts, behaviours, emotions and the brain play in maintaining the problem. It is a step by step, practical workbook with 13 chapters, complete with self-assessment questionnaires and worksheets. The chapters are short and easy to read. The authors acknowledge that many people with Hoarding Disorder can have attention difficulties. As such, they have repeated themes for recovery throughout the book to aid assimilation of the material. Buried in Treasures is intuitively structured, starting with an introduction to the book itself, including who should use it, how to use it and when to seek professional help. Chapters 2 and 6 cover what hoarding is and how it develops and chapter 3 is a self-assessment tool. Chapter 4 then introduces the psychological obstacles to overcoming a hoarding problem and includes self-assessment measures to help identify unhelpful beliefs. Chapter 5 introduces the cognitive and behavioural strategies to overcome these obstacles including behavioural experiments. An excellent section in chapter 7 follows this on motivation for change, with helpful worksheets on values and goals, as well as useful visualization exercises. Chapter 8 then focuses on reducing acquiring and chapters 9 and 10 instruct the reader towards sorting items and being able to let go. This includes a very helpful section that appears to be based on “third wave” CBT; tolerating distress rather than “fixing it”. Overcoming obstacles to “letting go” from chapters 4 and 5 are covered again in later chapters but in greater depth. The book finishes with a self re-assessment and a comprehensive relapse prevention plan.

Buried in Treasures appears to be an excellent self-help resource for people wanting to overcome a problem with hoarding. However, like most self-help books, unless the reader's problem is within the mild range, it may be difficult to make the best use of the book without the assistance of others. One of the strong points of the book is that it frequently repeats core themes. However, this also causes difficulty when wanting to refer back to these themes for quick reference as the information is spread between different chapters. Also, for clarity, it would be useful to have a CBT maintenance diagram to refer to and also a diagrammatic illustration of helpful thoughts and behaviours as something to focus the treatment goals on. Additionally, an area of the book that I'd like to see expanded upon is the chapter on “reducing acquiring”. A few more strategies and case study examples could be useful here. Also, as it is an American book, international readers may benefit from links to their own national organizations that can assist in the removal of clutter.

In summary, Buried in Treasures is an excellent self-help resource that has been helpfully updated. It is an insightful and practical book with worksheets throughout, that is easy to read and not over ambitious. I think it would be particularly useful for those unable to access therapy or as an adjunct to therapy and it is highly recommended.