Customer Reviews

Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

Martha Inc. is a balanced biography of Martha Stewart, but short on recent details. I was hoping to read more about her life after she started Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, but most of the material is a re-hash of many events that one can read in Just Desserts. The epilogue contains information about Martha and Kmart after the tech bust and Kmart's bankruptcy, which is a nice follow-up. The author, Christopher Byron, seems a bit star-struck by Martha, too, calling her a "beautiful blonde" a few too times in the book. Martha Inc. is a good read for Martha followers like me -- subscriber to the magazine, viewer of her TV show, consumer of Martha products -- but to the reader who wants even juicier details, read Just Desserts first.

Byron does indeed tell an "incredible story" about one of the most successful businesswomen in the world. How much of it is credible? Is she really as brilliant and resourceful as he suggests? Is she also as spiteful and mean-spirited as he suggests? As I read this book, I sometimes had a difficult time determining what Byron makes of the material he shares. His attitude seems ambivalent as indeed do those who have worked for and with Stewart over the years. Much of the material was provided by friends, enemies, acquaintances, business associates, and employees. He and most of those interviewed seem to admire what she has achieved. However, he and many of them also seem to deplore her values, attitudes, and (especially) her mistreatment of others.

Byron met Stewart in Westport (CT) and knew her only casually as a neighbor whom he encountered infrequently. At that time, he was advancing his career as a journalist, writing for the Wall Street Journal. He became intrigued by the rapid development of her own career and decided to write a book about her. Initially Stewart agreed to cooperate with him but later reconsidered. At no point in the narrative does Byron express any animosity toward her (or about anything else, for that matter) but many others do, notably Kathy Tatlock and Norma Collier. Along the way, Byron also examines Stewart as wife and mother. He observes: "As Martha's fame grew, and she became increasingly absorbed in making it grow still more, she seemed to have less and less time for her personal relationships -- not just with [husband] Andy and [daughter] Alexis, but with her employees, her neighbors, and anyone else she might encounter day to day. A brusque efficiency began to take over her conversations." Eventually her husband left her and other personal relationships deteriorated further as she continued to pursue and achieve her various business objectives. Today, she owns Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. (How she regained control should guarantee her immediate induction into the "Business Hall of Fame.") She is among the wealthiest and most influential people (male or female) in the United States and, if consumer markets continue to expand in underdeveloped countries, it seems certain that both her wealth and her influence will increase exponentially.

Throughout his book, Byron shares lots of opinions and evaluations of Stewart (his and others') as he attempts to understand her character and personality, her life and career. He seems to try very hard to be circumspect. The Stewart who emerges by the end of the book reminds me of what Walt Whitman once said of himself: "Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes." For whatever they may be worth, here are a few of my own reactions to the material in this page-turner of a book. First, I wonder how much criticism of Stewart there would be if she were a male. Is she held accountable to the same standards as, for example, Jack ("Neutron") Welch? Also, often mentioned in the same context as Oprah Winfrey, Stewart seems much more interested in lifestyle; Winfrey in quality of life. Big difference. Most people love Oprah; few seem to love Martha. How to explain that? Also, at a time when "branding" is an especially hot business topic, Stewart seems to be among the very few celebrities who IS the brand...rather than any merchandise (magazines, books, videos, television programs, etc.) associated with her.

Finally, I am intrigued by the number of high-powered male corporate executives who underestimated her, who (in Byron's word) made the mistake of "chick-ing" Stewart. How else to explain the fact that she was able to regain total control of a variety of media assets (e.g. Martha Stewart Living magazine and a series of spin-off books called "The Best of Martha Stewart Living") from Time Inc. in 1997 for $2 million out of her own pocket, about three days worth of the assets' revenue. She then created a new company (Martha Stewart Living Multimedia LLC), took it public in October 1999, and saw the company's stock price nearly triple during its first day of trading. That gave "the one-time Connecticut caterer a personal net worth of more than $1 billion." Hers indeed is one of the most extraordinary business careers in American history, one which accelerates with increasing impact and profitability. As presented by Byron, Martha Stewart the businesswomen and Martha Stewart the person eventually became essentially the same person, and will continue to be the same person, for better or worse.

Unlike the more recent "biography" books about Martha Stewart (see Jerry Oppenheimar's Just Deserts), this isn't simple an exploitative, mean spirited hatchet job. In Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Christopher M. Byron makes an effort to be at least somewhat balanced about the lady. True, he does dwell on the negatives, but at least some positives are considered.

What seems clear is that Ms. Stewart is no longer a pleasant middle class housewife-is this really so surprising? The woman leads the largest Woman run media empire in America. When would she have time to be average anything?

And, since when are corporate titans nice guys? Michael Eisner at Disney may project warm fuzzies out the wazzou on camera-it's clear from what's been writtten it's s different story when the camera is pointed elsewhere. Is that OK for a man nut unacceptable for a woman? Puh-leeeeease!

Of course, it's starting to become clear that Ms. Martha may never have been pleasant, even when she undeniably was a middle class house wife. There appears to be a mean streak there that is congenital-maybe that's what you need to be like to make it to the top, but it's not necessarily a hatchet job when you point out the truth.

And what is the truth according to Byron? That Martha is a very successful gal-bydint of very hard and ceaseless work. That such hard work took a major toll on her private life (Gee, another surprise, eh?) and some of those left behind don't remember her fondly.

The truth also is that Martha saw-and exploited-the available synergies between print, media and internet well before anyone else did-and has done so at a level few others have approached(Looked at the value-using that word loosely-of AOL/Time Warner stock lately? Where has integrated media gotten them?) In other words, the woman was a visionary, something Byron makes clear.

The writing is OK-nothing special. And the balance-while better then most-still is lacking. But this is probably the best look at Martha out there, and is probably more honest and balalced than her own planned memoir will be.

If you're interested in Martha, this is the book to read.

Byron's work in uncovering and exposing one of America's most visible figures is, simply put, BRILLIANT. Through his dependable and accurate sources, the author opens the deep, dark, murky, Martha, the Martha nobody knows, and nobody wants to know, and shows her to the world at large. With the deftness of the master flower arranger herself, Byron stacks the dark secrets of her life and rise to fame and fortune, exposing quite a bit about the American consciousness as well. Simply brilliant!!!!! (****1/2)

This book rocks! I literally couldn't put it down. Byron managed to get all this great detail on Martha Stewart herself -- juicy tidbits as well as insightful "fly on the wall" descriptions of Martha's business acumen and tough negotiations. Martha created her empire with the knowledge that she'd tapped into something unique and didn't let anything stand in her way. She truly is a woman ahead of her time, and I found myself often in awe at what she accomplished while reading ths book. But after reading MARTHA INC, I know I wouldn't ever want to work for her or fall victim to a "Martha Moment"! What a complex creature. What a great read!

I thought that this was a great example of what one can accomplish with the proper drive and ambition. Although the author portrays Stewart as an egocentric control freak, you never get the impression that he is trying to do a hatchet job on the subject. He seems to be trying to present an honest account. Martha willingly provides a ton of ammunition which makes the book very entertaining. Although quite possibly brilliant, she seems to be trying to exorcise some sort of demon from the past. You get the strong sense that she is never satisfied and that she is harder on herself than those who are close to her-that is certainly saying something. She seems to care little about people, looking upon them as pawns to be leveraged for her own personal gain. The author also tries hard to present the reader with her personal upside-its just not nearly as interesting as the dirt.
All in all, a very fun read about a fascinating, albeit troubled, American "success" story.

One of the "Top 1000 Reviewers" mentioned that fans of Martha "will not like this book one bit." Not true. I've been a "successful marketee" of the MSO for the past few years (I subscribe to the magazine, occasionally watch the show, and have bought merchandise at Kmart which bears her name), and I found the book fascinating. The sheer volume of details that the biography covers on her complicated life is truly amazing.

The story of her rise details the most interesting biography I've read on any figure in the history of popular culture. Although many rightly criticize the author for fawning over her attractiveness, blowing certain events out of proportion, and other valid criticisms, her rise from a housewife to the blowout ingenious marketing of "domestic excellence" is truly historic. I was disappointed to learn of Martha's off-camera demeanor and how she used, and later discarded, now-former friends---all stories of which are sadly believable (Shame on Martha!). However, I could not help but admire her brilliance at winning success in the male-dominated world of business-- taking Kmart, Time, and CBS, all while being berated by their bigwigs. To learn how she succeeded at using these major corporations to serve her interest is very amusing (Go Martha!).

I found two things about the book disappointing. The first was the book's reliance on gossip, rather than just sticking to facts. Too many gossipy little digs (such as what Jackie O may or may not have said about Martha), and I start to wonder whether the other, more substantial events are true. Secondly, I was disappointed in the lack of discussion on the "bigger picture", specifically, the lack of insight about the "lifestyle" Martha is selling and how it has affected popular culture. There is some mention of her selling of "dreams", but not enough to afford much insight into the phenomenon which has sparked other business venture take-offs, such as the magazine "Real Simple," as well as "Martha-esque" specialty gourmet stores appearing in my own neighborhood. Just like the corporations that Martha managed to string along, the author seems to have little clue or interest in just what her popularity is all about, or even an analysis of who her audience is. Such discussion would have made the book even more comprehensive and compelling.

Lastly, since the book probably went to press when the ImClone insider-trading scandal took place, there is no mention of the scandal in its pages, even though it certainly provides enough background material for the reader on how Martha could make such a devastating mistake (Shame on Martha again!)

Walk your dog BEFORE you start reading, because you're going to want to read just one more chapter, and then just one more. And then another. Martha's a great topic, but it's really the author Byron's style and attitude that make this such a great read. I didn't want to put it down.

Great read about an amazing woman. Love her or hate her, you can't help but be impressed by what she's accomplished. And Byron is a masterful storyteller. Never a dull moment. And funny!

As an avid fan of Martha Stewart and her business savvy I was anxious to read this book. Written by a business person who also happens to know Martha personally, I found the book to be so engrossing that I couldn't put it down until I had read the entire book. Let's face it, Martha is human and while she makes mistakes like the rest of us, her mistakes are magnified tenfold by the media.
I came away with a great deal of admiration for Martha Stewart and her incredible success as a business person. Mr. Byron goes so far as to call her a "genius" and rightly so. I guess deep down I thought I would always like to be like Martha Stewart, but after reading Martha, Inc. I came away thinking that I wouldn't want to sacrifice a marriage, motherhood, and perhaps even my sanity in order to achieve a burning desire for fame and wealth beyond my wildest dreams.
If you admire Martha, as I do, you will find the book to be well worth your time and you may come away with a sense of what it feels like to sacrifice everything in order to achieve your dreams.