Customer Reviews

Martha Stewart: Just Desserts: The Unauthorized Biography

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Great bio--these unauthorized ones are best!

I love Martha'skitschy campy shows, her magazines, her bedding and towels and paintand other household goods (I can't wait for the next white sale at Kmart) and although I never cook I love to leaf through her cookbooks and even have on occaision thought about using some of her tips. I think she is funny in a wry dry sort of way. And she is stylish, and she does present the dream of perfection--perfect homes, weddings, parties, holidays--the all too perfect "All American" dream of a "white picket fence, rose gardens and green lawns" life.

Sigh....so it is...just a dream. (Say it ain't so!)And she caters to us--not only foodstuffs and linens, but a dream that if we buy said book/blanket/bridal guide etc. that we too can have a little taste of style, that we too can share in this perfect dream. That is the allure of Martha. I for one don't care about how bitchy the woman is--and it could very well be that she is a diva and a doyenne. Or it could just be that the author wants to make a quick buck, that his reliable sources are harboring sour grapes, that the Martha of then is not the Martha of now.

Taken as a good trashy read this book is tops! (For those interested, the unauthorized bios of Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Danielle Steel, Courtney Love and Anais Nin are pretty good too--can't recall who wrote these but they are engrossingly good nonetheless)

If Martha were a man this would be gravy. She would be held up and admired like some super business hero. She is depicted as a ballbusting backstabbing bitch because she is a woman--if she were a man she would be merely Machiavellian. She would receive accolades for her behavior. People would be writing 'how-to' books about her--"How to be a Billionaire" would be a pretty good title, no? (Although I fear "Lonely Lady" would be more apt.)

Few women are able to go as far as she did and be as successful as she is--and guaranteed the ones who have have stepped on their share of toes along the way. Big Business is not too kind to 'cake baking June Cleaver' types--Martha needed savvy as well as savoire faire and she used it to its fullest potential. Quit picking on her--she's not a perfect person--she only plays one on TV. Cut her some slack!

(Something to Remember: Not every female media icon, entreprenuer, millionairess can be as goody goody as Oprah!)

While reading this biography, I had to remind myself of the fact that over _400_ individuals were interviewed for this book. After all, how can one woman be so mean, greedy, insensitive, manipulative, and dishonest? Unlike many obessesive Martha fans, I never put much stock into her public persona. Her tips were "cute", but not often applicable to everyday life -- I could take them or leave them. However, after watching a few of her shows and noticing the way in which she appropriated "expert" status on every topic (from choosing proper firewood to making latkes for Chanukah to planning a garden -- Martha ALWAYS knew better than her own guests. If you don't believe me, check her out correcting Julia Child on Julia's OWN PBS baking show!) I knew there was something more. Those who criticize this book for muckraking are overlooking the most important and telling aspect of "Just Desserts" -- the people identified and quoted. Anyone who knows a whit about journalism knows that attributed quotes (especially regarding an individual) are terribly difficult to come by. The fact that nearly every major associate of Martha's (past and present) came forward "on the record" is astounding and cannot be overlooked or palmed-off as "jealousy" or "mean-spiritedness". Ms. Stewart is one cookie you don't mess with, turn your back on, or do business with. As for those who speak of "good taste" and who describe M.S. critics as "uncouth" or "provincial", I say that you and Martha are practicising a style of class-ism that should make most of us shudder and only serves to reinforce Mr. Oppenheimer's points about Martha and her wannabees. Not liking Martha and/or her "Martha's Way"-style of dictatorship does not make us ignorant -- mearly individuals who can think and decide for themselves and not subscribe to the whims of a self-created Domestic Doyenne. If you want a detailed, footnoted peek inside Ms. Stewart's life and personality, this is the book.

Driven, talented, educated, successful--if only she had been a man. But Martha's not, that makes her a ballbuster. I enjoyed this book because it was so easy to read between the lines. Martha Stewart worked hard, made the real American Dream come true-to be wealthy, powerful, and famous. It's okay for Lee Iacoca or Donald Trump to do this--but not an Irish Catholic girl child of the fifties. Maybe it's not just that she's a woman, but that she's made her way to fame and fortune through homemaking--traditionally the most underesteemed and underpaid work. In other words, women's work. I admire her immensly, even more so after reading this book.

I am not a biography reader as a rule. I normally just don't care. But I find Marth Stewart so utterly bizarre that I was interested to know what she was really like. I could not put the book down...I could not and cannoot get over how anyone could be that relentlessly monstrous and still be able to look at themselves in the mirror. I went from absolutely hating her to feeling deeply sorry for her. What a sad, pathetic, raging, twisted, soulless person. How deeply unhappy would a person have to be to act as she does? She can have her millions or billions... it certainly isn't keeping her warm at night. But it's GREAT read!

Why didn't Oppenheimer call the book 'I don't like Martha Stewart' and appoint himself president of her not-fan club? We all knew Martha was hiding something. After all, anyone who professes to be 'that' perfect must have something to hide. And, after reading 'Just Desserts' we know it all. The real question is do we care? Oppenheimer treats each 'Martha' revelation as another 'sin.' The way she treated her husband, her partner, staff and anyone else unlucky enough to cross her path is the stuff of legend. Oppenheimer tries to be funny at times, but the effect is tragic, as he uncovers each layer of what appears to be an unhappy, desperate woman. The lengths to which she goes to hide the real 'truth' of her life are extraordinary. This is, of course, hearsay, but each chapter ends with an unwritten admonition ---'see, I told you she was a terrible person,' as he reveals one more betrayal, evil deed, or cunning move. I finished the book wondering what Jerry had against Martha. Sure, she was driven to succeed and was willing to sacrifice a lot to get there, but isn't that part of the 'American' way? Martha Stewart built an empire and she too, will pass, when people tire of her. For now, she has her fame and fortune and if that makes her happy and she keeps her millions of apostles happy, so what? I'd recommend the book if you're feeling particularly vindictive, or if you're on a long trip and need a diversion.

Before the story broke about the insider trading scandal involving Martha Stewart, I did not have a good idea of who she was. I was curious to find out so I purchased "Just Desserts". The book did not seem to be a "hit piece", as others have portrayed this book. What I found was a writer who disected the image from the the real person. It is a very interesting study on Martha Stewart's troubled past regarding her domineering father and Martha's need to become rich and famous no matter what the cost and no matter who got in the way. I came away feeling very sorry for her. Whether you are a fan of her's or not, the book does a very good job of showing the fake from the real. The onscreen personae and her real actiions behind the scenes will shock and astound. The author also delves into the fantastic business savy that Stewart displayed throughout her career. Often underestimated, but always on top of things. A real modern day Jeckyl and Hide story. A very good read.

In the introduction, Oppenheimer says he had no idea who Martha Stewart was and no ill intentions in undertaking this book - but by the middle of the first chapter he is already making far more out of each minor screw-up than an "impartial" writer would...I understand that his claim-to-fame is bashing people in these books - but this book goes too far. I am SURE Martha is NOT a nice lady...and I am SURE that she has some serious problems dealing with people and that the majority of the incidents portrayed in the book are real and accurate...but never does he say one positive thing and she can't be ALL bad...no one is. Also, the writing in the book is less than impressive...and what is up with the history of COOKBOOKS section - like I am reading this book to get some real information, not likely

I'm a big Martha fan, and this book really toppled her off the cake pedestal! This is a gossipy book that's fun to read in the summer, and pass around the neighborhood. Its upsetting that Martha was so mean to her family, especially her husband and daughter. Despite the overwhelming negatives on her, this book is hard to put down, you just want to keep reading it

I read Marth, Inc. first and was so intrigued with her life and talents I then read this book which talks more about her personal life rather than just the business aspects. Martha Stewart is one complex momma that truly rules the roost. She has done far more dasterdly deeds than good ones, yet this is a great reading book as something is happening all the time. Professionally, I still thing she is a great, talented person; personally, I am glad I live on the west coast of our country so I am nowhere close to Ms. Martha Stewart. Anyone that does business with her after reading the two books mentioned is crazy!

I just finished Jerry Oppenheimer's book, Just Desserts. I was a little concerned at first because it is an unauthorized biography and I have found many of those to be trash. This book was not great literature, but it is the only book out there on Martha Stewart.

I enjoy Martha's show, not because I actually cook the recipes or make the crafts, but because it is fun to watch. It gives you a glimpse into what great dinners and decorating COULD be.

Mr. Oppenheimer's sources were, for the most part, identified by name and maybe some had an ax to grind. But I feel that for the complete picture (or something close to it) it is up to the reader to investigate with other sources and not just take one book as Gospel truth.

This book was a fast, enjoyable and insightful read. Was it true? Maybe, maybe not. But it gave insight into a seemingly perfect person and the family and early experiences that might have contributed to who she is today-good or bad, right or wrong.