Martha Inc.

The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

By: Christopher Byron

Narrated by: Christopher Byron

From housewife to billionaire CEO, Martha Stewart is not just the businesswoman with the Midas touch, she is also a lightning rod for many of the most important and controversial social and economic issues of post-WWII American life.

In the unauthorized Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, business writer and columnist Christopher Byron traces Martha's journey from the troubled world of a working-class family in New Jersey to the pinnacle of fame and power as the head of the billion-dollar business bearing her name. In Martha Inc., Byron shows that the great irony in Martha's triumph is that she has grown to global fame by celebrating a domestic life she never actually knew. Out of an imagined bliss, Martha created a media and merchandising empire devoted to the celebration of home, food, and family.

©2003 Christopher Byron and Contrarian Pen, LLC (P)2005 Penton Overseas, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Martha Stewart is a success story you either love or hate, but until now you've only heard her side of it. In Martha Inc., author Christopher Byron chronicles the whole story." (New York Post)
"Byron will not disappoint those who crave even more evidence of [Martha's] excess." (The New York Times)
"A riveting twist on an old story." (USA Today)
"Fascinating...a meaty account." (BusinessWeek)
"Enough dish to feed Martha Stewart lovers and loathers alike in this scrupulously reported bio." (People)

Misogynistic

The writer/narrator comes across as very misogynistic, attacking Martha with low blows mostly directed at her looks and intelligence. He literally blames her for ruining her parents’ lives by simply being born, forcing them into an unwanted marriage. He constantly makes remarks about her legs and her face and clearly has a deep sexual attraction toward her which also comes across as creepy. I imagine his children must be pretty embarrassed by this book today. He’s probably too dense and lacking in self awareness to see it’s problems, however.

Bitterness Revealed

This book is one of the worst examples of sour grapes I have ever read. Christopher Byron uses the written word as a weapon against someone who may or may not have ever done something wrong to him.

His narrative is angry, ruthless, and one-sided. Byron has chosen to focus on every negative aspect of Martha Stewart's life, by using overly dramatic punch words and accentuating the discrepancies in media stories.

As a narrator, Christopher Byron would wonderfully suited for thrillers or suspense novels, but as a biographical writer, his objectivity leaves something to be desired.

Martha Inc. is labeled as an unauthorized biography, when in fact it is simple character assassination. Everyone knows Martha Stewart is human and has faults, but with such blatant disregard for the theory of creative license, it is my opinion that Byron steps over the line.

This book is senseless and more than a little annoying.

"POOR" MARTHA

I'm not sure if Mr. Byron intended his book to be comical, but it was.