Product Description

The undisputed doyenne of domesticity, Martha Stewart has mesmerized millions with her bestselling books, popular magazine and highly rated television program. Yet Ms. Stewart's personal life is a far cry from the cheery portrait of the epitome of household perfection she paints for her fans in her writings and public appearances. Now for the first time, "Just Desserts" reveals how her driving ambition shattered her marriage, strained her relationships with her daughter and family, and destroyed friendships.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #911723 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

Customer Reviews

DELICIOUSLY DECADENT DISH
I couldn't decide whether to give this book five stars or only one. On one hand, I think Oppenheimer has gone overboard in accentuating the negative. We all have negative aspects in our personal lives and I daresay any one of us COULD be made to appear blacker than the darkest night. On the other hand, I love dish and "Just Desserts" is the dishest dish of all! Having a fully-functioning mind of my own, I read the book for what it is...delicious dish...and while I think it overly-critical, I have to admit that I loved every word. Martha Stewart is, and always has been, my idol. I devour her books and TV show s with gusto, own stock in her company and purchase her products. And even though I'm a busy professional myself, I do stencil my furniture, gild leaves, bake gingerbread houses and sugar fruit. I'm sure Martha has a warm, wonderful side and quite frankly I adore her! I don't know why Oppenheimer chose to ignore every positive, but I respect his decision. As for those in the book who claim to have been both used and abused by Martha--we don't stay in any relationship unless we're getting SOMETHING positive in return. Therefore, I felt little or no sympathy for Andy and Alexis Stewart and various others of their ilk. If they don't like being around Ms. Stewart, they're free to move on. But read the book with an open mind; it's just a small part of one incredible woman's life.

Makes Oprah seem like a fuzzy kitten...
WOW, was this a ruthless illustration of Martha Stewart! She's described as an obsessive-compulsive insomniac (she would only sleep for 2-4 hours a night, then get up and paint her entire house in one day), who's main goal is to be on top through ruthless power and manipulation (she stole business ideas, designs and didn't give credit to friends, coworkers... to the point where if a person demanded royalties, she would find some loophole in the legal system to prevent them from getting any profits -- Me-YOW!) This depiction is a far cry from the soft-spoken homemaker you see on her show. She's described by family and friends as dominating, cold, sadistic, abusive and absolutely ruthless. She even cuts down her elderly mother in front of her family: "She only makes peasant food!" she snipes. I've never read anything like it.

It starts with Martha's family and where she came from in New Jersey. Apparently, Martha's father was a perfectionist who shoved his beliefs, anger and attitude down her throat; nothing was good enough in his eyes and because of him, the Monster-Martha is what is alive today. Even as a child, she sabotaged a little girl's cake recipe in order to take her little business away for herself. Signs that a powerful, heartless woman was going to surface.

Martha was cutthroat and vindictive. She pretty much screwed over anyone and everyone around her to further only herself -- she didn't even care about her family, including her daughter and husband, whom she brow-beated to death in front of family and friends until he (who was just wimpy from the start) finally had the nerve to leave her, prompting incredible stories of stalking, vandalism and public screaming fits -- till he had a restraining order put on her.

Martha is depicted as someone who never learned affection, or at least had an incredible dark side that was calculating and vindictive. She would purposely hire people who were creative and brilliant, but they either had low self-esteems to begin with or she broke them down. She DEFINITELY was masochistic and manipulated everyone who came in her path on her rise to power. The only time her affections seemed to be positive, were when sex was involved, and then she came across predatory. She's also illustrated as an incredible liar; family and friends reflect on her writings of her "happy past" and say all of them are either exaggerated or completely fabricated.

After reading what a terror she was in the past, I can actually believe the insider trading stories -- it just fits. Oh and the new edition adds that little chunk in the end.

Upon finishing this, I'm blown away at what a terror she was and has become. She is obviously a person who will stop at nothing to be on top, including her cheapness and just downright vicious scheming. She's also obviously brilliant, with a chip on her shoulder about her poor past and is also considered racist, sexist and as the book says: "WASPy in true form."

Martha Stewart is a nightmare in this book! I wouldn't want to come within 20 ft. of her (much less meet her in a dark alley) after reading this. Personally, I think she's mentally screwed up something fierce, but the fact that she concentrates all of it into her work is phenomenal.

4 stars -- one missing due to some anonymous sources (which I don't always trust as true) and the fact that it pretty much had NOTHING positive to say about her; I would have liked to see a little positive stuff. You know, to kind of balance it out. Then again, maybe there wasn't anything positive. This woman is the anti-Christ!

Otherwise, good trash to read!

Pulp Doesn't Get Better Than This
Man, oh, man. If you require beach or poolside reading matter, snap this up. Well researched and written in a quiet, unexploitive style, Jerry Oppenheimer's Just Desserts is just the cure for all of us women who have picked up a Stewart book and noted that the embarrassing state of our cupboards and couches just don't measure up to the seemingly effortless beauty Martha espouses. It seems that all that beauty takes money and muscle; according to Oppenheimer, not a lot of it is Martha's. The book weaves through the swathe of lives Martha has cut her way through, never discounting her acheivements. It's just the right touch. But man, oh, man...if one-tenth of it is true, Andy and Lexi Stewart have had a rough ride indeed!