Product Description
Of all the decisions that go into planning a wedding, choosing the cake may be the sweetest. Much more than dessert, this beloved wedding symbol should be as special as the bride and groom themselves. Whether you imagine a majestic cake blooming with fresh flowers, a pristine fondant-covered masterpiece, or a homespun take on strawberry shortcake- or even if you don’t know where to begin- Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes will provide you with more than 100 delicious and inspiring ideas for timeless and beautiful confections that are perfect for every style of wedding.

Not just visually inspiring, these pages are filled with information you won’t find anywhere else. Martha Stewart and Wendy Kromer, the master baker and decorator who has been creating cakes for Martha Stewart Weddings for more than a decade, guide you through everything you need to consider when selecting a cake- and even how to bake and decorate one yourself. Novice and experienced bakers alike will find recipes and insiders’ techniques to create truly memorable wedding cakes.

You will learn:
Where to begin- how to decide what style and flavors are right for you, taking into account the season, location, and theme of the event

Buttercream or fondant? Ganache or meringue? Useful charts explain the delicious materials bakers use, so you can choose the ones that suit your taste and style

Creative ways to display your cake so it takes center stage at the reception

How to find and hire a baker, including questions to ask and contract considerations

Ideas for cutting costs without sacrificing quality or beauty

How to incorporate traditions from around the world

Everything you need to know about baking a cake yourself, with complete recipes as well as how-to decorating techniques with color photographs and reference charts

A treasury of inspiration, Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes will ensure that your cake, whether homemade or professionally baked, triple-tiered or a tower of cupcakes, embellished with fresh fruit or elaborate sugar roses, is every bit as magical as your big day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Chocolate Butter Cake
I just multiplied the Chocolate Butter Cake recipe by five to get 30 cups and it turned out PERFECT!! I spent too much time in the past throwing away batter or cakes because they tasted terrible but this one was the absolute best cake I have ever tried. The batter tastes like chocolate pudding and the cake itself melts in your mouth. I will definitely be trying all of the other recipes :)

amazing book
Fantastic book, a lot of good, original recipes. All very nicely decorated. This book will be the best gift for many.

Martha Stewarts Wedding Cakes
I really like this book and the recipes are easy to calculate how much batter you will need.The pictures are wonderful.

Beautiful, organized, and delicious recipes1
I recieved this book for Christmas.I found the pictures in this book to be absolutely gorgeous and inspiring.

I also made a wedding cake for my brother-in-law's wedding.I tested out two cake recipes from this book; white butter cake, and yellow cake.They were both absolutely delicious and not at all too sweet or dry.

I also made the Swiss merengue buttercream which also turned out delicious was was a perfect complement to the cakes I made.Not too sweet, and a nice smooth texture.


I will definitely be referring to this book again and again and again when making any cakes.

THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!!
I LOVE THIS BOOK AND MARTHA STEWART!!. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. I love this book. It has some of the most beautiful cakes and I love the thorough instructions given thruout the book. I would love if their was a sequel because I can't get enough of Martha and these awesome cakes!! ... Read more

Product Description
Culled from the best of the "Good Things" columns in Martha Stewart Living magazine, this book offers a varied selection of wonderful crafts projects, recipes, hints for home decorating, organizing, and gift-giving. 200 color photos.Amazon.com Review
Martha Stewart's decorating ideas are deceptively simple. The materials are readily available and the instructions are easy, maskingthe sophistication it takes to realize the simplistic beauty of a plain white plate with a single maple leaf as a place card. "Good Things" is what Martha Stewart calls the "easy tips" segment of her television show, and, in fact, all of the tips in this book are remarkably easy (at least, in comparison to some of her other projects). Martha's potato, sweet potato, and onion latkes are remarkably good, and are particularly recommended for those who may still doubt whether they can match Martha in their own kitchens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

"GOOD THINGS" from Martha's early TV shows
Many of the ideas in this book come from Martha Stewart's early TV shows,shown in the 1990's (ie: but NOT the new TV shows that are now being shown).

For those of you that are not familiar with Martha's early 1990's TV shows, I can add that those shows were fun to watch. There was not an audience, as the current Stewart TV shows have, and thus, Martha was able to pack more ideas in her earlier shows. Also, her earlier shows showed the projects much more carefully, and were ,thus, easier to follow.

Well, this book is filled with many of those "good things" ideas & projects from her early TV shows, and are still inspiring today. Some of the ideas may look out-of-date (at first glance), such as the ribbon plate holders. However, the photos are still very pretty and the color combinations that Martha uses in this book hold up well even today.

This book is now available for bargain prices at most AMAZON stores, so for the lower price, this book might be fun for novice admirers of Martha Stewart to read.

It's a "good thing" if you have the time and skill.
This book is a complilation of the "good things" column from Martha Stewart Living, 1990-1996.A few of the ideas, a customized sewing kit, decanting liquid dish soap from a bottle, slicing onions near a flame to keep from crying, tossing shellfish with corn meal to get rid of excess sand, keeping appliance warranties in an accordian file, preaparing a fruit butter with only a few ingredients, and using tea towels as simple window treatments, are easily accomplished by just about anyone.

Yet, some of these ideas require being rooted in a skill that requires good hand and eye coordination.A nice knick knack shelf needs dedicated carpentry skills.An attractive table mat needs basic sewing skills and a sewing machine.Napkins become lovely unique after several minutes of hand embroidery.

Look at this book at a library before committing to buying it.

Cut & Paste Job. Avoid
Rehash of articles in her magazine.Avoid.

Nothing Good Here But Try....
...these others books that I think are grand:

The New Decorating Book (Better Homes and Gardens(R))
by Better Homes and Gardens, Elegant and Easy Rooms: 250 Trade Secrets for Decorating Your Home, Elegant and Easy Living Rooms: 100 Trade Secrets for Designing With Style (Elegant and Easy).

I used all three with my designer and the results were delightful.Martha is just so passe anymore.

The best of the magazine !
If you don't subscribe to Martha's expensive magazine (I don't), then this book is the only thing you need to own.It is the best of all the good ideas without weeding through ads. ... Read more

Product Description
The editors of the popular home living magazine present a collection of decorating information and projects for every room of the house, including tips on using color to set the mood, using stenciling, making curtains, and much more.150,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

I was disappointed in content.
I should have known that decorating "Martha-style" would not be my style.Her passion in finding the "old" at bargain prices and making it "work" for her is not what I call decorating.She loves to re-furbish, re-store and re-model ... I don't.However, my expectations were really dashed after completion of the book and realized there was no valid reason for her publisher to classify it as a decorating book.If you like to read about Martha's homes, her anecdotes and her convoluted names of Martha-labled paint colors, you will enjoy it ... maybe.I've seen and heard it all before.

Serenity Now!
In this collection of ideas from Martha's "Living" magazine, nature and serenity is the order of the day.

Her colors choices are serene and are plucked right out of nature...with soothing blues, brilliant greens and soft, sandy tones that contrast with earthy browns..her monochomatic color schemes are a welcome rest for the eye.Her articles on color are well written and the photographs are absolutely beautiful. You achieve a restful home with contrast that pops and sparks not only your interest, but that of the guests who enter your home. Her tips have proved invaluable over time.

This informative and fun book walks you through the art of texture, contrast, accessory and furniture placement as well as lighting. It is a recipe for designing a soothing home that lifts your spirits while remaining practical. Martha is often accused of being impractical, but as any true Martha fan knows, those impracticalities rarely extend over from her entertainment suggestions into her home design.

This book never looses site of the importance of a home being a haven. If primary colors and mish-mashed furniture placement with harsh lighting is your game...pass on this book. If you love a New England, traditional, modern or country flair then this book should be a welcome addition to your decorating collection. Unlike some decorating books, this is a great READ as well as a feast for the eyes.

designbookjunky
This is a wonderful book.It is very "Martha", in a nut shell and gives a good overview on how to design all sorts of living spaces. This should be in all book collections as a basic home design resource.

disappointing...
I really like martha stewart and think she has a great style and ideas so this was a very disappointing purchase as it really brings nothing new and only covers basic things...

Not much here.Pass on this one
If you want something really good try the HGTV Before or After.The best is really the Home Decorators Bible.Martha's books are often cut & paste jobs. ... Read more

Product Description
Having helped her readers to enjoy to the fullest their kitchens, homes, and friends, Martha Stewart now goes outdoors to teach them about creating and managing a garden that is both beautiful and bountiful. Martha Stewart's Gardening is the perfect book for longtime gardeners, new gardeners--and everyone looking for a thoughtful and useful gift. Illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

SHE KNOWS HER STUFF !!!!!
I am not especially a great fan of Martha Stewart, however, I must admit she knows her stuff. I was fearing that she would choose the tough way to take care of flowers and plants, but it's all the contrary actually, she likes using natural methods against plants diseases and I do appreciate that, I have been pleasantly surprised. Her book speaks more of the East cold areas, and since I am in California, I didn't find all the info I was searching for, but it is normal : she only speaks of the things she knows very well, and she knows a lot ! I am not as efficient as she is in gardening, but I know enough to be able to say she knows her stuff. I would even say there is far beyond the day-to- day things and details. She tackled to very big projects on very wide areas, and my garden doesn't need such a huge plan, but as we say in France : "who can do the most, can do the least". She has a true and deep understanding of gardening and we can feel she loves that. As usually, she is over the top for everything. Even if we do only the half of her work, it is already enormous. Anyway, if you want to learn deeply gardening, with all the logical explanations, by understanding what you are doing, this book is for you.
I still don't love Martha Stewart a lot, but I must admit that I admire her for her efficiency and deep knowledge in this gardening field.

Please reconsider
If you are a gardener and have not read this book, you owe it to yourself to open your mind to Martha Stewart and try.This is one of the best gardening books I own and I am a librarian.The month to month format guides you through the experience of a garden, I kept this book with me while I was in Iraq homesick for my garden.Martha offers ideas on where to locate seeds, something everyone should be concerned about considering they are in our care.I appreciate that she is focused on heirloom, not hybrid, and understand the connectedness of the ecosystem.Further, Martha is a better writer than most other authors of garden books.Even compared to the books in her bibliography, which gives credit to her resources, something almost every garden book author overlooks, she has written a better book.I am not suggesting buying her stock, but I would buy her books

You might be surprised . . .
Don't automatically assume that this is just another slick, coffee-table book.I've owned more gardening books that I care to admit and during a recent 'clean-out' and general overhaul of my gardening library, this is one of the few books that stayed on my shelf.There are literally dozens of backyard gardening missives with bibliographies that read like a who's who of horticultural academia.In other words, so many out there are just passing around the same old information with a different cover page.Sure, Martha undoubtedly has hired assistance that most of us can only drool over, but she still has legitimate experience to offer which is what helps to separate this book from many of it's more mundane peers.She also takes the time to focus on heirloom varieties as well as offering the option of the organic approach (which she appears to favor) as well as chemical-based alternatives.It surely doesn't hurt that there are pages packed with almost unbelievable profusion whether it be from the flower or vegetable gardens, the property is truly a work of art, even if it is not by Martha's hand alone.This is the heady stuff of any gardeners wildest imagination come true and no matter whether or not it is attainable by the majority of us, it is a heavy dose of inspiration combined with practical and legitimately useful information as a welcome bonus.Well worth the read.

My Favorite Gardening Book
Martha knows a lot about gardening, which she learned a great deal of from her father. Her book," Martha Stewart's Gardening Month By Month" is my favorite gardening book to return to again and again. In this book, she goes through each step of the gardening process in a month by month format, explaining what to do during each month of the year, as she shows you how she created her beautiful gardens at Turkey Hill Farm in Connecticut. You will learn how to plan your garden,about soil preparation,what and where to plant,all with gorgeous color photos. You'll learn about growing vegetables,fruits, flowers and herbs. She's even included some recipes! There is a handy index, bibliography and source guide in the back of this large 360 page book.

Not very good.What a waste
Try the Margaret Roach book which is excellent or even a Jerry Baker book.Martha probably enever did any real gardening in Nutley, NJ. ... Read more

Product Description
The ultimate Martha Stewart recipe collection. All the recipes from Martha's original books--more than 1,400 in all--have been gathered into one convenient reference book for everyday use in the kitchen.Amazon.com Review
With more than 1,600 recipes, there's something for every palate in this handsomely-designed andsturdy cookbook by the author of 11 best-selling books on cooking,entertaining, gardening and home improvement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Martha Stewart cookbook
Book arrived, good price, but I was giving it as a gift and the jacket was all wrinkled. bummer

The Marthat Stewart Cookbook Collected Recipes for Everyday
I was VERY disappointed when this "like new" copy arrived. The dust jacket was not only dirty, but torn and the top of the book was soiled as well. If this is considered a "like new" copy, I'd hate to see what a used one looked like.

Fine compilation of Martha Stewart's recipes
This book, published just a bit over a decade ago, contains recipes from her earlier works.Thus, this is a "one stop shopping" guide, if one is interested in Martha Stewart's recipes. And, in fact, this is a fine cookbook.It won't be for everyone.I'm not interested in large parties or dishes featuring caviar, and so on.But I do found a lot of neat recipes in this volume. Of course, this is more than just a cookbook.The lifestyle represented by Stewart's enterprise underlies this book. The little hints for making a dinner party special would not be of much concern to many who simply want a set of recipes from which to choose. But that is a key piece of what this cookbook is about.

As usual with better cookbooks, there are some nice extras besides the recipes.This volume features suggestions as to what should be in one's pantry, a few notes to cooks (including one that I have come to learn as true after taking shortcuts [Page xv]: "When you cook with wine, use a wine you would like to drink.Your dish will only be as good as the ingredients you use." And cooking wine doesn't measure up to the real deal.), and a brief conversion chart at the close.

However, of course, it's the recipes that are the centerpiece.

There are 21 chapters, each covering some different aspect of cooking, starting off with "the basics" (basic stocks, pastry for further cooking, etc.) and "hors d'oeuvres." And let me take a moment to talk about one of those that she describes--the redoubtable "croque monsieur."Those few (and special) times that I have been in Paris, I had a lot of lunches featuring this classic.I have also served it as an hors d'oeuvre at some of therelatively few dinner parties for bunches of people that I've organized over the years. My version features a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, with plenty of butter on each side.Then, you grill both sides on the stove until brown.Yummy.Stewart adds one wrinkle, though, that I aim to incorporate the next time I make this dish--Dijon mustard.Seems to me that that addition would add a nice bit of bite to the croque monsieur. Next section? Eggs.Here, there are a series of nice recipes.I like making frittata's from time to time, and she provides several recipes for this classic that look pretty inviting to me.I suspect I'll experiment with one of those in the not-too-distant future.

Just listing the rest of the 21 sections would take way too much Amazon space, but I'll mention a few other recipes that seem interesting to me. Under "Vegetables," she has a nice turn on my standard recipe (from the Berghoff Cookbook, as a matter of fact) for red cabbage. I add Granny Smith apples, cut up into small pieces, to the cabbage.She suggests, in addition, some onions (which, by the way, the Berghoff Cookbook refers to as well).But it does sound like it would add an extra dimension to the cabbage, so I'll add onions the next time I make the cabbage (which goes very well, by the way, with Chicken Schnitzel).Salads? One that she includes in this book looks intriguing to me: hot salad of escarole and pancetta. Simple to make--escarole, pancetta, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.

The recipes for meats and seafood also contain a goodly number that look well worth making, too.

So, in short, a good cookbook.I'm not much interested in the lifestyle aspects of the cookbook, but I just pass that stuff on by and consider the recipes.Some are not so easy to make, but there are plenty that will work.Anyhow, a good cookbook that has been added to my little kitchen library.

One of the first Martha Stewart cookbooks that I bought
This is one of the very first cookbooks (by Martha) that I bought, quite a few years ago. It is not one of Martha's best...epecially now that I've been able to preview her other cookbooks.

This cookbook is not for the novice because some of the recipes could require knowledge of basic to intermediate techniques. However, if a cook has been cooking for a while then the recipes in this book could be inspiring. As a previous commentator said, there are typos in this book, so that might throw a novice off.


Some of the recipes require using ingredients that most people might find "non-standard". In other words, some of the ingredients require a more advanced palate because they are not your average store-bought (and easy to find) supermarket ingredient. Example, not everybody likes watercress or radicchio or arugula---an acquired taste.

Martha to the rescue!
I have been using this book for about five years and it has always been great for looking up basics and easy ways to prepare them. The other day I picked up some lovely Norwegian salmon filets and then fennel was haunting me so I got that too, once I got home this was one of the cook book choices that I had laid out in front of me, and even I was shocked to actually find a recipe called "Salmon with Fennel" on page 232. I usually buy bits and pieces and try to throw them together in an edible way, but this book always comes to my rescue. You can look up virtually any ingredient and find a "correct" standard recipe to make, that ingredient follows up with more options for more varied meals with similar undertones on next page.

The "White corn chowder" on page 141 has been my favorite soup for the past few years, I also made artichokes for the first time using this book, and it was for a room full of hungry guests; that turned out great as well. There are countless yummy potato recipes in here as well; it pleases my little Polish heart to see so much love given to this starch.

This book has so many side dishes that my head is spinning when I try to think about what to make, obviously they are easy recipes, with a handful of ingredients. All I have to do is look up my favorite thing and viola, a whole world of recipes unfolds before me.

This book has following chapters with full detail and dedication of preparation:

- Introduction
- The Pantry
- The Basics
- Hors D'oeuvres
- Eggs
- Breads, Biscuits and Sandwiches
- Soups
- Meat
- Poultry and Game Birds
- Fish and Shellfish
- Vegetables and other side dishes
- Salads
- Potatoes
- Pastas, Grains and Rice
- Entertaining a crowd
- Desserts
- Pies and Tarts
- Ice Cream and Sorbets
- Cakes and Cookies
- Wedding Cakes
- Dips, Sauces and Butters
- Preserves, Vinegars and more
- Beverages

This book is great for looking up basic ways of preparing just about anything, but it has many variations. Many cookbooks will only have 3-4 recipes for Salmon lets say, but this has a few pages. And besides, this can be purchased used for a laughable price, this book pays for itself with even one use.

- Kasia S.

... Read more

Product Description
Here are hundreds of the best ideas for the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's, collected from the pages of Martha Stewart Living, one of America's hottest and fastest growing magazines. Includes party recipes, entertainment ideas, table settings, decorations, gifts, wrappings, and much more.Amazon.com Review
Nobody knows the holidays like Martha Stewart, and here shegives you all the information you need to have a spectacular Thanksgiving,Christmas, and New Year's Eve. Martha and her crew provide you with ahearty Thanksgiving feast featuring Quail with Brussels Sprouts andShallots, Garlic Roast Potatoes, and Roast Fennel. Later she offers upa tasty but simple family breakfast for Christmas morning and asumptuous Christmas dinner centered around a Loin of Venison withRed-Currant Bordelaise and Roast Capon with Wild Rice SourdoughStuffing. The lower-key New Year's Eve dinner of five dishes may bemore appealing to kitchen novices.

Even if you're not planning ahuge party, you'll still find the book useful for more simpleideas--chapters on homemade gifts, gift-wrapping, and wreaths andgarlands provide easy-to-follow directions and lots of advice. Thechapter on cookies features 23 different classics, and another chapteroffers recipes for six pies plus tips on their assembly and even alist of "our favorite baking apples." Throughout the book you'll findinteresting sidebars and beautiful photographs to tempt and inspireyou. Maybe you're a new convert, maybe you missed one of the fabledMartha Stewart Living holiday issues, or maybe your copies aretoo dog-eared to read anymore--Holidays: The Best of Martha StewartLiving will help you make your holidays spectacular. --C.B. Delaney ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A little creative umph
Sometimes I just need a little creative umph, and Martha Stewart always gives it to me, with class and a fun style that I can call my own.Some of her projects are a little too time consuming, but there are always great ideas I can use.

Cookie Recipes are Perfect
My wife and I use the recipes in this magazine every Christmas.They come out perfect every time.

Looking for a way to make your holidays more elegant?
This offering from Martha Stewart provides a new, more elegant way to celebrate the holidays. The menus she presents are a refreshing departure from the traditional "turkey and dressing". Her decorating ideas are absolutely exquisite (a fact that did not go unnoticed by our guests). My friends and I enjoyed making the decorations and preparing the meal as much as our guests enjoyed looking at the decorations and eating! I only wish she had provided more decorating ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
Both a how-to craft book and a decorating guide, Wreaths offers 51 projects for delightful wreaths--complete with step-by-step instructions--honoring the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Designed for use throughout the year, these wreaths are made from materials inspired by their locations: i.e. an oak leaf and acorn wreath as a homage to the nation's capital; cranberries for Massachusetts; and golden wheat to symbolize Oklahoma. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Fun Book
Clever ideas to complete the look of your home.This book makes it fun to decorate and shows loyalty to the state of your choice!

Very Creative!
This book has great pictures. Wreaths are very creative. In making one of the wreaths(dogwood wreath) I had to use my own judgment as to how much flowers and bundles of twigs I needed. The material needed is not accurate. The wreath came out beautiful.
The book is useful in getting creative ideas. It is not reliable on instruction.

Too complicated for me
I'm sure it is a good book for those that don't want something simple (as I do).There was not a thing in there that I really liked and certainly would not try to do.I expected more from Martha Stewart but then I guess she doesn't do "simple things"

best book on wreaths
I bought 4 other books on wreaths by other authors, and this one is the most inspirational one with clear directions.Not fussy.We turn to it every year when it is time to decorate the house for Christmas.

Beauty!
I am not from the United States and still adored this book. The photographs are amazing and the ideas are astonishing and so symbolic. Martha and one of her staff members embarked to create a wreath for each of the states, and each wreath reflects some natural element of the state in question. Whether it's wheat, moss, succulents, palm leaves, pinecones, tumble weeds, sunflowers, grasses, pine branches or sea shells the ideas will inspire you. Martha's introduction shows a photo of Martha on the balcony of the White House where she writes about her exhilerating experience decorating the White House with Hilary Clinton for Christmas one year and how that very American event inspired the idea for the series of wreaths and the book. This is a must-have for any Martha fan!! ... Read more

Product Description
No one epitomizes the pursuit of healthy pleasures more than Martha Stewart. And nowhere is this
clearer than at home in her kitchen.Now, the millions of fans who seek her guidance can prepare the food that gives Martha her remarkable energy and vitality. Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook presents an all-new collection of 52 quick, easy menus--with more than 175 sensibly lightened recipes--for the kind of food we want to eat today.
Over the years, almost effortlessly, Martha has changed the way she cooks and eats. With unparalleled style and good sense, she has trimmed the fat and intensified the flavor of her favorite recipes to create meals that are unfailingly delicious, absolutely healthy, and strictly no-nonsense. A wonderfully filling frittata, flavored with sage, "enlightened" with egg whites, and paired with herb-infused garlicky stove-top potatoes, is a terrific low-fat, nutrient-rich meal to begin--or end--the day. Simple, yet no less special, sandwiches and incredible salads of brilliantly matched ingredients--seared tuna burgers splashed with soy sauce and swabbed with fiery wasabi mayonnaise, sugar snap peas mixed with whole mint leaves, and delicate shavings of baby golden beets tossed with fresh basil--reflect Martha's genius for casual yet sophisticated cooking.
Instead of concentrating on calorie counts, fat grams, and sodium content, Martha teaches how to eat well intuitively: how to make a variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables a delicious part of everyday eating; how to create menus that are supremely satisfying and nutritionally sound; even how to indulge a sweet tooth properly by enjoying small portions of such
classic desserts as whisper-thin lemon tarts, ginger cookies, and fruit crisps. And her recipes come from all over the world, making healthy meals as exciting as they are fulfilling.
In her chapters of spring, summer, fall, and winter menus, Martha explains how to use simple low-fat cooking techniques to transform the freshest ingredients of each season into fabulous dishes. You'll find quick grills and sautés of such light delicacies as butterfish, softshell crabs, woodsy portobello mushrooms, and mangoes. There are high-heat roasts of winter root vegetables, succulent poussin, pomegranate-lacquered rack of venison, red snapper--even juicy plums. She uses flavor-raising steam for Brussels sprouts, baby spinach, and halibut packaged in grape leaves--and there's an easy stove-top smoked salmon, too.
This is inspiring food, presented as only Martha Stewart can. This book will change the way you think about healthy cooking--and what you create in your kitchen every day.

Martha Stewart is the author of 12 best-selling books on food, entertaining, gardening, and home renovation. She is chairman and chief executive
officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Martha Stewart lives in Connecticut and on Long Island.

Martha Stewart presents a collection of brand-new recipes for the healthful foods that energize her every day. These 52 quick, easy menus represent the effortless style and practicality we have come to expect from Martha. The more than 175 sensibly lightened recipes--all exquisitely prepared and photographed--will change the way you think about healthy cooking and what you create in your kitchen every day.


Japanese Risotto
Grilled Scallops with Spring Greens
Roasted Root Vegetable Ragout
Seared Beef and Oranges with Arugula
Sage Egg-White Frittata
Mussels and Baby Artichokes Barigoule
Wine-Poached Chicken with Charmoula
Poached Salmon Trout with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Seared Tuna Burger with Wasabi Mayonnaise
Farmstand Salad with Grilled Turkey Sausage
Vegetable HandrollsAmazon.com Review
Our favorite Doyenne of the Dainty serves a delicate and oh-so-tasty blend of low-fat elegance in this handsomely designed cookbook. No calorie counter, Martha proves how a lush variety of grains, fruits, and veggies can be a delicious alternative to fatty dishes. She offers more than 170 recipes, showing how to transform the freshest seasonal ingredients into scrumptious treats guaranteed to delight both the palate and the eye. From Grilled Portobello Pizza to a luscious Lime Soufflé, Martha will change the way you think about healthy eating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Very good book!
It's a great book!! Fancy recipes, in a easy language (I'm brazilian, so...), I'm very satisfied! I did a lot of recipes and they're delicious!!
In the end of the book, there are tips, like how to do tomato sauce, a basic risotto and others. Very nice!

Not for the novice, but OK
This cookbook is not for the novice because some of the recipes could require knowledge of basic to intermediate techniques. However, if a cook has been cooking for a while, then the recipes in this book could be inspiring.

Note: There are not photos for every single recipe but enough photos to inspire. So, if you need many photos, then this book may dissapoint. Also, the title is deceiving because I found some of the recipes to not be very QUICK!

NOTE: Some of the recipes require using ingredients that most people might find "non-standard". In other words, some of the ingredients require a more advanced palate because they are not your average store-bought (and easy to find) supermarket ingredient. Example, not everybody likes watercress and radicchio or arugula---an acquired taste.

Great reading for anybody!
I bought this book as a little gift for a friend who was in the hospital.The book is not as big as the Martha Stewart Christmas book that I had previously ordered which I loved.However, the pictures are great and the overall layout makes reading it a lot of fun.As always, Martha has a wonderful flair for making cookbooks enjoyable reading even if you never try any of the recipes.

This Delivers
Most people think it is impossible to deliver on a weeknight a dinner that is elegant, healthy and quick.This book makes the impossible quite possible.

The only reason I've nicked it a star is that for some, a cookbooktitled "healthy" requires nutritional data, which this does not have, and quick in this instance sometimes means more simple than last-minute preparation.MS makes a case for not including the read-outs, about learning to fly without training wheels (sorry about the mixed metaphors). As for the simple vs. last-minute, a case in point: the wild rice pilaf with dried fruit is elegant and very easy to prepare, but it does require cooking the wild rice ahead and setting it aside.If you start an hour before dinner is to be served, no problem; in fact, starting the wild rice that early leaves you quite a bit of time to throw in a load of laundry or complete other chores before you pull together the rest of the recipe in the last 10 minutes.

I've never had a problem with a MS recipe.Things always cook up in the allotted time, they always make the proposed quantity, they brown as they're supposed to, rise as they're supposed to . . . The charge has been made by another reviewer that dishes are underseasoned or bland.I suspect that is because the MS style is to emphasize the natural flavor of the basic ingredients.A lot depends, then, on the integrity of the ingredient.

Martha's "healthy pleasures"
This 1997 book grew out of what Martha Stewart calls her "ever-growing search for the new and different", and it has many interesting ideas and recipes for fresh, healthy eating, and menu planning. As one would expect from Martha, the appearance is almost as important as the contents, with marvelous photography, and great use of vintage plates and Depression glassware
It is divided into seasons, and as I live in California, and primarily eat fruits and vegetables, the Spring and Summer sections are of most interest to me; they have novelties like "Cool Jicama Slaw" (pg. 77), which consists of julliened jicama, minced jalapeño peppers and chopped cilantro, in a orange and lime juice dressing, and a fabulous "Corn, Fava Bean and Cucumber Succotash" which includes red bell pepper and white onion to make up this colorful and wholesome recipe.

For the colder climates, there are wonderful hearty soups and stews, roasted vegetables, and rice, quinoa, and couscous dishes. There is a lot of what Martha calls "clean food", where "the flavors are clear and straightforward" and come from the "quality of the ingredients rather than elaborate techniques".
There are some unique desserts, like "Frozen Chai" (pg. 126), which can be made without an ice cream maker, using a food processor instead, and a "Rosé Gelatin with Blackberries", which I have not tried but looks lovely. Some of the desserts, like the rich chocolate sorbet pictured on page 193,are served in teacups with saucers, making an attractive table setting.
This is a beautiful book to look at, and it is full of ideas on how to add interest to a health-conscious diet, with simplicity, and a lot of flavor. ... Read more

Product Description
The fourth book in the popular "Christmas with Martha Stewart Living" series, Parties and Projects for the Holidays helps holiday hosts impart the warmth and good cheer of the season to all their holiday entertaining and decorating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Another Martha Classic!
Here's another Martha book for the collection!With all the ideas and beautiful pictures, it's a book that sure to inspire most to creating beautiful tables and decorations for your own spectacular party!

Mediocre for Martha
In this month's (Nov. 2000) issue of ************************, Martha's traditional opening letter proudly describes the way she gave a presentation to potential stockholders about "spreading our costs of creating fresh and timely and evergreen content."What that means for us, Martha's consumptive public, is increasingly recycled content, which is unfortunately the case in this book.

While previous Holiday books have also consisted of compilations of recipes and projects from the magazine, they were richly useful and well-organized.This book doesn't even bother to reformat the original content.The book is divided into three parts - "The Parties," "The Projects," and "The Recipes."So, "The Parties," are basically reprinted articles from the magazine in their original "story" form, whose recipes are inconveniently clustered at the back.Of course, the quality of the recipes is high -included in this book are my favorite cookie recipe ever (Torie's Oatmeal cookies),and you'll be interested in the menus if you're thinking of making crown roast or roast goose this year."Party plan" timelines are also included.However, I see no real reason to buy this book if you've subscribed to the magazine for a few years, or what advantage this book has over the newly released compilation of MSL recipes.

"The Projects" section's obvious intended highlight is the creation of the candy decorations featured on the cover.People with children might be interested in this, as there is a menu devoted to accompany a "Candy Craft Party with Kids," with the quintessentially traditionalpeanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese, little pigs-in-blankets, and cocoa with candy canes.Other projects, like ideas for giveaways, are skimpily represented.

On the whole, I am a great fan of Martha's, but I find previous Holiday books, such as "Christmas with Martha Stewart Living," or "Handmade Christmas" more charming.

It's About Time!!
After searching for several years for a Christmas craft book that is simple enough for the average person to follow, Martha Stewarts "Parties and Projects for the Holidays" hit the spot.She does an excellent job of illustrating the instructions to make them easy to follow.She also included some great crafts for children of all ages in this book.Not only are there these beautiful crafts for us to try, but just as many good recipes.A definate and all around great buy!!

It's About Time!!
After searching for several years for a Christmas craft book that is simple enough for the average person to follow, Martha Stewarts "Parties and Projects for the Holidays" hit the spot.She does an excellent job of illustrating the instructions to make them easy to follow.She also included some great crafts for children of all ages in this book.Not only are there these beautiful crafts for us to try, but just as many good recipes.A definate and all around great buy!!

I can finally do it!!!
After searching for the past seveal years to find a Christmas project, Ihave finally found a source that can help me do just that.MarthaStewart's "Parties and Projects for the Holidays" includes somany unique and exciting holiday crafts and recipes.The book also does anexcellent job of illustrating the directions for almost each and everycraft, which comes in great use. She did a wonderful job including asection of crafts that are great for children and easy for them tocomplete. A definate and all around great buy!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the words and tunes of Christmas carols run through our heads, cheering us on and reminding us of the joys of celebrating with friends and family. These beloved songs are the theme for this book, a wonderful collection of craft, cooking, and decorating ideas. The fun starts with “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” a project based on the memorable gifts presented in the song. “Deck the Halls” focuses on using holly in unusual centerpieces and decorations. And whether they listen to Bing Crosby crooning in the background or create their own chorus, families will enjoy preparing a classic “White Christmas” aglow with white decorations and featuring white foods. As always, color photographs and clear directions make every project a joy to create. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Love it!
I love all the MS stuff! Usually a great mix of beautiful interiors, crafts, and food ... food not my
personal favorite .. if you like Martha, you will love all her books.

decking the halls, Martha style
The beauty of this book is in the colors; celebrating the Christmas spirit with exquisite combinations of creamy winter whites, blues, and golden yellows.
The ideas for ornaments, wreaths, and ingenuous ways to wrap money as a gift, are not slap-dash "quickies", but designs for objects that would be kept and enjoyed for many seasons to come. Standouts include the gorgeous Damask stockings, made from vintage fabrics, the wonderful fruit wreath in warm pastels, and my favorite, the "Ladies dancing and lords a-leaping" strung across the fireplace.

The recipes are sumptuous and shown in elegant settings, and very special is the sheet music that has the look of antique reproductions, of many familiar carols.
In the back of the volume there are templates for the many craft objects in the book, making the construction of them simpler, though you will obviously need a scanner and printer if you want to vary the size of the items, and many look like one would want to enlarge them.
As one would expect from Martha, the photography and layout is excellent, with thick, glossy pages. Even if one does not follow the patterns or recipes to the letter, it is a good "idea" book, and it's strength is its subtle color palette, used to great effect.

Pass On This One. There are better books.
Try Carolyn Bell's book, Gooseberry Patch Old-Fashioned Country Christmas: A Holiday Keepsake of Recipes, Traditions, Homemade Gifts, Decorating Ideas & Favorite Childhood by Vickie Hutchins or the wonderful Gooseberry Patch series of books which are delightful.I always love the Gooseberry books.

Too Hard To Make The Crafts
I tried a few and it took hours to do.I guess I need the staff she has on her show.I think you can do better.

You'll never fake your way through carols again!!!
Though the piano music is not useful for me (don't have a piano), I like seeing the acutal words to the Christmas songs, and believe their presentation in the book, with burnished corners and pretty fonts, greatly enhances the product. As for the crafts that go with these traditional songs, they are a joy to behold, and not all that difficult or time consuming to make.

Martha's books are by far better a product than her "By Mail" or "Catalogue for Living" kits, so if you're interested in putting out some money to have beautifully elegant Christmas decorations like her own, go with the book and assemble your own materials. ... Read more

Product Description
If the words “classic Christmas” make images of Christmas cactus, fruitcake, and roast turkey dance in your head, then Classic Crafts and Recipes for the Holidays will make all of your yuletide dreams come true.

Arranged in ten chapters with such names as “Cranberries,” “Nuts,” “Citrus,” “Leaves,” and “Pinecones,” this festive compendium of holiday ideas and recipes is certain to show you how to make every Christmas one to remember. In “Winter Berries,” berries are used to make wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces. In its own chapter, fruitcake has been reinterpreted so it will never run the risk of being left uneaten. “Leaves” shows how to make keepsake gifts out of embossed leaves and cards, and throughout the book there are clever packaging and wrapping ideas to suit every taste and budget.

From now on, when you think of a classic Christmas, you’ll think of Classic Crafts and Recipes for the Holidays.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Martha's christmas revisited
This was an older book, but, Martha is a classic and so are her books, beautifully photographed and filled with lovely ideas, easy to follow recipes and crafts for the holliday season.I am happy to add it to my library!

Paper FUN
Martha Stewart does it right!!We joke and smile when it comes to Martha...AND we have to admit once we buy one of her products, she does it right every time...this book is an excellent example with ideas and patterns for crafting with papers..

A Very Beautiful Book
The photographs in this book are absolutely stunning.You could set it on your coffee table for guests to look through, and even if they don't know a Meyer lemon from a tangelo, they'll take great pleasure in looking through this book (they'll learn something, too).Everything is lovingly laid out, photographed and eloquently described.Buy the hardcover edition, because you'll want to keep it for a long time.

A great Holiday Treasure - and gift
Martha's Holiday book this really touched my heart. My mom has always grown Amaryllis and Christmas Cactus, chapters 4 & 5 really were a delightful surprise. I now know the Christmas Cactus the I have is called "White Christmas". When I told my mom about the charts, she was so interested in the book (she lives in Ohio and we live in Fl.) that I am immediately sending her one for Christmas. My son is a personal chef - so we all love to cook and I love to decorate. The pictures are great as usual, but I think I like the charts about the topic in each chapter. They are beautiful and informative. It was great to see the different types of pine cones and citrus. The best part is that even if you don't use these ideas during the holidays - the things you have learned will be useful all year and will be great to share with friends and family.
Some items may have been in Martha Stewart Living - that's great that the special ideas have been put in this holiday book to keep and treasure. (I don't keep every magazine - I will treasure this book).Thanks again to Martha!!!!

Lotsof reprints from the magazine
You know this going in, but there arent' as many really neat "new" things as the last books. More biscotti, and a lot of good uses for the endless bags of cranberries in the back of my freezer.I'll start on those for Christmas about November 1, I think.If you like Martha, this is the fifth in the series, but there wasn't anything besides the cranberry stuff that really "grabbed" me.Still, it's great to continue your collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Martha Stewart is an undeniable force in the business world. One of the world+s greatest entrepreneurs, she turned her personal passion into Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, a billion dollar business. This Fall she+s breaking new ground with two television shows from NBC-her reality show The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and her daytime syndicated show Martha-as well as a radio program on Sirius satellite radio which will provide daily round-the-clock how-to content. What+s her secret for success?Now, for the first time, Martha Stewart shares her business knowledge and advice in this handbook for success. Tapping into her years of experience in building a thriving business, Martha will help readers identify their own entrepreneurial voice and channel their skills and passions into a successful business venture. Her advice and insight is applicable to anyone who is about to start or expand a venture of any size, whether it is a business or philanthropic endeavor, but also to individuals who want to apply the entrepreneurial spirit to a job or corporation to increase innovation and maintain a competitive edge.Featuring Martha+s top principles for success, as well as stories and anecdotes from her own experiences, The Martha Rules is sure to appeal to business readers, fans, and anyone who admires her for her style, taste, and great advice-and who have great business ideas of their own! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

The Martha Rules
The Martha Rules is an absolute must-read for any entrepreneur! Thank you, Martha, for sharing your wealth of business start-up wisdom!

Contains some good advice
There is some very useful advice in this book. Its nice to read something about Martha's way of conducting business and how she ( and other's) have brought their ideas to life.

"It's a good thing!"
"It's a good thing!" should be echoed as readers delight in the ideas that are generated in this book! I checked this book out via interlibrary loan because it's always a great idea to check out books before you buy them. This is an excellent, educational and informative read! You will learn different techniques of how to make a business thrive such as the importance of a business plan and the right locale for your business! For instance, Martha talks about being in a less than fancy area; in order, to save overhead costs. This is a great idea because budgeting is always key when developing a business. You may have champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but unless, you're willing to put importance on the bigger picture, then those have to wait! I highly recommend buying this book as it's entertaining and helpful and Martha gets you brainstorming by discussing some success stories and the value of hardwork!

Really good information about how to start and run a small business
I have used material from this book in my lectures to my university freshman business students.Ms. Stewart does not use so many formal business terms which is why I use the book as a reference and recommend it to my students.What she says though is often right out of the business texts that we use in class.Love her or hate her, Martha is an excellent example of a highly successful entrepreneur.

Great ideas/rules for the budding or experienced entrepreneuer
There is much wonderful detail in this book for those who are interested in developing a business as well as those who are already in business. Ms. Stewart includes numerous examples from her own experiences as well as "case histories" of other successful businesses. Creating and running a business is not always a smooth endeavor; thus, Martha also discusses how certain business owners often have successfully risen to challenge after challenge.

The ten Martha rules are explained at length, each with its own chapter, and I would defy anyone to say they've read the book and haven't come away with a number of excellent ideas. This is a "must read" and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
This ideal cookbook for a busy life-style offers 52 sensational seasonal menus that can be prepared in less than an hour. The dishes are as healthful as they are delectable--and make simple meals a treat for cooks and eaters alike. Illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Love this cookbook!!
Best cookbook I have ever used...love the recipes and the coordination of meals.I even like the presentations, though Martha does go over the top!
Highly recommend

Good recipes, beautiful photos, but NOT quick!
Just like her "Quick Cook" book, the "Menus" book has fabulous photos and recipes that do work, but each RECIPE takes at least a full hour; there is no way one person could do a whole menu in an hour unless he/she had six arms. Also, like the other book, many of the ingredients are hard to find, and almost all of the recipes call for fresh herbs (and you can tell that dried herbs just wouldn't work). ... Read more

Product Description
Handmade Christmas is filled with ingenious ideas for creating a personal and festive holiday. From creating holiday window boxes or a gingerbread mansion to making your own gift wrap, Martha Stewart offers a stylish, inventive guide. 2004-color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

My first Martha Stewart book
I have used many of these projects and loved it.The ribbon trays I have given as gifts were well received, and once I got the glass cut, were just gorgeous.I found baskets on sale one day, and they just all came together, not as expensive as I thought.I think the ribbon cost the most, but still, a really great gift for not a lot of money in my case. Recipes, of course, and things like candlemaking are showcased here.So glad I bought it!

I liked it
This book taught me the best way to wrap gifts.

poo
I am usually a Martha fan but I see these books of hers as an attempt to just suck more money out of us. Almost everything in this book can be found in past issues of her magazine. If I would have known that I would havewent to the library and decided what was best myself.I believe all of herbooks are this way---I mean samples from her show and magazine. Nothing newor surprising.

Make your Christmas one "from the heart".
Martha Stewart presents some of the most beautiful and creative ideas to make Chirstmas special. Her gift and wrapping ideas allow for the kind of creativity that will make each gift truly special and "from the heart".The decorating ideas she presents are truly beautiful and have given rise to many new holiday traditions in our home and in the homes of the many friends that have borrowed this book from me. The fact that she provides the names and addresses of the mail order houses she gets her supplies from for all of the wonderful things she shows in the book is a god-send. ... Read more

Product Description
"Being Martha is a personal-at times a searingly personal-account of Martha's life from the inside, by a friend. It's fascinating-very anecdotal and very emotional. It won't be like anything else you've ever read about her."
-John Small, editor of SaveMartha.com

From Being Martha

"Martha has taught people to do many things and not in the way an ordinary teacher would, but in her own particular way. She taught people about the good things in life-the simple things."
-Martha Kostyra, Martha's mother

"My mother and I have always been close. We are not closer since the trial and prison-we've always been close. . . . Don't we all want a better life? No matter what they say about my mom, all she ever does is teach the world good things that will help them in life. So what if she shows you the perfect way to do it? Would you want your professor at school to do anything less in any other subject? Her fans know what she's all about."
-Alexis Stewart, Martha's daughter

"It was all about going and finding a piece of land and living off of it, learning how to get back to nature. Listening to banjos, listening to folk music, discovering Leadbelly and the Mamas and the Papas. We used to have the greatest evenings with a bunch of hospitable people. Martha would make pies and other things for the occasions."
-George Christiansen, Martha's brother, about the early years

"Martha raised the bar for me and made me think big. . . . We have an alley cat, Ricky, that lives next door at the deli, and he roams in and out of the neighborhood. Ricky has no tail, he's dirty, and he acts like a dog. One morning during the trial, Martha was in the salon wearing a three-thousand-dollar Jil Sander suit. She was sitting on one of the chairs in the back. Ricky came in and jumped on top of her and was all over her, licking her neck and putting paw marks all over her. Martha said, 'Oh my God, this cat is so dirty, this is such a dirty little cat!' But she let him crawl all over her. She just dusted the hair and dirt off. She really has a lot of kindness in her."
-Eva Scrivo, Martha's friend and hairdresser ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Humanizes Martha
I could not put this book down as the story-telling style is engaging and it introduces me to a woman who is so amazingly strong minded and driven. This book humanizes Martha Stewart as a person who has gone through heartbreaks, disappointments, letdowns and lots more just like the rest of us, yet her positive attitude and loyalty towards her beliefs remain unwavering. I enjoy this book tremendously as I can get to read a lot of "behind the scenes" stories.

PLEASING OBSERVATIONS WRITTEN BY A FRIEND
First I must state I am not particularly a fan of Ms. Stewart.On the other hand, I really have absolutely nothing against her.I don't know her, and in all likelihood never will.I do know that she has received some pretty bad press and a lot of hack writers have made a bit of money taking cheap shots at her.That being said, I rather enjoyed this work.I see absolutely nothing wrong in a friend writing about a friend and saying nice things about the friend they are writing about. The author's style is a little too gushy for my taste i.e. "to die for" is not the way people I know describe cookies.On the other hand, the author's world is different than mine, and that is okay.I dare say the author never uses phrases such as "damn, this is good stuff" when describing cookies.I do admit to finding Ms. Stewart a fascinating individual, and while, as I said, I am not a particular fan, I do admire what she has accomplished.The author gives us yet another view of this woman's life, and that is always refreshing. Like her or not, she certainly has made an impact on our society.It is people such as her we should all know about.This is a fast read and you certainly will not be the worse for wear by reading it and might even enjoy it.Overall, recommend.

Written by a friend...
As some other reviewers have previously stated, this book was written by an old friend of Martha Stewart's which may be cause for wondering if things are not a bit tweaked.The author has this "goody two shoes" style of writing that can be annoying at times.

However, the book reads very fast and is entertaining, though it may be a bit biased.

The story of Martha's life makes for interesting reading any way you slice it (no pun intended!!).She has worked hard, so hard in fact that it is almost impossible to believe that any one individual could possess such stamina, energy and focus.I am always inspired by people who start with modest beginnings and build an empire.

I also read the book Just Desserts by Jerry Openheimer, which is an unauthorized biography and paints an entirely different picture of Martha.

Read this one with a grain of salt!(again, no pun intended!!)

Surprisingly Real
I was so impressed to finally read writings about Martha that were neither sappy and artificial nor spiteful and mean spirited.Allen is a true friend to Martha the kind that sees her how she really is faults and all and obviously still respects her.I love that he doesn't immortalize her as some sort of goddess but yet you can sense that he has a great deal of respect and admiration for her.I have always been a huge fan of Martha especially after she was, in my opinion, held up a bit unfairly as an example of how the government was cracking down on big business.This book takes a true and accurate look at the women, wife, mother, friend and incredible business women that Martha is.She has a temper like most of us, she is moody just like most of us, she likes nice things just like most of us.The difference is that her every move is scrutinized in most cases negatively and out of context.Yet she handles it all with grace and dignity as best she can and strives more recently to open herself up and let us her fans in.I highly recommend this book to her fans as well as those who through negative press have decided they do not like her.Give it a chance it might change your mind.Thank you Allen for an excellent view into the true Martha.Thank you Martha for Being Martha.

Deserving Respect
I really enjoyed the book.It certainly gave me a new perspective on Martha.I mean I never paid much attention to Martha and her story.I just heard what other people had to say about her occasionally. It is unfortunate that people tend to be swayed by what they here on the gossip mill.What a great thing Mr. Allen did for Martha!I am really glad he wrote the book and I am really glad I read it.Martha certainly deserves respect and admiration. ... Read more

Product Description
Martha Inc.

"In this spectacular book, Christopher Byron gets all the way to the heart of Martha Stewart." —David McClintick, author, Indecent Exposure

The story of Martha Stewart is the story of an incredible woman who had the brains to recognize opportunities when they dropped in her lap and who had the drive, energy, and determination to turn them into unprecedented success by gathering around her, and often ruthlessly exploiting, the talents, and sometimes even the loyalty of many people.

The less visible story is how, and ultimately why, all this happened–the hidden world of Martha Stewart and her dreams. That is our story –the story of a little girl who never got over what life never gave her and wound up inventing for herself a past she had never known–a hologram of life so powerful that it not only convinced her personally but mesmerized the world. In time, the quiet little girl from the house on Elm Place became the richest self-made businesswoman in America–by selling the world all her missing parts. This is the story of what was missing, why it was missing, and how she turned it into a billion dollars. —from the PrologueAmazon.com Review
There's probably no woman in America who is as famous--or controversial--as Martha Stewart. In Martha Inc. Christopher Byron gets past the public persona to tell how "the quiet little girl from the house on Elm Place" became the "richest self-made businesswoman in America." While Byron acknowledges that Stewart has a good side, there's not much evidence of it here; much of the book focuses on the darker aspects of Stewart's private life that were first popularized in Jerry Oppenheimer's mean-spirited Just Desserts. Unlike Oppenheimer's account, however, Byron keeps the mudslinging in check by also chronicling her amazing business success as "one of the most potent and effective brands in the history of American marketing." He details her relationships with Kmart, Group W, and Time-Warner, noting that her maneuvering to buy her company back from Time-Warner was "easily the greatest financial coup in the history of American publishing." The result is an interesting and often scandalous story of a woman who proves to be far more complicated than the image her media empire projects. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Customer Reviews (110)

Distastefully Disappointing
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.

Martha
This book was very well documented. There was a lot of careful research done to complete this book. I enjoyed reading it.

Martha is not quite evil in real life but has a sweet side
This book is just ok. I wanted to read about marthas life and why she is such a rude and arrogant person in real life but this author takes it to a new level. He over dramatizes the whole entire book. This book would have been half the size if he left out his own fantay additions to the book. I am not a fan of Marthas and would never stand up for her but this author is better at fantasy than he is fiction.

Disingenuous and unkind
Chris Byron's schtick is to pretend to be a friend of Martha Stewart, but tell her story in the most cruel light.No friend would write a book like this.Hence, from the start one feels he is disingenuous while trying to establish his cred.

I am probably the one person in America who knows almost nothing about Martha Stewart, but Byron's account assembles such a string of digs that before long it gave me the feeling of being stuck in an elevator where someone had vomited. Why subject yourself to this?I skipped ahead a few times trying to find a different tone, but the guy continues his vicious ways while feigning disinterested storyteller, and I finally had to throw it down.

I do not understand this writer's motivations for such unkindness.

This book makes me wonder about the value of all such book. By what standard is a book considered a good book? Does it inspire us?Yes, it is well researched and well written... but so are so many others.This book is disrespectful to a fellow human being and for what purpose?

With so many other books in my reading pile, I have to skip out and move to the next.

An intriguing story of Martha's surprising roots evolves in a memorable biography
Martha Stewart's story has all the trappings of fiction: written and read by author Byron, it tells of her rise to fame, her hidden world, and a background which led a quiet girl to become the richest self-made businesswoman in America, selling her confidence and poise to a nation. An intriguing story of Martha's surprising roots evolves in a memorable biography.
... Read more

Product Description
Halloween is rivaled only by Christmas when it comes to the holidays that generate the most interest for Martha Stewart Living’s readers. Halloween is a compendium of the best Halloween ideas published in the magazine over the last decade.

To help celebrate this ghoulish holiday, the editors of Martha Stewart Living bring us Halloween, a compilation of all the best tricks and treats of the spooky season.

Organized in two sections, Halloween makes this holiday so much fun it’s scary. In “Tricking,” pranksters will find all manner of pumpkin carving, eerie lighting, and makeup and decorating ideas. “Treating” provides the recipes for having a Halloween feast or a hanted-house party and ideas for making mischief with kids.Amazon.com Review
Halloween books abound, but none is as elegantly spooky or as eerily opulent as this gorgeous guide from Martha Stewart Living. Set the scene for the ultimate Halloween party with a magical yard full of pumpkins glowing with vibrant geometrics and sparkling with Christmas lights. Welcome guests with shadow lanterns flickering with bats and haunted windows. Strew the house with chiffon ghosts and fill the air with haunting sounds. Then host a pumpkin-carving feast, a crafty party, or a ghoulish supper, and whip up eyeball highballs, croaked messieurs, and spider-web sundaes. And don't forget the creepy makeup: follow along as willing victims transform into a skeleton, mummy, and several other creatures (Martha herself becomes an astonishing black widow). Excellent directions, full recipes, beautiful photographs, and an extremely detailed source list should inspire anyone to celebrate All Hallows' Eve with style. --Amy Handy ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Great collection of some of Martha's Best
I am a Halloween fanatic. And when I discovered that Martha Stewart was also a Halloween fanatic, I just couldn't wait to see what she would do with Halloween decorating. This book is a nice collection of some of her best or memorable projects for Halloween decorating. I think it's a great collection for someone who just wants a basic overview of how Martha does Halloween. But after getting it, I ended up hunting down several of the magazines that these projects came from. It was a lot more effort and costly than buying the book, but I'm glad I did, because the mags from which these projects come contain SO MANY more awesome projects! So, if you want a quick and affordable overview, this is a great buy. But if you really want to collect ALL of her fantastic Halloween projects, I'd say either spend the time and dough to hunt down the mags they came from, OR simply go to [...]...her website is HUGE and contains pretty much everything she has ever done! :)

Good for Fans, Great for Halloween Lovers
If you are a collector of Martha's Halloween Holiday Magazines then this book is just a compilation of all her awesome ideas over the years from those particular magazines. But as far as being all about Halloween decorating, this book is pretty much the best one I can think of. The photography and layout of the book is really good and constantly inspires me to get new ideas every time I read it.

Great crafts, treats, costumes and more!
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and this book has some great ideas for crafts, costumes and food. One of the best halloween inspired snacks was for ladies fingers and men's toes, I brought these to a Halloween party and they were a big hit.
The crafts and recipes in this book are fairly easy to make with planning. Don't try to pull anything off at the last minute. But with some planning and the right tools/ingredients you can achieve a really beautiful finished product.

Good, but not great
Halloween is not a big deal here in Australia, so I was looking for a inspirational book with plenty of how-tos and ideas...I bought this book after combing the Martha Stewart website, expecting more of the same great stuff.I was a little disappointed when it arrived.Still a good book, but I'd recommend going though the website first - a lot of the stuff in this book is contained there anyway.The book has a very appealing look, and is still a good read, but for sheer volume of ideas, all with easy instuctions, use the website.

Nice ideas although a bit pricey
This is a good book but I couldn't help thinking that with some time I could find all these ideas online.But if you want a Halloween idea book for your holiday collection this is a great book and Martha's ideas are timeless and fresh.I don't regret buying it. ... Read more

Product Description
Fresh blossoms can add beauty to any room in any season. Display them at their natural best by learning Martha's basic principles and favorite techniques. Gorgeous color photographs and detailed instructions will teach you how to use floral tools and supplies, choose classic vases as well as unusual containers, condition flowers so they last as long as possible, plan and harvest a cutting garden, and design both the simplest and most dramatic arrangements for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.Amazon.com Review
A beautiful floral arrangement can add the perfect touch ofbeauty and elegance to your home, and who would know this better thanour favorite doyenne of the dainty, Martha Stewart. In ArrangingFlowers, Martha shares basic principles and techniques forcreating lovely bouquets for any occasion or season. "Flowers," Marthadeclares, "belong everywhere, in every nook and cranny of the house."Assuming no special knowledge or skill from the reader, Martha takesyou step by step through the process of finding the perfect vase foryour arrangement, conditioning cut flowers for maximum beauty andlifespan, and creating a sturdy foundation for your creation.

Thesecond half of this book is an exposition on seasonal arrangements,along with specific tips on growing, buying, and caring for individualtypes of flowers. One of the great charms of this book is thetrademark lavish photos that are in all Martha Stewart books. Nearlyevery page of Arranging Flowers features beautiful, vividphotos of flower bouquets of all types, from humble Sweet Peas to theglorious Double-Headed Peony. With Martha as your guide, even the mostham-fisted palooka will be inspired to create dazzling works of floralart. --Perry Atterberry ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Pretty pictures, almost no directions
This book offers lots of well-composed shots of nice arrangements, but provides virtually no information about how to make them. Note that the book dates from 1999, so it's a little out of date as well. Not worth the money.

A real letdown and overpriced
I found the Fine Art of Flower Arranging by Nancy D'Oench, Mick Hales.It is so much better than Martha's book.

A Disappointment - Well Below Expectations
Perhaps my expectations were too high?Martha produces a beautiful magazine and her new Best of Weddings book is superb so I thought that this book, although older, would be a nice addition.I was disappointed.Although the book was published in 1999, it seemed even more outdated than that.The flowers used seemed repeated over and over again and the book was centered completely around the varieties in Martha's garden. For a more thorough view, I'd like to recommend 2 books in place of this one.Jane Packer's Fast Flower Arranging is fantastic and shows beautiful arrangements that can be made quickly even by a novice.For actual, technical "how to" steps and design theory, I'd recommend Judith Blacklock's "Flower Arranging" (might be called Teach Yourself Flower Arranging in some indexes).Once you know proper floral design techniques, you can use any kind of flowers (NOT just those from Martha's garden) to create beautiful arrangements.

Not exactly a how-to book, but great pictures
I wouldn't really consider this a how-to book, as most of it is pictures of arrangements with a paragraph or two about the flowers. To paraphrase, "Martha loves spring when the peonies in her garden are blooming. They look stunning massed together." Most of the description is of her garden.

However, the photographs ARE wonderful and gave me many, many ideas. I checked this book out of the library to get ideas for my wedding, and it's a book that I've renewed several times.

Most of the arrangements included are simple yet elegant, involving one species of flower or monochromatic color schemes.

I recommend this book as long as you're looking for arrangement ideas, not step-by-step instructions.

arranging flowers
I THINK THIS BOOK WILL BE WONDERFUL BECAUSE ALL THINGS MARTHA IS. AND I LOVED YUOR PAGE TOO. THANKS RUBIA ... Read more

Product Description
From wonderful classic cakes to inspiring confections of seasonal fruit, these homemade desserts make the most delicious impressions at every occasion--a birthday or wedding, an elegant holiday dinner or casual summer luncheon, a country picnic or everyday meal. Easy-to-follow recipes guide you each step of the way, and color photographs of all the desserts offer beautiful, creative serving ideas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The recipes aren't turning out well.
The recipes aren't translating well to the home cook.

loves to bake
Great book,pictures are vivid, and it came just as they as described,new and quick.

okay but not the greatest
the recipes had hard to find ingredients, and they werent very good in my opinion,

I did not like this book
The following books are better in my opinion:

The Lady & Sons Just Desserts: More Than 120 Sweet Temptations from Savannah's Favorite Restaurant, Somersize Desserts, Unbelievable Desserts With Splenda: Sweet Treats Low in Sugar, Fat and Calories.

I especially liked some of the low fat desserts because I do not want to get fat like Martha.

Martha does it again!
I bought this book for my husband's aunt and am now buying a copy for myself - I already tried one recipe and aside from the fact that the brownies burned around the edges, they were delicious.The beautiful photos are inspiring.My complaint? Martha seems to consistently omit ingredients from her recipes - later writing a note in the next mag issue, apologizing for the omission.I question as to why the oven temp was so high for this recipe so buyer beware - double check all the ingredients and watch that oven! ... Read more