TOP DRAWER BOOK REVIEW
by
HL Carpenter

 

The Martha Rules
by Martha Stewart
ISBN 1-59486-470-5
205 pages; hardcover; $24.95
Rodale, United States, 2005

Martha’s back, and in fighting form.

No matter what you may think of America’s lifestyle diva, there’s no denying she’s a successful businesswoman. In her usual sunny style, she says it would be a Good Thing for you to be successful, too. Her book, The Martha Rules, which she outlined while serving her prison sentence, sets out ten guidelines she believes will help.

The book is bright and perky, full of can-do and you-too, written by an optimist who has your best interests in mind. Unfortunately, The Martha Rules contains nothing new in terms of management or entrepreneurial techniques. Find your passion, create a plan, take risks, build a team. Those are all tried and true platitudes every budding business owner hears and reads countless times.

Nonetheless, Martha fans will probably enjoy the behind-the-scenes glimpses into her own rise to the top of the heap, as well as the stumble, which she overcame with her usual verve.

The Martha Rules is definitely a story of success. But if you want to emulate that story, you’ll probably have to write – and break - a few rules of your own.

 

Review originally published March 2006.