Four main biographies cover Martha Stewart: Just Desserts (1997), Martha Inc. (2002), Being Martha (2006), and Martha Stewart: A Biography (2007). Stewart announced her own autobiography with Random House in October 2024.
What Are the Main Martha Stewart Biography Books?
The 4 main Martha Stewart biography books are Martha Stewart: Just Desserts, Martha Inc., Being Martha, and Martha Stewart: A Biography. Martha Stewart was born on August 3, 1941, in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is known as a lifestyle author, media executive, and founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
How Do the Martha Stewart Biography Books Compare?
The table below compares the 4 books by title, author, publisher and year, page count, and notable feature.
| Book | Author | Publisher and year | Pages | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martha Stewart: Just Desserts | Jerry Oppenheimer | William Morrow, 1997 | 399 | Unauthorized biography |
| Martha Inc. | Christopher Byron | John Wiley & Sons, 2002 | 405 | Unauthorized; Stewart declined to cooperate |
| Being Martha | Lloyd Allen | John Wiley & Sons, 2006 | 230 | Based on interviews with family, friends, and colleagues |
| Martha Stewart: A Biography | Joann F. Price | Greenwood Press, 2007 | 168 | Written for high school and general readers |
What Is Martha Stewart: Just Desserts?
Martha Stewart: Just Desserts: The Unauthorized Biography is a 399-page book by Jerry Oppenheimer, published by William Morrow in 1997. It covers Stewart’s childhood, her marriage and divorce, her relationship with her daughter, and her rise to fame.
A 2002 news report describes it as a racy unauthorized biography by a National Enquirer reporter. The report states that Stewart was stung by it.
What Is Martha Inc.?
Martha Inc.: The Incredible Story of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is Christopher Byron’s 2002 unauthorized biography. Wiley published the 405-page book. Byron wrote it without Stewart’s cooperation.
The book traces Stewart from a working-class New Jersey family to the head of a billion-dollar company. It was a New York Times bestseller and became a television movie starring Cybill Shepherd. Byron was a finance and business writer, and the book gives heavy attention to her business affairs.
What Is Being Martha?
Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and Her Amazing Life is Lloyd Allen’s 2006 biography, published by Wiley. Allen was Stewart’s former neighbor in Connecticut. He based the book on interviews with Stewart, her mother, her daughter Alexis, her sister, her brother, and associates.
Allen wrote it to set the record straight after the negative coverage of her trial. A Booklist review described it as a flattering portrait that probes little in detail.
What Is Martha Stewart: A Biography?
Martha Stewart: A Biography is a 168-page book by Joann F. Price in the Greenwood Biographies series, first published in 2007. It targets high school and general readers.
The book follows Stewart from her childhood as the oldest of 6 children through her securities career, her bestselling author years in the 1980s, and her role as CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. It also covers her conviction for lying to investigators about a stock sale, her five-month prison term, and her March 2005 release. A Goodreads reader noted that the book lacks personal detail.
Is There a Martha Stewart Autobiography?
Martha Stewart announced an autobiography with Random House on October 17, 2024. She said then that Random House planned to publish it in 2 years. She described it as an autobiography and not exactly a memoir. Her publisher had not confirmed the details at the time.
She had announced a similar project in 2001. Clarkson Potter, a Random House imprint, signed a deal for a book tentatively titled Martha: Really and Truly, scheduled for 2003.
I found no confirmed title or release date for the 2024 autobiography as of October 2026.
What Other Martha Stewart Books Contain Biographical Content?
Three recent books include biographical elements:
- Martha: The Cookbook: Her 100th book, released on November 12, 2024. It features photos from her personal archives and lessons from her life.
- Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: Her 101st book, announced on January 23, 2025.
- Martha!: A 160-page collection of quotes and observations by Sophie Parker, published by Bluestone Books on June 9, 2026. It is a tribute and not a full biography.
Is There a Martha Stewart Documentary?
Yes, Netflix released the documentary Martha on October 30, 2024. R.J. Cutler directed it. It draws on hundreds of hours of interviews with Stewart and her inner circle, along with her private archives of diaries, letters, and footage.
Stewart gave interviews to the film. She told the New York Times that she liked the first half. She objected to the closing scenes, which showed her walking in the garden.
Which Martha Stewart Biography Book Suits Which Reader?
The table below matches reader goals to books.
| Reader goal | Matching book |
|---|---|
| Business history of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia | Martha Inc. |
| Personal and family details from an unauthorized view | Martha Stewart: Just Desserts |
| Friendly portrait based on family interviews | Being Martha |
| Short, balanced overview for general readers | Martha Stewart: A Biography |
| Stewart’s own account | Her forthcoming autobiography |
| Visual and archival account | Netflix documentary Martha |
What Do Martha Stewart Biographies Cover?
Martha Stewart biographies cover 5 main periods:
- Early career: model, stockbroker, and caterer
- Publishing: her first book, Entertaining, in 1982
- Magazine launch: Martha Stewart Living in 1990
- Company founding: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 1997
- Legal case: her 2004 sentence of 5 months in prison and 2 years of probation
People Also Ask About Martha Stewart Biography Books
What is the best-known Martha Stewart biography?
Martha Inc. by Christopher Byron is the best-known, because it was a New York Times bestseller and became a television movie.
Is there an authorized Martha Stewart biography?
Being Martha by Lloyd Allen draws on interviews with Stewart and her family, though sources do not call it officially authorized.
Who wrote Martha Stewart: Just Desserts?
Jerry Oppenheimer wrote Martha Stewart: Just Desserts, published in 1997.
Has Martha Stewart written an autobiography?
Stewart announced an autobiography in October 2024, but I found no confirmed release.
How many books has Martha Stewart written?
Martha Stewart has written more than 100 books, beginning with Entertaining in 1982.
How old is Martha Stewart?
Martha Stewart is 85 years old, born on August 3, 1941.
Which Martha Stewart Biography Book Is the Most Widely Cited?
Martha Inc. is the most widely cited Martha Stewart biography because it reached the New York Times bestseller list and inspired a television movie. Martha Stewart: A Biography is the shortest, at 168 pages, and her own autobiography is the next major book expected.