Martha Stewart’s Very Good Things: Clever Tips & Genius Ideas for an Easier, More Enjoyable Life

This book claims to offer clever tips and ideas for a more enjoyable life. What would a household be without the help and advice of Martha Stewart? During a time when the word “housewife” became a pejorative, Martha bravely made the management of a household and its mundane tasks into an art form. Now we know she has a sizable staff to make this all happen, but her grace and resilience in charting this territory—sometimes through hostile television segments—is deserving of admiration, if not emulation.

Martha has made “good things” into her brand, and there are over five hundred good things in this book. I look forward to making a pine cone bird feeder with my great niece, and I am happy to know that I can make button closures on cardigans that come without them. There is a helpful index at the back of the book. The photographs are beautiful and in keeping with Martha’s standards. This is a wonderful book.