Summary
Lee Israel’s unauthorized biography examines Estée Lauder’s personal history, social ambitions, and family business. It questions parts of Lauder’s public account of her background and considers the roles of her uncle and sons in the company. The account provides a critical portrait of both the founder and the business.
Why read it Our view
Read it alongside Lauder’s own account to consider how a founder’s public story is formed. Israel’s attention to family roles and disputed background gives a basis for asking whose work receives credit and how a company presents its origins.
Written about
- Estée LauderBiography subjectLauder is the subject of Israel’s unauthorized 1985 biography.Source