| | |  | Home Business Books | Home » » Tupperware Unsealed: Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the Home Party Pioneers | | | | | | | Description: | | Brownie Wise, the first woman to appear on the cover of Business Week, was the driving force behind making Tupperware a household name. Fired under mysterious circumstances, she was written out of Tupperware history and died in obscurity. A trailblazing businesswoman decades ahead of her time, Wise created the Tupperware "home party" phenomenon in the 1950s. Her drive and creativity fueled sales and profits for the once sleepy plastic containers company. Earl Tupper anointed Wise as the company figurehead and marketing guru. Long before Disney, her lavish national headquarters drew tourists from near and far to the outskirts of Orlando, Florida, where she held court with the press, politicians, and movie stars. Wise's idea to market Tupperware exclusively through in-home sales sparked a cultural revolution in post World War II America. For the first time, minimally educated and economically invisible housewives had opportunities for careers. She became a cultlike, charismatic leader for the Tupperware faithful, so popular that "Tupperware Ladies" would vie to win the clothes right off her back. Behind the scenes, few knew Wise was stalked by her alcoholic and abusive ex-husband and feared him appearing out of nowhere to cause shame, embarrassment, or worse. The adoration from a legion of Tupperware dealers made her sudden fall from grace even more shocking and dramatic. At the height of her national celebrity, Tupper unceremoniously released her from the company. Journalist Bob Kealing has interviewed pioneering executives who helped build the company alongside Wise, reviewed hundreds of primary source documents written by Tupper and Wise, and obtained access to a wealth of previously unknown information, including sealed court depositions regarding a series of boat accidents successfully kept out of the press by the company, and details of secret recordings made by Tupperware Home Parties management seeking to prevent their distributors from unionizing. Wise's rise and fall, and her relationship with the eccentric Tupper, is the stuff of legend; a story told finally, and fully, in Tupperware Unsealed. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| BOB KEALING | | Hardcover:
| 264 pages | | Publisher:
| University Press of Florida | | Publication Date:
| May 25, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 081303227X | | Product Length:
| 9.38 inches | | Product Width:
| 6.43 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.89 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.15 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.2 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.1 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.15 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 9 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 9 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Finally an honest book about THP !Jun 13, 2008
By Sandra Nelson
Having been in the Tupperware Family all my life, i found this book to be fascinating, truthful, and completely up front and interesting - My parents were one of the original distributors so i know what is true and what is not - But the author did great research and wrote it in such a delightful way - I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the true story behind Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise and the early pioneers who worked themselves silly(sometimes literally!) to make Tupperware become a household name!
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Fascinating look behind the curtain of an iconic companyJun 04, 2008
By J. Schneck
"jbschneck"
I was amazed at the details Bob Kealing related in the book. He really brought Brownie Wise (as well as Tupper himself) to life. The story is not a "slam job" but an even-handed look at the rise and fall of a strong-willed single mother. Brownie Wise was an integral part of Tupperware's meteoric rise. Sadly, as a woman, she was all too easily cast aside. This book relates a sad chapter in the history of Tupperware that I had no idea of. The authors detailed accounts made it easy to connect with the main characters in a way some historical novels never do. I also loved the way he put you "at the scene" by relating details of significant events taking place at the same time as the story. I predict you will be pleasantly surprised at the level of details and straight-forward writing style of this book. Excellent story about one of America's first successful business women.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Uncovering Tupperware historyMay 29, 2008
By Book Fan
Bob Kealing transformed meticulous research about the "Queen of Tupperware" into a fascinating story. The interlinking saga of Tupperware and Brownie Wise moves from the early days of the little known plastic container company to the heights of 1950s corporate America. Kealing points to the important contributions Brownie Wise made in home party sales which ultimately made Earl Tupper a very rich man. The surprising downfall of Wise shocked her legions of fans and women who valued her as a role model. She was a promoter & mentor to all the women who for the first time were able to gain financial success. This book is also an important addition to Orlando area history. The small town of Kissimmee eventually grew because of its proximity to Walt Disney World. However, Kealing points out that there was a rich history before Disney World arrived. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in long buried histories.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Tupperware unsealedJun 13, 2008
By Thomas J. Damigella
Our family is one of the original Tupperware pioneers mentioned in this book. I was very impressed with the author's ability to really capture an honest and accurate account of Brownie's spectacular rise to power in Tupperware as well as her eventual demise in the business world of the 50's. This book gives credit where it is due to all the early players that were responsible for creating this truely unique American Company. There has always been more to the Brownie Wise and earl Tupper relationship then people today understand and this book does tell the full story well.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
First Lady of TupperwareJul 07, 2009
By Belinda K. Ellsworth
I can't stop thinking about Tupperware Unsealed: Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the Home Party Pioneers by Bob Kealing. It hit me emotionally, and I've been thinking about and talking about this incredible story ever since I put the book down. It reminded me of all the things I just love about this business and of my early days in direct sales.
Brownie Wise was a single mom from Detroit going door-to-door selling Stanley products when she came across Earl Tupper's innovative plastic products. She'd been so successful with Stanley that she'd hoped to advance into a corporate position with them. But, the Stanley folks shut her down, saying it would never happen because she was a woman. Yet, Brownie believed in herself, she was willing to work hard, and she set her sights on moving forward. If not this, she would find something else.
Earl Tupper was selling his wares - or trying to - at the largest department store in the country, J.L. Hudson in Detroit. The fantastic food savers were just sitting, gathering dust on the shelves, when Brownie saw an opportunity. She realized that Tupper's product line needed to be demonstrated, to be properly appreciated. So she began purchasing the products wholesale and created the presentation model in a party experience so she could show people what a great food preserver the Tupperware was.
The book details her meteoric rise to the top and how as the First Lady of Tupperware, Brownie helped create the model for the party plans we know today. She planned the first direct-sales convention and was the first woman on the cover of Business Week. The 1950s ended up being a time of phenomenal growth for Tupperware, due almost entirely to her efforts and the systems she put in place.
Her distributors were going out and doing 20 parties a month at a time when households only had one car. The Tupperware ladies would wait for their husbands to get home and then run out and do a party - or two or three in one evening! These ladies worked tirelessly and taught their teams to do the same. As they became more successful it was challenging for them to keep up the schedule, necessitating the building of teams big and fast. In fact, the first "car program" was implemented by Tupperware simply so that their best distributors would have a car to go out and do more parties!
I just loved reading about the discipline, philosophy, and replicable nature of Brownie Wise's plan. What I think is so important is to recognize that when one person goes out, creates momentum, and builds a vision for others - and gives others a definite directional message - great things follow. There was a "Tupperware Way" and the company was consistently on message, setting the standard, and rewarding excellence.
The book goes on to detail unfortunate developments that are also cautionary tales about the pressures on companies as they grow quickly and those stories struck me emotionally, as well. The book provides such interesting insight into a part of our history that we think we already know. I just can't recommend it highly enough.
You should know the story of Brownie Wise, the driving force behind making Tupperware a household name. She was written out of Tupperware history, but her influence shouldn't be discounted. She was a trailblazer, ahead of her time, and we can learn so much from her accomplishments and her way of doing business.
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