This book investigates the historical evolution of Avon Products, Incorporated, focusing on how the company leveraged the labor of women to build a global direct-sales empire. Katina Manko, a historian specializing in business and gender, utilizes extensive corporate archives and primary source interviews to trace the company's trajectory from its 19th-century origins to its modern status. The work argues that Avon provided a unique economic vehicle for women to achieve financial independence while simultaneously reinforcing specific gendered expectations within the domestic sphere.

Historians and business scholars frequently cite this work as a definitive account of the direct-sales model and its impact on women's labor history. Readers often note the academic rigor and the depth of archival research presented throughout the narrative.