Barbie and Ruth

The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her

By: Robin Gerber

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Paperback | 9 February 2010

At a Glance

Paperback
288 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.2 x 15.5 x 1.8

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“Barbie and her creator, the sharp-elbowed gal who built the biggest toy company, have a story to tell.” —Time

Barbie and Ruth is the remarkable true story of the world’s most famous toy and the woman who created her. It is a fascinating account of how one visionary woman and her product changed an industry and sparked a lasting debate about women’s roles. At once a business book, a colorful portrait of an extraordinary female entrepreneur, and a breathtaking look at a cultural phenomenon, Barbie and Ruth is a must read for anyone who ever owned a Barbie doll.

This is the entwined tale of two exceptional women. One was a voluptuous eleven-inch-tall beauty who debuted at the 1959 Toy Fair in New York City and quickly became the treasure of 9 out of 10 American girls and their counterparts in 150 countries. She went on to compete as an Olympic athlete, serve as an air force pilot, work as a boutique owner, run as a presidential candidate, and ignite a cultural firestorm. The other was Ruth Handler, the tenth child of Polish Jewish immigrants.

A brilliant, creative, ruthless, and passionately competitive visionary, Ruth was a mother and wife who wanted it all—a masterful entrepreneur who, together with her curvaceous plastic creation, changed American business and culture forever.

Industry Reviews

"This stirring biography is a fine study of success and resilience." -- Publishers Weekly

"Gerber's smoothly-written biography paints a fearless business woman as a devoted wife, a too-busy mother and a rock-'em-sock-'em executive." -- New York Post

"Barbie and her creator, the sharp-elbowed gal who built the biggest toy company, have a story to tell." -- Time magazine

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Society & Culture Social Groups Gender Studies Gender Studies: Women and Girls Handicrafts, Decorative Arts & Crafts Toy Making & Decorating Antiques, Vintage & Collectables Antiques, Vintage & Collectables for Toys, Games, Dolls & Models Biographies & True Stories Biographies Business & Industry Biographies

Industry & Industrial Studies Manufacturing Industries Business & Management Management & Management Techniques

Introduction	p. vii
The Doll Nobody Wanted	p. 1
The Tenth Child	p. 21
Love at a Nickel a Dance	p. 29
Ruth and Elliot and Matt	p. 43
A Working Mother	p. 61
Uke-A-Doodles	p. 71
Music Makers and Sour Notes	p. 79
Gambling Everything on Mickey Mouse	p. 91
The Woman and the Doll	p. 103
Soaring in the Sixties	p. 119
Toys, Money, and Power	p. 135
Hot Wheels and Hot Deals	p. 147
The Cancer Within	p. 165
The Plot Unravels	p. 185
Nearly Me	p. 197
The Wages of Fraud	p. 213
Forced Service	p. 225
Ken and a Time of Plague	p. 233
Her Way	p. 245
Author's Note	p. 255
Bibliography	p. 258
Acknowledgments	p. 267
Index	p. 269
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Barbie and Ruth

The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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