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

“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.

This definitive biography reveals the full story behind the icon:

The Making of Mattel: Follow Ruth Handler as she transforms a garage startup into the biggest toy company in the world, fighting naysayers at every turn. A Visionary Woman: A detailed portrait of Ruth Handler—the brilliant, ruthless, and passionately competitive tenth child of immigrants who changed American business forever. The Doll Nobody Wanted: Discover the surprising origin story of Barbie, from her controversial debut at the 1959 Toy Fair to her status as a global cultural phenomenon. Scandal and Reinvention: A gripping account of the federal fraud charges that forced Ruth from her empire and the personal health crisis that led to her second act: creating the groundbreaking Nearly Me breast prosthesis.