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

WHAT A GREAT READ! This book really surprised me. A friend gave it to me, but I didn't expect that much. The "Ruth" in the title is an amazing person. She had an incredibly dramatic life starting with being raised by her sister. She married her teenage sweetheart and they started Mattel in a garage in LA. She was a natural at business, incredibly tough and smart. Then she created Barbie (an amazing story right there). But after succeeding beyond her wildest dreams she commits corporate fraud, loses her company and almost goes to jail, AND she gets breast cancer. She comes back in a great way. This really reads more like a movie than a real story. I highly recommend it, especially if you're interested in business.

Barbie and Ruth is truly wonderful! I'm recommending it to all of my friends- some of whom joined me in my rec room to play Barbie dolls when we were young! Ms. Gerber keeps the story moving and always interesting.

I began this out of curiousity, since Barbie's has been getting a lot of press -- and found myself sitting up at night for "just one more chapter" as if it were a gripping thriller -- which in many ways it is! The insights to the personalities and to the business are presented in a way which is completely accessable to even those of us who are on the outside of that world. I found myself caring about the people and understanding how a simple beginning became such a complex melodrama. Gerber's writing is up to the standards of her other wonderful books.

Who knew that the creator of the Barbie doll was a felon, a cancer survivor, a daughter of Jewish immigrants, a founder of Mattel, and that the real Ken that inspired the Ken doll was a victim of HIV and resented the materialism and negative effect of the doll that bore his name. It's an absolutely riveting and fascinating story. I couldn't put it down. Gerber's command of story telling helps us to understand Ruth Handler, scorn her, sympathize with her, and learn from her successes and failures. I'm surprised there was so little known about this pioneering woman behind the doll that we all know and love or hate. I loved this book from start to finish.

I was an employee of Mattel during the time of Jill Barad's "reign." This book by Ms. Gerber completely puts into context the Mattel culture that evolved from its founder. Ruth Handler was an intriguing blend of an entrepreneur who carved the way for others and someone who complacently towed the line of gender-based expectations. For example, she was the keynote speaker at a men's club, but while her husband was escorted the proper way to the room assigned for her engagement, she was taken by way of the kitchen and garbage. Most importantly, while no one can underestimate the unfathomable wealth she accumulated due to her business acumen, her true successes came post-Mattel but most probably would not have been achieved without it. She helped survivors of mastectomies re-gain their self-esteem, re-connected with her children, inspired legions of executive women et al, and supported troubled youths. As a sort of B-story, I found it amusing that while Ruth's son Ken (who struggled with his sexuality) resented his name having been given to the Ken doll, the doll is well-received by the gay community. Ms. Gerber is indeed a masterful storyteller.