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.