This book will be an exhaustively researched look at the toy industry, using Mattel as the center piece. The author will examine today's toy recalls, from China, Mexico, etc, and the impact on the American consumer and international trade relations. The book also looks back at Mattel's history from the creation of Barbie, along with other toys now brand names throughout the world, and finds a long history of cover-up and scandal within the company. Given the highly competitive nature of the toy business, there is industrial espionage and sabotage as well.

Table of Contents

Part I: The Barbie War and The Handler-Ryan Era. Chapter 1: Barbie's Untold Heritage. Chapter 2: A Shocking Cover-up. Chapter 3: From Weapons of Mass Destruction to Barbie, and the knocking off of a German doll. Chapter 4: Putting the "Matt" in Mattel and How the Toymaker Became a Hotbed of Aggressive Hotheads. Chapter 5: Real-Life Barbie Dolls. Chapter 6: Horrific Scandal, Controversy and Indictments. Chapter 7: A Civil War and a Hollywood Romance. Chapter 8: A Bloody Tragic Ending. Part II: A Drama Princess and the Barad Era. Chapter 9: "Miss Italian America". Chapter 10: From "He-Man" to Home Depot. Chapter 11: A Fearsome and Firing Diva and the Great Whistleblower Debacle. Chapter 12: The Princess Di Fiasco, Praying For Success, and Demi Plays Barad. Chapter 13: Another Whistleblower in the Ranks, Toyland's Worst Acquisition and the End of a Reign. Part III: Toy Terror, The Bratz Attack, and the Eckert EraChapter 14: The Processed Cheese Savior. Chapter 14: The Processed Cheese Savior. Chapter 15: Barbie's Aging, Eckert's Making Excuses, and The Bratz Pack is Booming. Chapter 16: Toy Terror 2007. Chapter 17: An Outrageous Apology. Chapter 18: "Like Something Out Of The Exorcist". Chapter 19: Keep It Out Of The News! Chapter 20: Don't Diss Barbie, and the Toy Trial of the Century - Bratz vs. Barbie. Author's Notes on Sources. Bibliography. Acknowledgments. About the Author.

Author Biography

Jerry Oppenheimer has written eight biographies of major American icons, from Martha Stewart and Barbara Walters to the Clintons and Kennedys, and has worked in all facets of journalism, from national investigative re-porting in Washington, D.C., to producing TV news and documentaries. He's quoted in magazines such as Vanity Fair, and is a frequent guest on national TV interview and syndicated magazine shows, including Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Anderson Cooper 360 degrees, Nancy Grace, BBC News, Fox News, and more.