From Publishers Weekly
By the authors' reckoning, 80% of the toys introduced each year to the American market fail to capture a significant share of the industry's $12 billion revenues. This lively treatment of a volatile, competitive field, deeply dependent on seasonal fads and the whims of children and their parents, includes amusing anecdotes about manufacturers, distributors and maverick inventors. Jack Ryan, for one: an engineer with Mattel, he patented the Barbie doll's "flexible interior knee joint," married five times--including Zsa Zsa Gabor--and rebuilt his California home to resemble a castle. All is not fun and games in the world of playthings, however; the authors sound a dark note when berating the alleged moral laxity of toy promoters. The hawkers of such perennial favorites as teddy bears, Barbie, video games and toys inspired by TV programs routinely fail, they contend, to consider the impact of these products' sexism and violence on children. Stern is a financial reporter; Schoenhaus is publisher of Toy & Hobby World . Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This book deftly examines the vagaries of the toy industry with its unpredictable boom and bust cycles. It is a well-researched history of American toy companies and the birth of famous toys such as Barbie, G.I. Joe, Silly-Putty, and Dino-Riders. Issues of toy safety, sexism, toy weapons, and advertising to children are addressed. Everyone who remembers their favorite toy or game should be interested in this well-written book. Highly recommended for all types of collections.
- Jane M. Kathman. Coll. of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Jane M. Kathman. Coll. of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
