Reviews

Barbie Forever: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy by Robin Gerber

allysunsun's review

informative slow-paced

3.75

 A very cool look through the path Barbie took from the initial idea to it's lasting impact on our world today. I really enjoyed learning more about how it came to be.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review. 

devynreadsnovels's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, and Sexism

lina_k's review

inspiring lighthearted

3.5

This is a fun introduction to the history of Barbie. The many photos make this an easy and wonderfully visual read!

I personally would have enjoyed some more insight into Barbie as a concept, and the criticisms that have come with her, and body image for example. More discussion of other Barbie pop culture such as the animated movies would have also been very enjoyable for me. However, this book is primarily focused on the Barbie doll, which is understandable. 

A nice informative read for anyone who wants a good basis on how Barbie came to be, and has changed over time. 

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC

3.5 stars 

read_watch_sarah's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.0

mhmrose's review against another edition

informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

4.75

Barbie has a special place in my heart having played a large place in my childhood as well as shaping my mindset that anyone can do/be anything. So when I found Robin Gerber's Barbie: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy I immediately requested it read (which I'm so glad I got to!). Although it is a short book, don't let that fool you, Gerber's book is so fun and thoroughly researched with extensive backgrounds behind the Barbie doll, her creator, Ruth Handler, and the global phenomena that followed.

Filled with images from early advertisements to modern campaigns and photos of Mattel founders and Barbie fans, this bright, colourful book is perfect for any Barbie fan who wants to look back into their childhood, or those who still have Barbie fever from the film released last year.

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer! for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

jeansbookbag's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

3.0

Full of great pictures and anecdotes from collectors, this book is a base primer on the history of Barbie. I wouldn’t expect a super in-depth look at the brand from something like this (a complaint I’ve noticed in a few other reviews), so it fits the bill of being a good starting point on the history. I’m looking forward to reading Gerber’s biography of Ruth Handler, which I expect will delve into much more detail about the brand and its creator.

kittyreads28's review against another edition

informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

queenkath32's review against another edition

informative reflective

3.0

thewoollygeek's review against another edition

4.0

An interesting and colourful look at the history and affect Barbie has had, this will appeal to a lot of fans and as a previous Barbie owner as a child it’s really fun to look back over the dolls and reminisce, it would have been nice for a commentary about her effect on body image etc, but I guess I expecting far too much there. But a colourful guide to Barbie and her history, will appeal to fans.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

graypeape's review against another edition

5.0

Okay, so what you're not going to get in this book is negative stuff about Barbie- her supposed bad effects on girls' body image, her math woes, an unfortunate cookie cross-promotion- but you will get lots of interesting history and trivia about not just Barbie herself, but the times she's lived in. Learning about what Ruth Handler went through to get her doll made gave me new respect for her- just because her husband co-founded Mattel didn't mean she had an easy time making her dream a reality! Barbie's controversial figure came about because the tiny waist and hips made the clothes look better; the waists of the skirts and pants and the fasteners were bulkier than what equivalently sized human clothes had, so Barbie's waist and hips shrank to make the clothed doll look more proportionate. And oh my, the clothes! So much attention was put into every detail of the outfits, so that each was a complete play experience, with accessories to spark the imagination. For me, and I'm sure for many other girls too, the clothes were the best part- I didn't do pretend play with Barbie so much, it was mainly dressing her up, combining outfits to make new combinations, talking my mom into crocheting clothes for me, making clothes of my own. I also loved constructing homes for her, not just using doll furniture but also making furnishings out of household objects (half empty tissue boxes make groovy lounge chairs with built in side tables ha!). Barbie provided countless hours of creative fun for me, and helped me to look at objects in a different way, to see what they could become. She never gave me body issues- I recognized that she wasn't proportionate, and subconsciously realized she was a mannequin to put clothes on, and I didn't want that kind of body. To me, she was just fun to play with, and this book captures that. The pictures will delight Barbie fans, and the stories from collectors will give you the warm fuzzies. A perfect gift for any Barbie fan or collector.

#BarbieForever #NetGalley