{"product_id":"book-ee76","title":"Toy Monster","description":" From Boise to Beijing, Mattels toys dominate the universe.  Its no-fun-and-games marketing muscle reaches some 140 countries,  and its iconic productsBarbie, Hot Wheels, and Chatty Cathy,  to name a fewhave been a part of our culture for  generations.   Now, in this intriguing and entertaining exposé, New  York Times bestselling author Jerry Oppenheimer places the  worlds largest toy company under a journalistic microscope,  uncovering the dark side of toy land, and exploring Mattels  oddball corporate culture and eccentric, often bizarre, cast of  characters.  Based on exclusive interviews and an exhaustive review of public  and private records, Toy Monster exposes Mattels  take-no-prisoners, shark-infested corporate style. Throughout this  scrupulously reported, unauthorized portrait, youll discover  how dangerous toys are actually nothing new to Mattel, and why its  fearsomely litigious approach within the brutal toy business has  helped their products dominate over potential rivals such as  Bratz.  But this is only part of the story. Along the way, youll  also become familiar with the larger-than-life personalities that  have shaped Mattels eccentric world. Theres cofounder  Ruth Handler, a one-woman  sales-merchandising-promotion-administrative force, a sort of  industrial Orson Welles, who becomes a white-collar  criminal. Theres Jack Ryan, the Father of  Barbie, whose second of five wives calls him a  full-blown seventies-style swinger into wife-swapping and sundry  sexual pursuits as a way of life. And dont forget CEO  Robert Eckert, who came from the worlds of processed cheese and hot  dogs to lead Mattelonly to get grilled by the U.S. Congress,  and the world press, in the lead-paint-and-dangerous-magnets  cause célèbre.  The phenomenal Barbie brands 50th anniversary arrives in  2009, hot on the heels of the China Toy Terror recall scandal that  has tarnished Mattels image in the hearts and minds of  millions of people worldwide. Toy Monster takes you inside  the scandals that have been a part of this company, and shows you  why todays toy business isnt always fun and  games.  ","brand":"Tantor","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49428314095920,"sku":"BDee76","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio CD","offer_id":49428314128688,"sku":"ZEee76","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio MP3-CD","offer_id":49428314161456,"sku":"ZMee76","price":45.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/ee76-Square-cover.jpg?v=1779266485","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-ee76","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}