This episode I review a great book, The Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle Between GI Joe, Barbie, and the Companies that Make Them by G. Wayne Miller.

Toy Wars outlines the battles of the leading toy companies from the 1970s through the 1990s. Focusing primarily on Hasbro and Mattel, the book provides an excellent historical overview of each company and the legendary products they developed and the challenges of competing in a highly volatile industry that balances success and failure on the whims of short-lived fads.