A fresh and colorful cultural history of Mattel’s Barbie and how she helped shape our understanding of modern feminism and capitalism—perfect for fans of The Secret History of Wonder Woman and DisneyWar.

In June of 1952, German publishing tycoon Axel Springer was sending a new paper to print: a four-page broadsheet that almost ready, save for a narrow blank on the second page. With minutes to spare, Springer commissioned a one-block cartoon of a petite blonde with a predil...