Review

All dolled up From her origin as the near-clone of a German sex toy for men to her position as the reigning queen of dolls, Barbie has long been the world's favorite foot-tall cultural icon. Next year she'll reach the big four-o, and everywhere you turn there's another party. One of the most entertaining is a new book from that trusty art publisher, Abrams Barbie: Four Decades of Fashion, Fantasy, and Fun by Marco Tosa. More than merely a catalog of Barbie, friends, and accessories, Tosa's book is a beautifully illustrated history of a cultural phenomenon. It follows the changes in American social life over the last 40 years, as reflected in the lifestyle and accoutrements of the most popular doll in the world.