'Balderdash and Piffle' looks into words and phrases, their origins and usage and how they have developed over time. The beginnings of speech - who spoke first and what did they say?

1/3/09

Robin Gerber, a noted author and speaker on women and leadership, skillfully entwines the stories of two exceptional women. There's Barbie: the diminutive yet arrestingly voluptuous doll unveiled at the 1959 Toy Fair to the disdain of the male buyers. She transcended her strange beginnings as the improbable offspring of 1950s American paper dolls and a European sex toy to be treasured by 90% of American girls and their counterparts in 140 countries, as well as to become an Olympic athlete, Air Force pilot, boutique owner, Presidential candidate, and a cultural icon.And there's Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator: the tenth child of Polish-Jewish immigrants; a brash, passionately competitive and creative business pioneer who stopped at nothing for her vision; a mother and wife who wanted it all; a business phenom and co founder of Mattel who was forced out amid corporate scandal, turned the tragedy of her own breast cancer into a business that changed women's lives, and was ultimately honored as a pioneer, humanitarian, masterful entrepreneur, and the indomitable mother of the world's most famous doll.

Lola Galley is used to doing things she doesn't want. She certainly doesn't want to be assigned the case of Richard Ellaway, the man who, under a cold full moon, mutilated a good friend of hers. Resignedly, she takes the case - but before Ellaway can be tried, her maimed friend is murdered. Lola wants justice and she'll settle for the truth.

When Bruce, an abandoned collie-cross puppy, is adopted by a lively family, he encounters more affection than ever before in his short life. With humour and a unique charm, he describes his life with his loving but troubled owners, and offers a sometimes hilarious insight into the world from a dog's point of view. But when the family is threatened, Bruce lends a paw, and uses his canine second sight to guide the family through some difficult times.

Already a sleeper success, "Barking At Winston" is an authentic and endearing tale of one family and their canine friend.