Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them [ハードカバー]

It took me only a few moments of flipping through this book to realize how much fun it would be to read. After staying up much too late that same night reading the book in greater depth I knew that my initial reaction had been correct. This text isn't just a dry history of toys and games, but instead is a collection of fabulous childhood memories woven together with smiles and giggles. If you had even a couple of these playthings when you were growing up you are sure to find great interest in those and the write-ups on many others.

Before I talk further about what's in the book I want to make mention of the overall look and feel of the book itself. This is a hard cover, full-color, coffee table sized book. But the brilliant design of the book ensure that it won't sit on your coffee table for very long. It begs to be picked up and examined. The pictures are large, sharp and reproduced in vivid colors. Even the dust jacket deserves a special mention. It uses a special fold at the top and bottom that has left room for extra info and a quiz to be printed. The nearly 300 thick glossy pages mean that this is a heavy book. Don't worry though, you'll have so much fun reading it you'll never notice!

Now a bit more about what's inside...

The contents are arranged chronologically, with special sections in the middle for toys from WHAM-O and designer Marvin Glass. These sections don't break up the flow of the book at all, but rather fit nicely with all of the other entries. Each toy, game or plaything includes information about the year of debut, the inventor, the company or companies that produced it and so on. The text is arranged in a two-column per page format but wraps around the pictures and illustrations as needed. Perhaps the text at first feels subservient to the photos but not for long. As I'll mention shortly the text is expertly crafted and carefully thought-out.

I noted above that the book runs nearly 300 pages but what's interesting is that it does not contain short paragraphs on hundreds and hundreds of different toys and games. Rather, and what I feel is better, the book devotes on average about 4 full pages of text and pictures to each plaything that is discussed. Walsh, as he describes at the beginning, set very strict criteria for the items that could be included. By sticking to that guideline he was able to give us more detail and depth in each entry than you would typically find in a book covering nearly a century of toys and games. So when you find your favorite memory in the book be sure to sit down and really enjoy the work that the author has put into that passage.

It's important to mention that Walsh hasn't just filled these long entries with fluff or boring statistics. The truth is completely the opposite. After even a few paragraphs of any entry you'll come to the same conclusion that I did. Tim obviously has a great sense of humor and enjoys his subject matter thoroughly. This isn't a a book by a writer who found something to write about and tried to make a decent product out of it. This is a warm and entertaining book written by an enthusiastic participant in this field who also happens to be a really good writer.

Along with his obvious love for these playthings Walsh has clearly brought a huge amount of research to the table. As the author mentions in his notes at the start of the book, "I didn't want to write a book that contained information anyone could readily find by searching the Internet in an afternoon." And I'm pleased to say he didn't write that book. He wrote one filled with pictures you simply won't find on the net and certainly not in the clarity and color that fills these pages. Interestingly though the book does share a common feature with a website. Since there is no single narrative binding the book from front to back you are free to `surf' as it were through the pages finding toys you remember or discovering ones you may have missed by simply being born in a different decade. This is yet another thing that makes this book fun. You don't have to feel pressured to sit and read it cover to cover. You can pick it up and read a few pages, set it down and then pick it up again and read from an entirely different section the next time.

To his credit the author has included the wonderful stories behind these carefully selected and well-deserving icons of childhood. It's really those personal tales that make history interesting. While it's nice to know that Crayola makes nearly 12 million crayons per day there are more to playthings than mere statistics. You see, it's even more fascinating to know that Crayola (called Binney & Smith at the turn of the 20th century) won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition. That award was for their carbon black production that helped make darker shoe polish, printing inks and car tires. And further, it was that recognition that to this day inspires the 'gold medal' label included on their packaging. There are tons more stories like that awaiting you between the covers of this book.

If you can appreciate the time and effort that must have gone into creating the prototypes for the first Spirograph or the first Rubik's Cube then you can no doubt appreciate the high level of craftsmanship that has gone into writing this book. I cannot recommend 'Timeless Toys' highly enough. I think it should be on every coffee table in the world alongside a vintage Monopoly game, a Slinky and of course, a pile of LEGO bricks. If any one of the toys or games noted earlier in this paragraph made you smile then you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this book!

A book for everyone to enjoy, Timeless Toys is a pleasure to read through. The author details the development of classic toys from the 1900s through the 1990s. For each toy the author includes who created it, when it debuted, the various companies that produced it, changes in design, the trials the inventor went through getting it to market, how the toy changed over time, and a lot of other fascinating facts. Some of the toys detailed in the book include Lionel Trains, the Teddy Bear, Erector set, Radio Flyer wagon, Monopoly, Slinky, Clue, Silly Putty, Frisbee, Hula Hoop, Super Ball, Lite-Brite, Etch A Sketch, Lego, Uno, Rubik's Cube, Trivial Pursuit, and Super Soaker. What a great way to bring an older generation and younger generation together through the classic toys common to both and an ability to share toys of the past with children of today. A thoroughly enjoyable read complete with many photographs and illustrations, Timeless Toys is highly recommended for the child in all of us.

Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Invented Them is one of the most beautiful books about toys and games that I've ever seen. Walsh looked at the history of nearly every major toy and game invented in this century. He covers the history of Teddy Bears, Crayolas, Tonkas, Play-Doh, Crossword Puzzles, Mr. Potato Head, Frisbees, Etch-A-Sketch, G.I. Joes, and so many more. Whatever your favorite toy during childhood was, you'll probably find the history of it and the people who invented it in this book.

I love that the book not only takes a look at the games themselves, but also at the real people who invented them and the stories behind them. Sometimes they're touching, sometimes they're silly. They're all interesting, though, and they'll bring you a new appreciation of all the toys and games you've always loved.

I can't emphasize enough how beautiful and interesting this book is. When we first got it, we actually argued over who got to read it first ("But Honey! I have to read it! For work!"). It's been sitting on my coffee table ever since, and every adult who has been in our living room has picked it up and become completely engrossed. Pick it up and see for yourself!