BOOK REVIEW: Books for the LEGO Enthusiast

[JeffSaylor]

All The Help You Need To Become A LEGO Master...

---

To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.

To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and MonkeyDepot.com.

---

Out in the world of LEGO, there are two different factions: there are the standard fans and then there are true builders. The usual fans will collect sets they like at retail and build them just as they’ve been instructed. But there are true builders who are in a class of their own; they invent entirely new vehicles, buildings, and places with their LEGO building blocks. Of course being a LEGO builder takes skill, time, and a lot of spare blocks. For anyone who wants to be a true LEGO master and needs a bit of help to get there, there are a handful of amazing books to help them along, just in time for the holidays!

From No Starch Press comes THE LEGO ADVENTURE BOOK Volume 1 by Megan Rothrock. Also from No Starch Press is The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide 2nd Edition by Allan Bedford and The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder’s Guide by Pawel “Sariel” Kmiec.

The first book we’ll take a look at is The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 1: Cars, Castles, Dinosaurs & More!, which is truly a book for all ages and difficulty levels. Author Megan Rothrock creates a comic-strip style narrative that takes her mini-figure self to various builders to show case how they’re able to take normal building blocks to create brand new models.

The LEGO Adventure Book includes 25 brick-by-brick breakdowns of some of the more interesting models, allowing readers to learn the various techniques to become a true LEGO builder. The 200 page book is in full color, hardbound, and takes readers through various innovative models such as hot rods, starfighters, mecha robots, dinosaurs, aircraft, medieval castles, and much much more. Not only is it fun to read but truly inspirational. I was almost convinced I could become a master builder as well!

For the builders who to go even more in-depth with their building, the two books: The Unofficial Lego Builder’s Guide 2nd Edition by Allan Bedford and The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder’s Guide by Pawel “Sariel” Kmiec get down to the real fundamentals of LEGO building.

The are various building techniques in both of these full color guides to help build your LEGO masterpiece. The Technic guide obviously gets more into motors and mechanics while the standard book offers tips for building shapes and patterns.

Both builder’s guides are in full color and offer a lot more text descriptions than pictures, but having the knowledge behind it is certainly helpful.

You can find all three of these great LEGO books at your book store and Amazon for the LEGO fanatic in your family!

The LEGO Adventure Book, Volume 1
By Megan H. Rothrock
November 2012, 200 pp., $24.95 USD
ISBN 9781593274429

The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide, 2nd Edition
By Allan Bedford
November 2012, 240 pp., full color, $24.95 USD
ISBN 9781593274412

The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder’s Guide
By Pawel “Sariel” Kmiec
November 2012, 352 pp., $29.95 USD
ISBN 9781593274344

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com, 415-863-9900).

Review and Photos by David Yeh
Courtesy of No Starch Press

---