Find out how these fun, stackable blocks became the most popular toys in the world. The LEGO toy company was founded in 1934 by a Danish carpenter who loved making wooden pull toys. From its humble beginnings, the company has lived up to its name--which comes from the Danish phrase meaning to always "play well"--encouraging children to use their imagination and build whatever they can dream up. In this book, author Jim O'Connor describes how a simple concept--small plastic bricks that snap together--morphed into a cultural phenomenon.

Over 2 million copies sold worldwide! Be inspired to create and build amazing models with your LEGO® bricks! The LEGO Ideas Book is packed full of tips from expert LEGO builders on how to make jet planes reach new heights, create fantastic fortresses, swing through lush jungles, have fun on the farm and send space shuttles out of this world! This awesome ideas book is divided into six themed chapters - transport, buildings, space, kingdoms, adventure, and useful makes - to inspire every member of the family to get building. With over 500 models and ideas, this book is perfect for any LEGO fan - young or young at heart - who want to make their models cool, fun and imaginative. ©2020 The LEGO Group.

Celebrate and explore the incredible story of LEGO® and its much-loved bricks, sets, minifigures, movies, games, and more with this updated and expanded edition. Plus, comes with an exclusive printed LEGO brick! Take a dazzling visual tour through all the groundbreaking moments in LEGO history, from the company's humble beginnings in a carpenter's workshop to the invention of the iconic LEGO brick and LEGO minifigure, through to the stunning toys, video games and movies of today, including LEGO® Star Wars(tm), THE LEGO® NINJAGO® MOVIE(tm), and LEGO® Dimensions. This special edition of The LEGO® Book has been fully updated and expanded with the latest LEGO sets and fascinating facts to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the LEGO brick and the 40th anniversary of the minifigure. Go behind the scenes to learn how LEGO bricks are made; find out how amazing fan creations become real-life LEGO sets, and marvel at how LEGO bricks made it to the computer screen and the big screen. Created in full collaboration with the LEGO Group, The LEGO® Book is a treasure trove for LEGO fans of all ages. Previous edition ISBN 9781409376606 ©2018 The LEGO Group.

How profound is a little plastic building block? It turns out the answer is “very”! 22 chapters explore philosophy through the world of LEGO which encompasses the iconic brick itself as well as the animated televisions shows, feature films, a vibrant adult fan base with over a dozen yearly conventions, an educational robotics program, an award winning series of videogames, hundreds of books, magazines, and comics, a team-building workshop program for businesses and much, much more. Dives into the many philosophical ideas raised by LEGO bricks and the global multimedia phenomenon they have created Tackles metaphysical, logical, moral, and conceptual issues in a series of fascinating and stimulating essays Introduces key areas of philosophy through topics such as creativity and play, conformity and autonomy, consumption and culture, authenticity and identity, architecture, mathematics, intellectual property, business and environmental ethics Written by a global group of esteemed philosophers and LEGO fans A lively philosophical discussion of bricks, minifigures, and the LEGO world that will appeal to LEGO fans and armchair philosophers alike

This book investigates a paradox of creative yet scripted play—how LEGO invites players to build ‘freely’ with and within its highly structured, ideologically-laden toy system. First, this book considers theories and methods for deconstructing LEGO as a medium of bricolage, the creative reassembly of already-significant elements. Then, it pieces together readings of numerous LEGO sets, advertisements, videogames, films, and other media that show how LEGO constructs five ideologies of play: construction play, dramatic play, digital play, transmedia play, and attachment play. From suburban traffic patterns to architectural croissants, from feminized mini-doll bodies to toys-to-life stories, from virtual construction to playful fan creations, this book explores how the LEGO medium conveys ideological messages—not by transmitting clear statements but by providing implicit instructions for how to reassemble meanings it had all along.

Since the "Automatic Binding Bricks" that LEGO produced in 1949, and the LEGO "System of Play" that began with the release of Town Plan No. 1 (1955), LEGO bricks have gone on to become a global phenomenon, and the favorite building toy of children, as well as many an AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO). LEGO has also become a medium into which a wide number of media franchises, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Batman, Superman, Lord of the Rings, and others, have adapted their characters, vehicles, props, and settings. The LEGO Group itself has become a multimedia empire, including LEGO books, movies, television shows, video games, board games, comic books, theme parks, magazines, and even MMORPGs. LEGO Studies: Examining the Building Blocks of a Transmedial Phenomenon is the first collection to examine LEGO as both a medium into which other franchises can be adapted and a transmedial franchise of its own. Although each essay looks at a particular aspect of the LEGO phenomenon, topics such as adaptation, representation, paratexts, franchises, and interactivity intersect throughout these essays, proposing that the study of LEGO as a medium and a media empire is a rich vein barely touched upon in Media Studies.

This collection examines LEGO from an array of critical and cultural studies approaches, foregrounding the world-renowned brand's ideological power and influence. Given LEGO’s status as the world’s largest toy manufacturer and a transnational multimedia conglomerate, Cultural Studies of Lego: More Than Just Bricks considers LEGO media's cultural messages; creativity with and within LEGO artifacts; and diversity within the franchise, including gender and race representation. The chapters’ in-depth analyses of topics including LEGO films, marketing tactics, play sets, novelizations, and fans offer compelling insights relevant to those interested in the LEGO brand and broader trends in the children’s popular culture market alike.

FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) is an international program for kids ages 9 to 14 that combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program and research presentation with a sports-like atmosphere. Authors James Floyd Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin—both participants in numerous FIRST LEGO League competitions—have teamed up to bring coaches, teachers, parents, and students an all-in-one guide to FLL. Written for both rookie and experienced teams, FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide includes in-depth coverage of topics like team formation and organization, robot building and programming, and the basics of getting involved with FLL. Before the authors delve into the specifics of robot and team building, they reveal the fascinating history of the FIRST organization and the sometimes puzzling structure of the FLL competition. Using a combination of real-life stories and candid commentary from actual FLL teams, as well as recollections of their own experiences, they offer an abundance of helpful guidance and dependable building and programming examples. FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide explores the complex workings and structure of the FLL competition, including its four key components: Robot Game, Technical Interview, Project, and Teamwork. You’ll learn how to: –Organize, recruit, and manage a team –Find equipment, mentors, and funding –Design, build, and program winning robots –Tackle each of the four FLL components—from Robot Game to Teamwork –Use strategies and techniques from FLL masters to increase your scores No matter what your role in the FLL competition, FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide will make you a better competitor, builder, designer, and team member. The only ingredient you need to add is your competitive spirit!

Introduced in the fall of 1998, LEGO (R) MINDSTORMS (TM) quickly became LEGOs'best-selling kit of all time - with the average age of buyers turning out to be 23! Given the toys capabilities, its not surprising that a whole generation of adults interested in robotics or programming is rediscovering LEGO (R) through MINDSTORMS (TM). Although the Mindstorms (TM) kit includes basic instructions and sample robots, these are not comprehensive and do not adequately teach the principals of robotics. Without direction, inventing a robot from the ground-up can be a challenge. This book includes a wide variety of new robots, in-depth explanations for readers, and important theory behind the practice of building robots. In short, it provides all the information necessary to become a robotics expert using Mindstorms (TM). Dave Baum is considered to be the premiere expert on Lego (R) Mindstorms (TM), since he has even developed NQC ("Not Quite C") that has become the language of choice for performing sophisticated programming with these robots.

Since their debut in 1978, LEGO minifigures have become the most iconic piece of the wildly popular toy line. Although small in stature, minifigures stand particularly tall as hot collector items. How hot? Consider the rare Mr. Gold (shown on the front cover), who has sold for $1,500 on the secondary market. Beautifully illustrated and amusing to page through, The Collectible LEGO Minifigure reveals why these pint-sized plastic powerhouses are the driving force in the LEGO Universe, whether collected for fun or profit. Featuring: • Up-to-date secondary-market prices for new and used minifigures from 2000 to present • Hundreds of the most significant and valuable minifigures priced and highlighted • More than 20 top categories of valuable LEGO minifigures organized by theme, including Adventurers, Batman, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Super Heroes • Hundreds of full-color photos • Useful tips for collecting, investment, and detecting counterfeits