ArsGeek

Title: The Unofficial Lego Builder’s Guide
Author: Allan Bedford
ISBN10: 1593270542
ISBN13: 978-1593270544
Publisher: No Starch Press
Cost: $24.95
Format: Paperback, 344 pages
Published: July 1, 2005

Lego. It’s something of a universal toy. How many of us grew up (or continue as adults) playing with these wonderful building blocks that we can turn into anything?

The Unofficial Lego Builder’s Guide is a resource that any Lego fan would enjoy in their library. From a catalog of the most used and useful bricks (some 300) to guides on not only how to make certain objects but how to design any object. This book ranks very high on my list of cools books. That might be saying something about me but I don’t care any more. My inner child is currently swimming in a giant tub of Legos.

The book is divided into 13 chapters with two appendixes. The chapters bring us through a reintroduction of the Lego world, scaling for Lego size, building big with small stuff, designing advanced shapes and patterns, a quick look at Lego Technics, how to put together designs and Legos to come up with a finished project, beyond building to reviewing, sorting, sifting and storing.

The appendixes cover a ‘Brickopia’ and give us some ideas about design grids. The Brickopedia is, quite frankly, the centerpiece of this book for me (even though it’s at the end, allow me my creative license). It was here that I truly reveled in my Lego thrall. Pouring through a brick by brick description of the various types of Legos, from the simple 1×1 to the Pine Tree (Large) this is what kept me up late.

This book also has something of an ‘oh wow!’ factor. I know that if I leave out on my table I can judge who my real (Lego) friends are by how quickly they run for and grab this book. In fact, it’s already on my list to get for several friends who’ll get lots of use out of it.

Bedford’s book is less a how-to guide and more a tribute (bordering perhaps on worship) of the bricks in all of their glory. It’s abundantly clear that the man loves Legos and he shares that love in a way that comes across as a wonderful way to spend time.

This book is really for any level of Lego enthusiast. If you’re only a casual builder you’ll be able to finish some interesting and visually pleasing projects from the book itself. If you’re a hard-core, polish-my-legos type of person then this book will help ou plan for your next exhibit, be it a Lego sphere or a reproduction of Santa Clara as seen from 10,000 feet. You’ll find methods for scaling your projects, tips for sorting your blocks and the most structurally sound ways to connect Legos to make perfect models.