Unofficial Lego Builder Guide

The Unofficial Lego Builder’s Guide
Published at No Starch Press

About the book

What's the difference between a tile and a plate? Why isn't it a good idea to stack bricks in columns to make a wall? How do you build a LEGO mosaic or build at different scales? You’ll find the answers to these and other questions in The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide.

Now in full color, this brand-new edition of a well-loved favorite will show you how to:

• Construct models that won't fall apart
• Choose the right pieces and substitute when needed
• Build to micro, jumbo, and miniland scale
• Make playable board games out of LEGO pieces
• Create photo mosaics and curved sculptures
• Build a miniature space shuttle, a minifig-sized train station, and more

Of course, the real fun of LEGO building lies in creating your own models—from choosing the subject to clicking that final brick into place. Learn how in The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide.

Includes the Brickopedia, a visual dictionary of nearly 300 of the most commonly used LEGO elements!

 Our Thoughts

When I was approached to review the Unofficial Lego Builder’s Guide, I knew the kids would like to have a book showing them how to build things.   As soon as I got the pdf version of this book (while waiting for the book to arrive via mail), I knew that my two oldest kids would be excited about it.    So one day, I came in the living room holding my iPad in which the pdf was opened.   Let me tell you that the iPad has not stayed long in my hands.  Within seconds, my oldest son, who is 11, grabbed it and proceeded to go through it.

The book contains ten chapters guiding the reader in different constructions.

• Chapter 1:  The Lego System: Endless Possibilities – This chapter will introduce you to the brick vocabulary and the basics on how to build.
• Chapter 2: Back to Basics: Tips and Techniques – This chapter gives you information on how to stack, overlap, stagger the bricks as well as on to build walls or bracing the bricks. 
• Chapter 3: Minifig Scale: Oh, what a wonderful minifig world it is! – This chapter will guide you in building a train station and help you to identify what you can substitute for when building with Lego.
• Chapter 4: Miniland scale: The whole world in miniature – This chapter will present you how to build miniland figures and buildings.  
• Chapter 5: Jumbo Elements: Building Bigger Bricks – You have a dream to build in a giant scale?  No problem, this chapter will show you how to create jumbo bricks.
• Chapter 6: Microscale Building: More than meets the eye – This chapter will introduce you on how to build various building in a microscale size.
• Chapter 7:Sculptures: The shape of things to build – Building spheres and  the Sphinx.
• Chapter 8: Mosaics: Patterns and Pictures in bricks – Have you ever wanted to explore the world of mosaics with Lego?  Well this chapter will show you how to do it.
• Chapter 9: Putting it all together: Where ideas meet bricks – This chapter will guide you on how to plan and create fun shapes/buildings with Lego.
• Chapter 10: Beyond just bricks: Other ways to enjoy the Lego hobby – This chapter will inform you on how to create your own building instruction and how to create Lego games like checkers or chess.

One specific chapter was interesting – Chapter 7 Sculptures: The Shape of Things to Build.     With detailed instructions the book was explaining how to make this shape with Lego bricks.

I mentioned that using the same color of bricks the boys could make an apple out of it.   The boys loved the idea and proceeded to make one.  Here’s the result of their labored efforts.   Fortunately we had enough red bricks!

In the end, I could see this book to be a blessings for my boys.  It contains so much information that I know that they building skills will only get better as time goes by.   They will be challenge to get more and more detailed in their creations.  

This book is a perfect gift for the man or boy in your life that loves Lego.   Even I will learn a thing or two about building with Lego bricks!

The Unoffcial Lego Buider’s Guide is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even at amazon.ca and amazon.com.

    

It is also available on the Kindle.

Disclaimer: Thanks to no starch press for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.