The Secret Life of Lego Bricks: The Inside Story of a Design Icon

by Daniel Konstanski

Genres: History, Non-fiction
Pages: 342
Rating:

Synopsis:

Building the ordinary into the extraordinary – brick by brick.

This first official book for Adult Fans of LEGO takes the reader on a visually stunning journey from the very earliest hollow bricks to the complex shapes and building techniques of today.

LEGO® bricks are design icons and marvels of engineering. Virtually unchanged for over fifty years, the brick is still at the very centre of ethos: each brick connects to every other brick, allowing the construction of almost anything you can imagine. LEGO minifigures may be the friendly faces of the LEGO world, but bricks in all their different shapes and forms are its very foundation.

The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks explores the brick’s rich history in full colour and unparalleled detail. Granted unprecedented access by the LEGO Group, Daniel Konstantski has interviewed design masters, element testers and the so-called ‘rock stars’, the set designers, to reveal for the first time how and why new LEGO bricks are made.

This is the book the fans have always wanted: a truly behind-the-scenes look at the story of the beloved LEGO brick and the company which makes it, with a wealth of exclusive visual material from the LEGO Archive in Billund.

LEGO fans have long wanted to learn the inside story of beloved LEGO bricks from inside the LEGO Group: to have long-standing questions answered and see the veil pulled back on how LEGO elements and products came to market – or didn’t – through the LEGO brick’s 70 year history. Such an authoritative telling of the story has never been possible – until now.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Daniel Konstanski’s The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks digs into a lot of the things that make LEGO tick: the nuts and bolts of how the bricks work (like their “clutch power”) as well as the company, the principles behind it, etc. I had no idea how “controversial” some bricks were within LEGO (like moulded animals rather than built animals), or about some of the partnerships and lines they’ve done.

There’s quite a bit of technical detail, and even though I’m not a huge LEGO fan myself, I found it a fascinating read because of the way it digs into the processes of design and bringing out new bricks and sets, the constraints on them, and the ethos of the company. It’s well-illustrated with lots of examples and sketches, as well. I can definitely think of a nerd who’s going to get this from me for Christmas.

And of course, if you’re a mega fan of LEGO, this is likely to go double for you.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)