Say It With Bricks: LEGO

The LEGO® brick may be the most popular toy in the world, but it's much more than just a toy. In The Cult of LEGO , John Baichtal of MAKE Magazine and Wired's GeekDad blog and Joe Meno of BrickJournal take readers on a story-packed adventure through the history of LEGO, from its humble beginnings in a small Danish village to its ascent to the summit of the toy world. Along the way, readers are immersed in the fascinating world of LEGO and its fans.

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.

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.

The world and its business environments are in a state of constant change. The reality today is that organizations and their leaders are faced with increasingly daunting demands for change and, unless they build organizations that can keep pace with these fast-changing environments, it will be a challenge simply to survive while, at the same time, continuing to thrive and embrace uncertainty and disorder. One effective example of a world-renowned company that survived an existential crisis to become one of the most iconic companies in the world: The LEGO Group. In Building a Global Learning Organization (CRC Press, 2014), the authors showed how to develop and implement a global structure for learning based on the TWI (Training Within Industry) methods. In that book, you learned how the LEGO Group worked on business transformation through changes in organizational learning systems, including new ways of working and other Lean transformational initiatives. Great organizations have used that book as a benchmark for global and national rollouts of TWI programs and standard work initiatives. In this book, you get inspiration on how the LEGO Group met these challenges by developing and implementing a framework for transformations to create a common approach to designing, leading and anchoring change in an effective and impactful way. You get insights into the journey which began by designing the LEGO Way of Change, the process of testing the approach in a bigger transformation which, based on pilot learnings, was implemented in transformational initiatives. This book outlines some of the approaches that the LEGO Group implemented in order to ensure change would be both successfully implemented and sustained, including in-depth guides on impactful interventions with both leaders and people in the organization. The author discusses personalizing and navigating change as well as designing change in the organization and measuring its impact. You will continue learning more from specific real-life case studies from business leaders focused on different kinds of transformation, from reshaping functional teams to optimizing lead time through improved ways of working. When it comes down to it, change is about the people side of the equation. It is easy to change strategy, process, or technology, but it is harder to change individuals, people, and their behaviors. This book will provide inspiration and guidance on how to bring the people side of change into play in an effective and impactful way.

Scenes from nature spring to life in Mike Doyle's latest curated collection of LEGO art, Beautiful LEGO- Wild! From botanical marvels to adorable critters-such as a sea otter family made from 3,500 LEGO pieces-every page is sure to delight the artist and naturalist in all of us. Interviews with LEGO masters from around the world give you a glimpse into the inspiration behind these incredible works of art. Discover amazing landscapes, insects, mythical creatures, and more, all within the enchanting pages of Beautiful LEGO- Wild!

28 Common Bricks. So Many "Aha!" Moments. Each puzzle in The Great LEGO Puzzle Book starts with a mystery. Your mission? Solve it-and rebuild it in 3D-drawing from the same set of bricks every time. No fancy sets. No screens. Just pure building fun-solo or with family and friends. Whether you're 8 or 80, if you love LEGO, you'll love cracking these clever brick puzzles. Up for the challenge? Let's build!

Forget step-by-step instructions - you're ready to design your own LEGO creations! The LEGO Builder's Handbook is the only guide you need for building totally out-of-this-world, wholly original models. What's the right scale to use for your LEGO model? How does SNOT, also known as sideways building, work? What's the trick to achieving smoother tapers? How do you design a LEGO sculpture? Find the answers to these questions and more in The LEGO Builder's Handbook. Unlock the secrets to advanced building techniques and take your creations to the next level. In this comprehensive, modern introduction to LEGO building, you'll learn how to- Build models that won't fall apart using masonry-inspired techniques Choose the right pieces while mastering LEGO measurement units and the geometry of basic elements Build using a variety of scales to create realistic replicas of real-world structures Create LEGO mosaics, curved shapes, and 3D sculptures using software like BrickLink Studio, LEGO Art Remix, and LSculpt Full-color and packed with detailed illustrations, this book will also show you how to- Apply half-stud offsets using jumper plates to add subtle textures and realistic details to your models Use SNOT (studs not on top) techniques to build sideways, creating shapes and details impossible with simple stacking Build angled walls, cylinders, domes, and spheres using advanced techniques like brick bending, hinged polygons, and Lowell spheres Unlock the secrets of the master builders with The LEGO Builder's Handbook. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned builder, you'll learn to push the boundaries of your creativity and build your own models, brick by brick.

Light up your LEGO models to create eye-popping projects and dazzling special effects! This definitive collection of practical DIY LEGO brick lighting techniques includes over 120 full-color photos and hands-on projects for AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO). Take your LEGO models to the next level by adding lights to your builds! Whether you want to illuminate official LEGO sets, develop your own realistically lit LEGO models, or design fantastical, glowing worlds, this book will show you how to make your creations stand out-even in the dark. Clear instructions, inspiring examples, and vivid images illustrate how to achieve the best lighting for interior scenes, buildings, minifigs, vehicles, shadow sculptures, glowing artwork, and animated effects.

LEGO has come a long way from the days of simple square bricks, and many still associate LEGO with their various playsets. For those that want more advanced building, some LEGO enthusiasts prefer the Technic sets, which feature beams, axles, gears, and other mechanized parts that can be powered and programmed to make fairly complex machines. This book begins with an introduction of basic pieces and building techniques, and there will be instruction of how to build some terrific vehicles that will look like actual cars, planes, and other machines. Not only that, I will instruct how to make these vehicles do all kinds of motion, even steering and walking! After reading this book, the reader will be inspired to create any machine they want. They will also be able to use the programming tools for even more mechanical creations in the future.

A collection of 16 fascinating scientific and technical projects to build with parts from the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robotics set and other components. A great addition to any STEM curriculum or home library. High Tech LEGO hijacks the MINDSTORMS EV3 revolution, showing you how to build creative technical inventions with practical applications. You'll learn to build a dynamic array of working devices for outdoor research, home security, spycraft, and more. Among the book's 16 fascinating projects you'll find a motion-activated animal cam, a Morse code transmitter, a laser security fence, a motion-sensing radar detector, an automated insect trapper, and a heat-seeking infrared cannon. Welcome to a whole new world of building! Every project brings together science, mechanics, electronics, optics, and software to create complex instruments for studying and measuring the world around you, all while maintaining the playfulness of LEGO. Each easy-to-follow model combines illustrated instructions with step-by-step guidance on the engineering methods at play. As you build, you'll learn- "Illegal" modding techniques (that may include drilling, cutting and soldering -- Shh!)Different ways to work with diode laser modulesTricks for modifying EV3 sensors and motorsThe joy of hacking LEGO light bricks to make a flickering fireplaceHow to use MINDSTORMS to build your own contraptions! Experiment on your own, and expand on your finished creations. Make a few adjustments so the Critter Cam triggers an alarm to scare away pests, or modify the Doppler radar to detect flammable gases. The possibilities are endless! REQUIREMENTS- LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Home Edition Windows Vista or higher macOS 10.14 or earlier

LEGO Mindstorms and SPIKE Prime are great products with vast capabilities, but are often so complex that many people don't know how to use them. LEGO provides a walk-through of a few projects to build, which are cool, but after building these many people get stuck on "now what?" This book answers that question by showing the underlying principles required to build their own ideas. This book is a hands-on tour of how machines work with LEGO--there's nothing like building a machine with your own two hands to understand how it works. It includes aspects of software engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. As parts and associated engineering concepts are presented, they will be shown in their practical use with graphical step-by-step assembly instructions. The concepts conveyed are mostly learned through building examples, with text explanation to reinforce the ideas being learned. Every engineering concept has a building example to go with it, in a quick build of less than 15 assembly steps. At the end of each chapter there's a project to tie the concepts of the chapter together of a little more complexity, involving 15 to 30 steps. These assembly steps are drawn with a computer aided design program that looks like the diagrams that LEGO produces for its products, so readers will be familiar with the look of the assembly directions.

An introduction to the LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor Kit through seven engaging projects. With its amazing assortment of bricks, motors, and smart sensors, the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor set opens the door to a physical-meets-digital world. The LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Activity Book expands that world into an entire universe of incredibly fun, uniquely interactive robotic creations! Using the Robot Inventor set and a device that can run the companion app, you'll learn how to build bots beyond your imagination-from a magical monster that gobbles up paper and answers written questions, to a remote-controlled transformer car that you can drive, steer, and shape-shift into a walking humanoid robot at the press of a button. Author and MINDSTORMS master Daniele Benedettelli, a robotics expert, takes a project-based approach as he leads you through an increasingly sophisticated collection of his most captivating robot models, chapter by chapter. Each project features illustrated step-by-step building instructions, as well as detailed explanations on programming your robots through the MINDSTORMS App-no coding experience required. As you build and program an adorable pet turtle, an electric guitar that lets you shred out solos, a fully functional, whiz-bang pinball machine and more, you'll discover dozens of cool building and programming techniques to apply to your own LEGO creations, from working with gears and motors, to smoothing out sensor measurement errors, storing data in variables and lists, and beyond. By the end of this book, you'll have all the tools, talent and inspiration you need to invent your own LEGO MINDSTORMS robots.

LEGO® bricks are a staple in many child and play therapists' offices, and Seriously Therapeutic Play with LEGO® shows therapists and counselors how to integrate LEGO® in a therapeutically valuable way. This book presents a therapeutic approach based in biological, psychological, and social research, one that supports participants as they build models that represent their thoughts, emotions, experiences, and reflections. Using a variety of evidence-based intervention techniques, chapters show clinicians how to incorporate the model and associated metaphors to help clients, and they do so in a way that is compatible with any number of therapeutic orientations or perspectives. Though based in current research, Seriously Therapeutic Play with LEGO® is designed for psychologists, social workers, school counselors, occupational therapists, clinical educators and supervisors, coaches, support workers, and other health care providers across the lifespan who wish to use play therapeutically.

Building Language using LEGO® Bricks is a flexible and powerful intervention tool designed to aid children with severe receptive and expressive language disorders, often related to autism and other special educational needs. This practical manual equips you for setting up and adapting your own successful sessions. Downloadable resources enable you to chart progress in the following key areas: - The use of receptive and expressive language - The use and understanding of challenging concepts - Joint attention - Social communication Help children with complex needs to communicate with this unique tool, derived from the highly effective LEGO®-Based Therapy.