(Written by William)
Surfing the web and diving into one LEGO forum after another is probably the best way to stay current on LEGO events. This never-ending effort to keep current can get rather tiring though. So you may wonder if there is something simple you can pick up and read that will get you the information you want that covers the LEGO facts you are interested in.
Fortunately you do have a wide variety of options before you. Starting with LEGO blog-sites like this is a good way to get small doses of information without becoming overwhelmed. Additionally, the writers of these posts check in regularly to interact with readers as various LEGO related questions come up.
Unfortunately, our expertise can only go so far. There may come a time you want to branch out and find other reading material. Depending on what you are looking for will determine what types of LEGO literature you’ll want. The following roughly breaks down different interests and reading suggestions in those categories.
➡ LEGO BOOKS – INTRODUCTORY
If you consider yourself a shiny new Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL), you may consider an introductory text. These types of materials will give overviews of building techniques, events, history, and possibly some anecdotal information. They are simple to read and generally do not intimidate readers.
- LEGO: A Love Story by Jonathan Bender – ISBN #0470407026
- The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide by Allan Bedford – ISBN #1593270542
➡ LEGO BOOKS – HISTORY
LEGO started out with wooden toys before moving into plastics. For this reason, LEGO has a history that spans decades. The best source for this information is through LEGO officially. The following products will suffice as good sources for history. Mind you, these books are rather dense as far as reading materials go.
- The LEGO Book (2 Books) by Daniel Lipkowitz – ISBN #0756656230
- 50 Years of the LEGO Brick by Christian Humberg – ISBN #3898808874
➡ LEGO BOOKS – REFERENCE
Let’s face it; there are so many different LEGO sets to get for your LEGO collection. Therefore, having reference materials will help keep you somewhat organized in terms of your collection. These books were made by LEGO fans for LEGO fans. They cover a vast quantity of material so don’t be surprised if a few things are off. In truth, these books are much more in-depth than what LEGO has officially offered.
- The Unofficial LEGO Minifigure Catalog by Christoph Bartneck – ISBN #1463518978
- Lego Collectors Guide by Michael Steiner – ISBN #3935976526
➡ LEGO MAGAZINES – NEWS
Sure there are hundreds of rumors that fly all around the LEGO fan forums. The problem is finding a reputable source that is current. Fortunately, there are a number of magazines aimed at providing reliable information to LEGO fans. It’s true you can always depend on the LEGO Catalog and LEGO Club Magazine that is officially released by LEGO. However, this only covers material that is about to be released and little else. The following are independent LEGO magazines you may find a bit more to your liking:
- The Brick Journal – www.brickjournal.com
- Hispabrick Magazine – www.hispabrickmagazine.com
➡ SUMMARY
Finding out information about LEGO can be a job in itself. Wading through countless forum-boards in a variety of languages is by no means easy. Therefore, the publications provided above may be a simple way to get caught up with LEGO. They are by no means your only options; they’re simply a good place to start. 🙂
If you are interested in LEGO books you may also want to check here:
Hi, I did a search on the Lego Collector’s Guide by Michael Steiner. He recently published a 2nd edition, with a BLUE Lego Brick on the cover. It appears it is only available in Europe. Can you find out more information, if we can buy it in US or from whichever country is selling the book? And how do I convert Euros! Argh!!
Thanks,
Lori
Lori, I will let William answer your question more in debt, but it seems to me that the second edition is only available in German. William, please correct me if I’m wrong. 😕
The 2nd edition has both German and English in it. Everything that is in German, is repeated in English. The book comes with a key chain with the old space logo.
It is available from BookDepository.com with free worldwide shipping. Here’s the link to the entry: https://www.bookdepository.com/LEGO-Collector-2-Edition-Michael-Steiner/9783935976640
Other websites may carry it, but this is how I bought it since I didn’t want to pay high shipping costs. It’s also the cheapest price for the book itself that I could find.
I am very glad I bought it. It’s a great resource.
Thanks, Will! 🙂
My dad is in LEGO A Love Story as Joe Pulizzi!
Oh really???!!! Maybe you two should write a post about that! 8)
I guess?
Lego: a love story got me up out of my “dark age” and is a great read. Even though it is for and about AFOLs I still enjoyed it as aTFOL. 🙂
It’s funny that you mention that. It was the first LEGO book I read after coming out of my dark ages. Kinda gives a supportive environment for those who thought they left their LEGO behind, no matter what their age is.
Great point, and thanks for reading!
I bought it for $33.82 with free shipping from http://www.bookdepository.com. Thank you for that link and other info! You answered my questions very fast and I certainly appreciate it! I’m looking forward to adding this new book to my collection, and I actually like that it will be half in German. Lego is global!
Just to give you a head’s up, the book will probably take 2 to 4 weeks to deliver because it did for me. I think they are based overseas, but since you don’t have to pay the shipping, I thought it was a fair exchange.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do!