Book Review - LEGO: A Love Story by Jonathan Bender
Category Book Review Jonathan Bender LEGO: A Love Story
Through the Amazon Vine program, I received a copy of LEGO: A Love Story by Jonathan Bender for review. I'm not a LEGO fan myself, but I have a few close friends who are master builders of the first degree. So what drives an adult to become totally obsessed with a "toy" that most kids give up sometime during their adolescent years? Bender explains his own love affair with LEGO, both as a child and as an adult rediscovering the joy and obsession.
His story starts at the age of 10 when he built a replica of the Sears Tower with his father as part of a fair at his elementary school. It was a basic block-on-block design, spray painted black at the end (not knowing that painting bricks is a major sin for adult builders). Like many kids, this was the high point of his LEGO adventures, and the colorful bricks were forgotten for years. But at the age of 30, he rediscovered his original bricks and remembered his dream of one day becoming a Master Model Builder. This simple act led him on an adventure to reconnect with his dream and get back into the LEGO lifestyle. We as the readers get to come along, experience his joys and defeats, and learn a whole lot about the world of LEGO in the process.
You have two major stories going on in the book. The personal part of the book goes into detail about how Bender moves from building his first freeform delivery truck as an adult to spending hundreds of dollars each month on pieces and kits for both him and his wife (fortunately, she ends up sharing his obsession). Bender's talent as a writer, as well as his ability to not take himself seriously, leads to witty and funny vignettes as he starts to compete in contests and learn proper behavior as an AFOL (Adult Fan Of LEGO).
The second story, and the one I personally found most interesting, was the history of LEGO. He reveals facts that you'd never expect, such as the fact that LEGO is the world's largest producers of tires (all those little LEGO rubber wheels). He's able to do things that many adult LEGO fans never experience, such as taking guided tours of the factory and playing in LEGOLand after hours. He also does an excellent job in explaining the strong tie between the success of the company and the satisfaction of the adult fan base. If it were just a toy, LEGO might well have died out years ago. But the adult community has pushed and stretched the company in ways LEGO never planned, and they've been both rewarded and punished over the years based on various decisions they've made. It's fascinating to see how symbiotic that relationship is.
When I look at all the cool stuff my friends build, I keep thinking that perhaps I should buy a LEGO kit and try it out. Books like LEGO: A Love Story don't help when it comes to fighting that impulse. It was a fun and insightful read, and helped push me even closer to the edge...
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review Program
Payment: Free
Through the Amazon Vine program, I received a copy of LEGO: A Love Story by Jonathan Bender for review. I'm not a LEGO fan myself, but I have a few close friends who are master builders of the first degree. So what drives an adult to become totally obsessed with a "toy" that most kids give up sometime during their adolescent years? Bender explains his own love affair with LEGO, both as a child and as an adult rediscovering the joy and obsession.
His story starts at the age of 10 when he built a replica of the Sears Tower with his father as part of a fair at his elementary school. It was a basic block-on-block design, spray painted black at the end (not knowing that painting bricks is a major sin for adult builders). Like many kids, this was the high point of his LEGO adventures, and the colorful bricks were forgotten for years. But at the age of 30, he rediscovered his original bricks and remembered his dream of one day becoming a Master Model Builder. This simple act led him on an adventure to reconnect with his dream and get back into the LEGO lifestyle. We as the readers get to come along, experience his joys and defeats, and learn a whole lot about the world of LEGO in the process.
You have two major stories going on in the book. The personal part of the book goes into detail about how Bender moves from building his first freeform delivery truck as an adult to spending hundreds of dollars each month on pieces and kits for both him and his wife (fortunately, she ends up sharing his obsession). Bender's talent as a writer, as well as his ability to not take himself seriously, leads to witty and funny vignettes as he starts to compete in contests and learn proper behavior as an AFOL (Adult Fan Of LEGO).
The second story, and the one I personally found most interesting, was the history of LEGO. He reveals facts that you'd never expect, such as the fact that LEGO is the world's largest producers of tires (all those little LEGO rubber wheels). He's able to do things that many adult LEGO fans never experience, such as taking guided tours of the factory and playing in LEGOLand after hours. He also does an excellent job in explaining the strong tie between the success of the company and the satisfaction of the adult fan base. If it were just a toy, LEGO might well have died out years ago. But the adult community has pushed and stretched the company in ways LEGO never planned, and they've been both rewarded and punished over the years based on various decisions they've made. It's fascinating to see how symbiotic that relationship is.
When I look at all the cool stuff my friends build, I keep thinking that perhaps I should buy a LEGO kit and try it out. Books like LEGO: A Love Story don't help when it comes to fighting that impulse. It was a fun and insightful read, and helped push me even closer to the edge...
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review Program
Payment: Free
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