Who doesn't love to read about Lego bricks. I learned so much while reading this. I get why my husband loves collecting them.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. This is an incredibly well researched and visually stunning book regarding the history of the Lego company. The photos are gorgeous and give so much background to the history of the famous brick building toy. The colors chosen for the book and for the chapter colors were stunning. However, I think this book gets too in the weeds for the vast majority of readers to actually enjoy. The mechanics, patents, and engineering capabilities of the toys are explained in somewhat excruciating detail. This may be more aimed at those in the industry as opposed to a general coffee table type book.

As a huge LEGO fan, this book was right up my street. I grew up with two older brothers and remember weeks when our dining room table would be completely taken over by sprawling LEGO cities. My mum would despair at the chaos but for us, it was pure magic. So, when I saw The Secret Life of LEGO by Daniel Konstanski, I jumped at the chance to request it.

This book is packed with detail and clearly the product of extensive research and genuine passion. It delves into how LEGO went from a humble toy to a global cultural phenomenon, and Konstanski doesn’t shy away from exploring the highs and lows of the brand’s journey.

While it occasionally gets a little dense, the writing remains accessible and engaging, even for more casual fans. It’s a must-read for anyone who’s ever lost themselves in the world of bricks.

The perfect book for Lego fans, but also just for anybody who finds design and behind the scenes info interesting. It goes into the history of the Lego brick, and how it came to be. A genuinely really interesting book with great illustrations throughout.

A visually stunning compendium offering the adult fan a comforting, comprehensive, non-condescending history of Lego!

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

I became invested in Legos while in high school around the time of the mystery minifigure launch in 2010. I still get impressed seeing the release of new themes and wish I had the space, time, and money to invest in them. As an adult, I’m now extremely interested in reading the background histories of where various hobbies began. So as a librarian, my two loves became one in this book. I learned so much about where the brick began, to how designs are created, and the timeline of various modules being released as it related to the time period at the time. The book is broken up into different topics so it is easy for a reader to sit a read different sections over a period of time. Photographs of various designs or modules are on almost every page throughout the book like a coffee table book. If you enjoy legos or history on hobbies, you’ll enjoy this book.

A fantastic book for fans of Lego and the history of toys!
There were parts of this book that I found much more engaging than others, which is often true of non-fiction books. But this truly is a deep dive into the development and evolution of such a staple toy of almost every childhood, aswell as a common collector item for many adults.
This was one of those books which I enjoyed while reading it, but didn't find myself particularly reaching for it when I wasn't.
A book that will definitely appeal to many, though I think only those die-hard mega fans will engage with every aspect of the book,
Personally, I liked this book, but could see others enjoying it much more than I did.
Well written and researched, the images scattered throughout definitely add to the experience and aid with the flow of the book.

Thank you for granting me the chance to read this e-arc.

A fascinating insight into the history of this traditional favourite lego. I love the history and quotes from marketing etc.

I really love lego so this book was ideal and we are quite a lego family so really all enjoyed this. Loved it and would happily keep as a table book as could re-read it over again. It would be better if there were colour photos.

This book gave a great insight into Lego. Pretty cool if you are a fan of Lego and even if you are not it is still worth reading.

The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks is an encyclopedic monograph on all things LEGO by Daniel Konstanski. Released 19th Sept 2024 by Unbound, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover format. It's unclear from the publisher's info, but at least the ebook ARC provided for review also has interactive hyperlinks throughout.

This is a gorgeously illustrated -very- deep dive into the history, design, stories, and people behind the universally beloved building bricks which have graced kids' toyboxes, adults collections, engineering student lounges, and geek-allied tech giants (Google, Microsoft, Blizzard, etc) for the last 80 years. The author is incredibly knowledgeable and writes interestingly and accessibly about LEGO. There are personal stories from numerous employees and hobbyists throughout the decades.

Some of the highlights from the book include all the photos from LEGO corporation's own historical archives as well as design schematics and facsimile design pages which aren't usually available to the public.There aren't any build plans included in the book, but just the historical collections and collector editions of sets from yesteryear are worth the price of admission. Mr. Konstanski knows LEGO (he's the editor of Blocks Magazine) and shares his expertise with readers in a fun and engaging way.

Five stars, awesome fun. It would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home reference, gaming groups, and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I never played with Lego growing up. I didn’t get the appeal until I had kids. This book was an eye opener for all that went into the Lego-verse. A very cool book.

This is the most thorough book on LEGO history I have ever come across, which is impressive as both a reader and lifelong LEGO builder.

A fascinating insight into the history of this traditional favourite lego. I love the history and quotes from marketing etc. It got a bit too technical for me in places and could have benefited from more colour pictures.. it was nice to read but would appeal more to hard-core lego fans who would appreciate the technical side more. A different version with pictures might appeal more to the masses. A pleasure to read. Thanks to netgallery publisher and author

A very interesting premise with some fascinating archival information. However, this book could benefit from some better production. The text seems a bit oversized and out-of-pace in certain locations.

Have you ever played with LEGO bricks? Watched The LEGO Movie? Bought a set just for yourself, not for some child in your life? Then you are likely a LEGO fan and can appreciate the work Daniel Konstanski put into The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks!

In eleven chapters and 300+ pages, Konstanski takes the reader through the history of the LEGO company from its beginning as a wooden toy company to the concept of building with plastic bricks to the powerhouse company it is today. Along the way the reader gets to see part of the patent for that first plastic brick, then follow the process on how sets are designed, storyboarded, prototyped, and manufactured. The reader follows the evolution of the LEGO brand from sets being designed for kids to free build their imagination to sets to create familiar setting such as homes, fire stations, police stations to more exotic setting such as castles, pirates, and space travel. Then along came Technic and Bionicle along with licensed sets such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Avengers, and the like aimed for adults as well as children. Along side that LEGO developed its own intellectual properties with Ninjago and its related TV series and stuffed toys which led to The LEGO Movie and its spin-offs.

So if you are interested from hearing from the people behind the LEGO products you love, read The Secret Life of Lego Bricks! You will not regret it!

This book is exceptional because of Konstanski’s unprecedented access to the LEGO Group and its archives in Billund, Denmark. He interviewed key figures in the company, from design masters to element testers, as well as the “rock star” set designers who are the creative minds behind the breathtaking LEGO sets that fans love. Their stories, combined with exclusive visual material from the LEGO archives, offer readers a truly unique behind-the-scenes look at the history and evolution of the LEGO brick.

If you’re an adult fan of LEGO, you’ll likely enjoy this book! Packed full of history and interesting background you’ll be sharing with all your family and whoever else is willing go listen! An enjoyable read.

This is a really interesting book on the history of LEGO from its beginning. The author's research is very good and he imparts a lot of knowledge and technical detail. This is not what I was expecting but if you have a real love of all things LEGO then im sure you will enjoy it. I would add that I feel it is aimed at adults and older children who are LEGO fans.

There are a lot of books about Lego for children and teenagers, but nothing really for an interested adult. This is definitely a book for adults or older children, and to me, it must be the definitive guide to all things Lego. I must give the book high praise for being so ungendered in a space that tends to be more male skewed. It covers everything a Lego fan could ever wish to know, and is packed with good quality full coloured pictures and diagrams.