The Cult of LEGO- (Review)

So the other day I picked up a book I've been looking forward to reading for a while, which is The Cult of LEGO by John Baichtal and Joe Meno.

The large, hardcover book is visually striking, with the simple title displayed in bold black letters and the iconic, smiling LEGO spaceman adorning the front cover.

The purpose of the book is similar to the purpose of my project, which is why I was initially so interested in buying and reading it. The authors explore the phenomenon that is LEGO, and prove its cultural significance throughout the chapters.

Even for somebody with a lot of knowledge about LEGO, like myself, there was still a lot in this book that I learned and was interested in reading. The chapters are neatly organized and I would say just about every angle of LEGO is covered, from the history to it's wide usage among adults, to the different kinds of models people make and even LEGO's therapeutic affect on children who suffer from autism.

Fortunately and unfortunately, LEGO is an enormous field and I couldn't help feeling that despite the amount of information that was in the book, there was still a lot left out. However, I understand that they can only pack so much in, especially considering that graphics and pictures are given a lot more emphasis in the layout than the information. The design of the chapters are bold, colorful and visually pleasing. In sections such as "architectural renditions," there were only a few pages that had maybe 7 or 8 architectural LEGO models. In my opinion, there are so many amazing models out there, the book could have benefited from a bunch more. But on the other hand, if this book had everything in it the way that I want, it would be no different from clicking through LEGO galleries on Flickr, Brickshelf or Mocpages.

Overall, The Cult of LEGO is more of a tribute to LEGO than a thorough investigation. The interviews are interesting, and I think the books does basically what I would like to do through my project, which is to shed light on the many possibilities of LEGO. Anybody who is unfamiliar with LEGO or who doubts its potential beyond being a toy should definitely take a look at this book.