The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide--latest release from No Starch Press

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Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 12:35:40 CST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Patricia Witkin
patricia@nostarch.com
415.863.9900 x303

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE BASICS - AND NOT-SO-BASICS OF BUILDING WITH
LEGO BRICKS

Longtime hobbyist lays firm foundation for building with LEGO elements

August 24, 2005, San Francisco - Bridging the gap between instructions
included with LEGO sets and the unlimited world of freestyle LEGO
building, The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide (No Starch Press,
September '05) is a nuts-and-bolts approach to making original models
from those famous plastic bricks. Written by Allan Bedford, a lifelong
LEGO fan whose most ambitious model to date is a 5,000-piece replica of
Toronto's famed CN Tower, this new title draws together core techniques,
principles and reference information.

Focusing on building actual models with real bricks, The Unofficial LEGO
Builder's Guide includes complete instructions for building several
models but also encourages readers to use their imaginations to create
their own fantastic designs. While the book incorporates basic engineering
and architecture principles, its tone is friendly, light-hearted and
geared toward helping readers of all ages get the most fun out of the
popular pastime.

Inside The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide, readers will learn:

-The best ways to connect bricks and how best to use those patterns
-Tricks for calculating and building to scale
-How to think and build in 3-D
-Step-by-step plans to create a train station on the scale of LEGO people
 (a.k.a., "minifigs")
-How to build spheres, jumbo-sized LEGO bricks and micro-scaled models
-An end-to-end design exercise for creating a mini space shuttle
-Tips for sorting and storing LEGO pieces

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide also includes the "Brickopedia,"
a visual guide to nearly 300 of the most useful and reusable elements of
the LEGO system, with historical notes, common uses, part numbers, and the
year each piece first appeared in a LEGO set.

"Although age-old, LEGO building seems to be more popular than ever,"
said Bill Pollock, founder of No Starch Press. "Allan's book takes the
LEGO building hobby seriously and does a great job of spelling out the
fundamentals so that anyone can become a master builder."

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide will appeal both to children who are
ready for more ambitious projects and adults who are rediscovering the joy
of building with LEGO elements - as their own hobby or one to share with
their kids.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Allan Bedford is an active member of the online LEGO
community, having contributed ideas and discussions for several years.
He works as a business analyst by day and spends his spare time cycling,
designing board games and, of course, building with LEGO bricks.

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide by Allan Bedford
September 2005, 376 pp., $24.95, ISBN 1-59327-054-2
Available at fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or
directly from No Starch Press (www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com,
800.420.7240).

ABOUT NO STARCH PRESS: Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few
remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in
geek entertainment - unique books on technology, with a focus on Open
Source, security, hacking, programming, and alternative operating systems.
Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books
tackle topics that people care about. See www.nostarch.com for more. (And
by the way, most No Starch Press books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding
that won't snap shut. Hungry geeks love it.)

LEGO, the brick configuration and the minifigure are trademarks of the
LEGO Group, which is not responsible for this publication. Copyright 2005 The
LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

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