Tim Goddard

There is lots to love about this book and nothing to dislike, so long as you accept the title: it's inspirational in intent. There are no step-by-step instructions as you would find if you bought an off-the-shelf LEGO kit. Instead there heaps of pictures of different types of LEGO objects, from buildings to animals to vehicles to practical objects (e.g. picture frames) all designed and built by six amateur LEGO enthusiasts. I think it's great that LEGO reach out to their biggest fans in this show more way, instead of using people who work for the company as designers - a very different style emerges, with a somewhat old-time air to it, by which I mean prior to the rebirth of LEGO as a company that does movie tie-ins, cartoon DVDs and video games. That rebirth probably saved the company from extinction but it's good to see that they can mix that modern commercialism with the old enthusiast-supporting ethos with projects such as this book.

There's a lot more than just pictures of LEGO models, though: there are tips on how to design your own projects, how to reduce weight and maintain strength in large models, ways of creating certain effects - all sorts. There are also interviews with the designers, covering such things as what they would build given all the time and bricks they needed, what their biggest models are and where they get their inspiration from.

The graphic design is also excellent and the use of humour makes the book accessible to just about any age of LEGO builder. Great stuff! show less

This is a great space adventure that just happens to be illustrated via LEGO. The book will inspire you to get your bricks out and start building. It even includes some step-by-step instructions for smaller models for those of us that wish we had those master builder talents showcased within. This is a great book for any space fan, scifi fan or LEGO fan.

Simplistic models and not much innovation that hasn't been shown elsewhere. Good for a beginner but not of much use to an experienced builder.

(111) The large community of fans of both LEGO and Star Wars will find this visual atlas appealing. Many -- but not all (at least in galley format) -- of the photographed creations are followed by step-by-step directions. No Starch Press knows its audience and its timing: the book is released in time for the holiday season.