Review of THE LEGO STORY
The humble beginnings of the world’s greatest toy
Growing up, my sister and I loved LEGOs. We had a giant green bin full of hundreds – probably thousands – of pieces. Our dad made us custom LEGO boards that we would spend hours building houses and little towns on. These little colorful bricks provided endless hours of creative play.
But where did these little Danish bricks come from? It’s quite the story. In, The LEGO Story: How A Little Toy Sparked The World’s Imagination, Jens Andersen tells the 90 year story of how LEGO took over the toy world, from before LEGO even existed.
LEGO is a long running family business based out of a little town called Billund, Denmark. But despite being the biggest, most iconic toy in the world, the business didn’t start out as toys. Ole Kirk Christiansen, the original founder of the business, Billund Woodworking and Carpentry, started off making general wood products for the small community in the early 1900s.
When the great depression rippled across the world, Ole Kirk began making small wooden toys, officially entering his business into the toy industry. Before long, plastic came on the scene, and the company bought a plastic molding machine. One step closer to bricks.
But the bricks weren’t an original idea! LEGO directly copied an English version that wasn’t patented in Denmark. Eventually, LEGO made design improvements and in 1958 the modern LEGO brick we have today officially came on the scene. And LEGO went on to take over the world.
It’s a remarkable story. A small toy making shop in a tiny Denmark town streamlined their offerings and developed the LEGO system of toys under second generation owner, Godtfred Christiansen. Then through the 80s and beyond, LEGO became the true international corporation we know today under third generation owner Kjeld Kristiansen.
Andersen delivers a detailed book following the chronology of a company that truly valued and loved play. The LEGO company is centered on true play, drawing on philosophies of learning that emphasize the role of free and creative play for children’s development. There is actually some debate as to whether the predetermined build sets that are central to LEGO today stray from the philosophy of free play that the LEGO system was built on.
This is a wonderful book, and a must read for those who love LEGOs. It’s also a beautiful book product – Mariner outdid themselves. Every page is LEGO themed, with historical pictures that show the transformation of the company over 90 years. This is a book that even if you don’t read it, it’s a great one for your shelves.
Published: November 2022
Publisher: Mariner Books
Format: Hardcover
If you think this sounds interesting, bookmark these other great reads:
The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni (2022) | Read my review
Picasso's War: How Modern Art Came to America by Eakin Hugh (2022) | Read my review
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