This Is Why You Love LEGO

A fascinating, free-wheeling exploration of LEGO and what makes it such an endlessly fun toy. The perfect gift book for your favorite LEGO fan, from an expert in play design who spent years conducting research inside the company. Rahbek narrates the book via the creative journey of a young LEGO builder, Theodor, who is making a space pirate ship.;Through Theodor, the book looks at the full range of LEGO play, from following specific instruction manuals to improvising from only a vague--or no--idea of what one wants to create (what he calls “drifting and shifting”). Along the way, the author also discusses the toy’s Danish roots in the belief in a child’s autonomy, describes how the designers navigate “playful tension,” dissects how the LEGO play experience actually works, and unpacks the unique design of LEGO bricks and their inner cylinders. The first book about the toy to get into the nitty gritty details of the dynamics of the bricks and the resulting play experience, Even the biggest LEGO fan will walk away with a deeper understanding of their love for LEGO.

Product details

• Authors: Jess Rahbek, Jess Uhre Rahbek
• Publisher: The MIT Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 08.09.2026
• EAN: 9780262054911
• ISBN: 978-0-262-05491-1
• No. of pages: 160
• Subjects: Popular Culture, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture, DESIGN / History & Criticism, History of art / art & design styles, Industrial / commercial art & design, history of design, Antiques & collectables: toys, games & models, ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES / Toys & Games