The book starts off with a the origins of the LEGO Group and how a company that produced pretty much everything decided to change its focus and build toys, going from being a small workshop to one of the most iconic companies in Denmark. After that though, the book focuses more on the current state of LEGO in the world and many aspects of Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOL) and their own personal creations.
This section of the book not only dives into how many AFOLs went through the "Dark Times," the time where LEGO wasn't a part of their life, but also the rediscovery of the building-block toys. This chapter has numerous mini-interviews with AFOLs as they talk about their favorite sets, what they do for a living and even what their favorite brick color is. This chapter also shows some of the more interesting home-brewed creations involving everything from robotic skunks to cameras to computer cases.
Next, the chapter titled "Minifig Mania" discusses the human element of the LEGO sets. These figures have been a part of the LEGO line for many years, and they are just as much of a collectible as the sets themselves. This part of the book also shows off many unique variations of the minifigs as they represent various famous people and characters.
In the chapter titled "(Re)creating Icons," the reader is given the chance to look over pictures of many real-world buildings and other objects, but made with LEGO blocks. Everything from Dome of the Rock to the Great Pyramid is shown off here. Of course, you can't really talk about LEGO sets without mentioning the trains, and that too is covered in detail in this chapter. Heck, LEGO fans have even gone so far as to recreate works of art and even depict scenes from the Bible.
Chapter 5 covers the creative side of LEGO as the different genres the toy company has produced are talked about. Everything from the classic Space line to BIONICLEs and even some home-built steam-punk sets are shown off in this chapter. This naturally leads into LEGO Art, a chapter devoted to artists who use the bricks to make masterpieces. I've seen a few of these artists on the Internet over the years, but there are far more out there than I had realized, and they have made some interesting pieces. One of the more powerful pieces of artwork shown in this book is Zbigniew Libera's use of LEGO pieces to depict NAZI concentration camps.
Before moving on to the toy's newer, more digital aspects, The Cult of LEGO delves into creations made on the "micro" scale, one that is even smaller than the minifig scale and sets made on a much larger scale. This chapter not only shows small cities, but also much larger and detailed creations like a replica of Yankee Stadium or a Japanese Battleship. I will say, some of the more impressive creations include a full-sized baby stegosaurus and a statue of Stephen Colbert. Both are really well done.
In the chapter named "Digital Birickage," the book covers not only the popular LEGO games released by TT Games, but also other video games released over the years. One focal point of this chapter are the various programs you can download that let you create your own LEGO sets virtually and then order the set online. The other side of the digital LEGO world involves its robotic line, Mindstorms. This chapter shows off robotic creations that do everything from act as vending machines to ATMs. There is also a Rubik's Cube Solver and a 3D Lego Printer.
As the book wraps up, it not only goes through the LEGO conventions that have been cropping up, but also how LEGO is used for more serious purposes. LEGO has been used in marketing, architectural prototyping and prosthetics. While LEGO blocks are a toy system designed to be easy play with for kids of any ages, it's really interesting to see how it's made its way into more serious applications.
The Cult of LEGO is a fun book that is not only filled with images of some amazing builds, but also jam-packed full of information about the company and the culture that has grown up around them. Anyone with even a mild interest in the toys, even if you aren't an AFOL, should enjoy what this book has to offer.
