First published 2020
LEGO began in 1934 when a Danish carpenter started crafting wooden pull toys in his workshop. The company took its name from a Danish phrase that means to "play well." O'Connor follows the transformation from those early wooden creations to the plastic brick system that would captivate children worldwide. He examines how a basic idea of interlocking plastic pieces grew into something much larger than toys. The book shows how LEGO maintained its core mission of sparking imagination while expanding across the globe. O'Connor reveals the business decisions and design innovations that turned simple stackable blocks into the world's most popular toy. Readers discover how the company encouraged children to build anything their minds could conceive, turning play into limitless creative expression.
Genres: history, non-fiction, technology
Vibes: thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: history, innovation
Setting: Denmark
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
112 pages · Paperback · Penguin Workshop