Sariel Asked to Write Lego Book/ Video Questions

[Sariel]

Yes, that's more or less the final cover. And the beautiful render on it was created by Blakbird :)

[Meatman]

I cannot wait for the release of your book!

[TimH]

I m looking forward to buying this book.

[tommywonka]

I have been lurking around the site a for a while looking for things to do with my son who has actually just joined a lego school in japan.

We have been building for four years now,but we seem to get lost on the technical stuff like how to build gear boxes and steering and how to fit them into kits.

For dads who aren't technic(al),and kids who are learning (along with dad) I hope this book will be able to help.

I look forward to getting this book,not just for me but for my kids.At least i hope i can use the knowledge to help us build or mod together

Lego is a great way for parents who can't do sports to spend time with their kids. Just one question,and it is from a newbie.Will the book recommend parts as not everyone is technic(al) minded?

We noticed in some other books we have bought they have parts listed but parents can't get them from the lego store.which can be disappointing.However,

I'm certainly considering this

Edited May 8, 2012 by tommywonka

[DLuders]

@ tommywonka: Welcome to Eurobricks! Did you see No Starch Press's description of Sariel's book? Although the concepts and ideas presented may not have a lot of complete, step-by-step Building Instructions and Parts Lists, you could use Bricklink.com ("The Unofficial Lego Marketplace") to buy the necessary parts. Be sure to visit the Bricklink Help Center to learn how it works. The Bricklink Parts Catalog has LOADS of parts you never knew existed!

[tommywonka]

Thanks for that. We know bricklink but we haven't needed to buy anything yet. Although maybe this book may give me a push to use it.

Books like this are needed to help the un technic(al) person like me. So i hope it can really be useful to parents who want to do build something with their kids.

I have seen serials work online and they are amazing.

[DLuders]

The cover art on Sariel's upcoming Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide has been changed, and the number of pages has been trimmed to 256 (probably to stick to the USD $29.95 price). The release is now scheduled for October 2012 (per this No Starch Press webpage):

"The LEGO® Technic system is a line of LEGO that opens a realm of new building possibilities—you can design LEGO models that really move with motors, gears, pneumatics, pulleys, linkages, and more.

"The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide is filled with building techniques and tips for creating strong yet elegant machines and mechanisms. With author Pawel "Sariel" Kmiec's expert guidance, you'll learn the foundations of LEGO Technic building, and how to use the system to create impressive to-scale models. Sariel, a world-renowned LEGO Technic expert, offers unique insight into mechanical principles like torque, power translation, and gear ratios, all with the miniature Technic brick. You'll also learn how to build working clutch and transmission systems, differentials, and suspensions.

"This full color, beautifully illustrated book is a visual feast of building inspiration and includes ideas for building amazing machines like tanks with working treads, miniature supercars, cranes and bulldozers, and much more."

[DLuders]

On his website on on No Starch Press, Sariel has listed the various chapters in his upcoming Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide book:

Table of Contents

Part 1: Basics

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Chapter 2: Units

Chapter 3: Studless or Studfull?

Chapter 4: Joiners and Fasteners

Part 2: Mechanics

Chapter 5: Gears

Chapter 6: Pulleys

Chapter 7: Levers and Linkages

Chapter 8: Custom Mechanical Solutions

Chapter 9: Pneumatics

Chapter 10: Pneumatic Devices

Chapter 11: Reinforcing Builds

Part 3: Motors

Chapter 12: Motors

Chapter 13: Power Functions System

Part 4: Advanced Mechanics

Chapter 14: Wheeled Suspensions

Chapter 15: Tracked Suspensions

Chapter 16: Gearboxes

Chapter 17: Adders & Subtractors

Part 5: Models

Chapter 18: The Matter of Choice

Chapter 19: Scaling

Chapter 20: Modeling Process

and he said "...But there may be something more! :)"

[DLuders]

On his Facebook page, Sariel wrote "If you are interested, the final volume of the basic content of my book is over 320 pages. That's not counting things like introduction or acknowledgements, or appendixes which I'm trying to throw in there. http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-LEGO-Technic-Builders-Guide/dp/1593274343/ "

This is up from the previous 256 pages, and the discounted price is good! The "Publication Date: November 9, 2012" (also stated on the No Starch Press publisher's website).

Edited August 4, 2012 by DLuders

[DLuders]

On the No Starch Press website, Sariel's Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide now has a PDF Index and a PDF Detailed Table of Contents. The book's contents LOOK WONDERFUL , and it will be available in November 2012!

[Alasdair Ryan]

I so can't wait to get this hopefully I might not get it for Christmas.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Alasdair Ryan

[Sariel]

Well, you're in for a lot of reading. The final page count is 352, and that's after a lot of cuts.

[Ferrik]

Good luck writing your book.

I think maybe a kind of guide/tutorial book with maybe a few examples of your MOCs would be great as it would attract a wider audience instead of just focusing on one theme.

Edit: Oh, it looks like the book has already been finished. Haha.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Ferrik

[Erik Leppen]

Yeah, i was also thinking of stuff you could add, but it looks like I'm kind of too late for that. Anyhow, the project sounds awesome and I'm curious to see what the end product will look like.

Chapter 3: Studless or Studfull?

Isn't "studful" with one L, like "useful"? Can a native English speaker clarify?

[allanp]

Yeah, i was also thinking of stuff you could add, but it looks like I'm kind of too late for that. Anyhow, the project sounds awesome and I'm curious to see what the end product will look like.

Isn't "studful" with one L, like "useful"? Can a native English speaker clarify?

I guess it would be one "L", like useless and useful. But it's a made up word so I guess he could have spelt it schtoodphuuuulz if he wanted.

[Sariel]

Well, I keep seeing "studfull" being used everywhere in our community. Also, the editor who's the native English speaker did not object. But he didn't object inserting hamsters either, so maybe he was just going easy on me ;)

[Jetro]

Isn't "studful" with one L, like "useful"? Can a native English speaker clarify?

Not exactly native (well, I was born at some time...) but what with the publisher being American there's a good chance they had somebody revise the spelling just in case.

Anyway, to the point, the suffix -ful does mean "full of", but since the word is made up I can see why someone (native English speaker or not) might want to go with that option. Personally I'd have preferred "studded" = covered with studs. Not every word ending on -less has an opposite ending on -ful (homeless, sleepless) or the other way round (beautiful).

[legolijntje]

Well, you're in for a lot of reading. The final page count is 352, and that's after a lot of cuts.

A lot of cuts!? More=better

Anyway, I preordered this book a few weeks ago, and I can't wait until it arrives. Amazon first said it was in december, but I got a mail from Amazon; it's in november

EDIT: how is it possible to have 352 pages, when the pdf index says it's at 326-333? What's after it?

Edited September 17, 2012 by legolijntje

[Sariel]

A lot of cuts!? More=better

I agree, but think of the publisher struggling to keep the price reasonable. The book is in full color, which isn't cheap to print.

EDIT: how is it possible to have 352 pages, when the pdf index says it's at 326-333? What's after it?

Why, the index :P

[Strikeman]

I'm going to buy the book but I'm appalled at Amazons pricing strategy.

I live in Belgium, we have no Amazon. I have to order in France or Germany (neighboring countries), the UK (neighboring country if you don't count the sea that separates us) or the USA.

So I dutifully check the prices and much to my dismay this is what I get (sorted by distance from my home):

Amazon.de: 22.00 € (free shipping)

Amazon.fr: 22.79€ (free shipping)

Amazon.co.uk: 24.16 £ (free shipping) 29.94 €

Amazon.com: 16.93 $ + 7.98 $ shipping = 24.91 $ or 19.00 €

I would save 3 € if I order the book in America and have it transported about 7000 miles to me ?! That's not cool Amazon, not cool at all

I will order it in Europe of course because it's ridiculous to have it transported that far (and it'll take a lot more time).

This reminds me of a car I was looking at a few months ago ... the Fisker Karma would set me back 102k $ (78k €) if I buy it in America. It would set me back 102k € (that's a whopping 24k € more) if I buy it in Europe.

The kicker: the car is made in Europe, just like Sariels book ...

[legolijntje]

I agree, but think of the publisher struggling to keep the price reasonable. The book is in full color, which isn't cheap to print.

Full color

I didn't realised that, but that's great

[DLuders]

@ Strikeman: The book's publisher (No Starch Press in the USA) has a 30%-off discount offer -- "Use coupon code PREORDER to get 30% off all pre-order books!" In addition, you get a "Free ebook edition with

print book purchase from nostarch.com!"

[cgarison]

I'm going to buy the book but I'm appalled at Amazons pricing strategy.

I live in Belgium, we have no Amazon. I have to order in France or Germany (neighboring countries), the UK (neighboring country if you don't count the sea that separates us) or the USA.

So I dutifully check the prices and much to my dismay this is what I get (sorted by distance from my home):

Amazon.de: 22.00 € (free shipping)

Amazon.fr: 22.79€ (free shipping)

Amazon.co.uk: 24.16 £ (free shipping) 29.94 €

Amazon.com: 16.93 $ + 7.98 $ shipping = 24.91 $ or 19.00 €

I would save 3 € if I order the book in America and have it transported about 7000 miles to me ?! That's not cool Amazon, not cool at all

I will order it in Europe of course because it's ridiculous to have it transported that far (and it'll take a lot more time).

This reminds me of a car I was looking at a few months ago ... the Fisker Karma would set me back 102k $ (78k €) if I buy it in America. It would set me back 102k € (that's a whopping 24k € more) if I buy it in Europe.

The kicker: the car is made in Europe, just like Sariels book ...

Amazon has not learned the ways of business outside of the United States and some day this may be the one chink in the armor of Bezos' juggernaut of a company. But, mine is pre-ordered for $16.93 and 2nd day shipping is free because I belong to prime. I will have to pay 6% sales tax to the state of Pennsylvania because the book is going to ship after the tax rule went into effect on September 1st. Oh well, it is still a great deal.

And I do not get Amazon's pricing strategy because Sariel's book is heavily discounted but Amazon offers my wife's book at the full asking price. Maybe her book is considered a reference book which has a different model, but I am sure her royalties would be better if it were discounted.

Edited September 18, 2012 by cgarison

[DLuders]

Sariel just posted this

of "Sample engines that you can build and expand from my book":

[Sariel]

In case you were afraid it would be a thin book...