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jburkespraker's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
This book can really be slow in parts. But if you are a fan of Lego, it’s a great read.
baralong's review
5.0
As an AFOL, obviously, I'm a big fan of Lego, but this history has given me a view of the company beyond the product I enjoy. It's amazing to follow its growth from a carpenter and wooden toy manufacturer, that was right on the edge of failure, to one of the biggest brands and companies in the world. Also that a company that large could still be family owned!
Reading the back story hasn't taken away my love for the product, but knowing the history makes it feel more personal/human. I've never really given the company much thought.
Highly recommended reading.
Reading the back story hasn't taken away my love for the product, but knowing the history makes it feel more personal/human. I've never really given the company much thought.
Highly recommended reading.
zeroone's review
4.0
A history of LEGO as a company and of the family that owns it. The book starts from around 1916 when Ole Kirk Christiansen bought a carpenter's workshop in the small Danish town of Billund. The LEGO company wasn't even founded until 1932, and the plastic bricks don't even appear in the book until around page 80 or so, as before that Ole Kirk's workshops and later the LEGO company just manufactured wooden and some other plastic toys. I felt these "prehistoric" parts could've been shorter, but they do serve as character witnesses about Ole Kirk and the spirit his descendants have inherited. For example, Ole Kirk was a very progressive and curious man who always had to have the latest tools and such. He also was a man of strong faith, which probably helped when his wife died and his businesses caught fire and burned down three times over.
The book describes chronologically the highs and lows of the company and sheds light to the generational changes in the company. How do you even retire and hand a multinational company like LEGO to your offspring, and do they even want it?
Around mid-1990s LEGO had become so big it was beginning to stall under its own inertia. The then-owner, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, was ahead of his time and tried to introduce rather modern agile management principles to the company, but unfortunately with little success. LEGO's hardships eventually culminated around 2004-2005 when it turned record-breaking losses, and even the possibility of selling the company to external investors was discussed. Luckily a path out was found, and today LEGO is turning huge profits again and paying it back to the society through its foundations (which are also in the scope of the book). Interesting read!
The book describes chronologically the highs and lows of the company and sheds light to the generational changes in the company. How do you even retire and hand a multinational company like LEGO to your offspring, and do they even want it?
Around mid-1990s LEGO had become so big it was beginning to stall under its own inertia. The then-owner, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, was ahead of his time and tried to introduce rather modern agile management principles to the company, but unfortunately with little success. LEGO's hardships eventually culminated around 2004-2005 when it turned record-breaking losses, and even the possibility of selling the company to external investors was discussed. Luckily a path out was found, and today LEGO is turning huge profits again and paying it back to the society through its foundations (which are also in the scope of the book). Interesting read!
paybay's review
2.75
I felt mixed about this book by the time I reached the end. Went in hoping for a history of LEGO products and innovations, but quickly realized I was reading more about the Kristiansen family and their evolving business philosophy.
The book contains a plethora of behind-the-scenes pictures, which greatly aid the history being described, especially in LEGO's earlier years.
My biggest gripe about this book is the biased tone it takes. The book is most compelling when the author mentions mistakes/obstacles LEGO experienced over its history, but these usually feel glossed over. I got the sense that in exchange for behind the scenes access, the Kristiansen family got final say over what made the book.
Not a terrible book, but not what I had hoped for. If you're a big fan of LEGO, or have an interest in how family businesses work, this is well worth a read.
The book contains a plethora of behind-the-scenes pictures, which greatly aid the history being described, especially in LEGO's earlier years.
My biggest gripe about this book is the biased tone it takes. The book is most compelling when the author mentions mistakes/obstacles LEGO experienced over its history, but these usually feel glossed over. I got the sense that in exchange for behind the scenes access, the Kristiansen family got final say over what made the book.
Not a terrible book, but not what I had hoped for. If you're a big fan of LEGO, or have an interest in how family businesses work, this is well worth a read.
startjpw23's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The book gives the history of the Lego corporation from before it started up to very recent times. The book has chapters for each decade from the 1920's to the 2010's. It actually starts a little before the 1920's. Lego was formed in Denmark. It is as much a memoir of the Christiansen/Kristiansen family (they used both spellings) as it is of the formation and growth of the Lego corporation. This family started the corporation and continue to own and run it through 4 generations. There were a fair number of conflicts between the family members though out the history of the corporation. The book is also about the changing social and business climates over the years. I build Legos and love them. This book was ideal for me. It would be ideal for others who build Legos and want to learn about the history of the corporation. People who are interested in reading how the business climate changed over the years might also like this book. Besides these 2 groups, I'm not sure it would have great appeal.