Joe Nagata's LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ Idea Book

Rating:
Summary: A completely "user friendly" tutorial and "how to" guide
Review: Joe Nagata's Lego Mindstorms Idea Book is a completely "user friendly" tutorial and "how to" guide book to making working robots. Profusely illustrated with more than 250 original CAD drawings and offering summaries of engineering principles and programming code, readers are easily able to understand how each robot works. Each robot building project includes a parts list as well as step-by-step instructions for their creation. Joe Nagata's Lego Mindstorms Idea Book is strongly recommended for anyone of any age or background who has ever watched an episode of "Robot Wars" and wanted to get in on the fun!

Rating:
Summary: A completely "user friendly" tutorial and "how to" guide
Review: Joe Nagata's Lego Mindstorms Idea Book is a completely "user friendly" tutorial and "how to" guide book to making working robots. Profusely illustrated with more than 250 original CAD drawings and offering summaries of engineering principles and programming code, readers are easily able to understand how each robot works. Each robot building project includes a parts list as well as step-by-step instructions for their creation. Joe Nagata's Lego Mindstorms Idea Book is strongly recommended for anyone of any age or background who has ever watched an episode of "Robot Wars" and wanted to get in on the fun!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting ideas but lousy execution
Review: Perhaps I'm spoiled by Dave Baum's great books but I found this book very frustrating. Some of the bots are interesting but I was unable to build most of them because they require extra parts that don't come in the Lego Mindstorms RIS. That'd be OK if the book told you what extra part syou need but I'd get 70% done and find myself short 6 #3 elbows (or whatever). True, he lists the needed parts before each bot, but he doesn't tell you which ones aren't part of the RIS. Baum does. Also, the pictures in the book lack contrast so it is hard to see details and the "steps" aren't specific. Buy the Baum books instead.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting ideas but lousy execution
Review: Perhaps I'm spoiled by Dave Baum's great books but I found this book very frustrating. Some of the bots are interesting but I was unable to build most of them because they require extra parts that don't come in the Lego Mindstorms RIS. That'd be OK if the book told you what extra part syou need but I'd get 70% done and find myself short 6 #3 elbows (or whatever). True, he lists the needed parts before each bot, but he doesn't tell you which ones aren't part of the RIS. Baum does. Also, the pictures in the book lack contrast so it is hard to see details and the "steps" aren't specific. Buy the Baum books instead.

Rating:
Summary: Not Quite 5 stars
Review: This book is a very good resource for learning the mechanical aspects of Mindstorms robots. The book provides step-by-step detail for several robot creations, with a range of complexities.

PROS: Detailed building plans and programs. Building tips to help you understand the principals behind the design. Joe Nagata: just go to his web site to see his LEGO creations and you'll know you're in good hands. Some really inventive creations, like the "water skater," a wheeled 'bot that propels itself using the same motion that a skater would use.

CONS: You'll need more parts than come with the standard Mindstorms kit. The book doesn't seem to be laid out correctly -the instructions for the current frame are adjacent to the next frame. Once you figure it out, it's not a problem. Some of the models didn't work very well as built - this is actually a PRO if you like to learn by troubleshooting.

Rating:
Summary: Not Quite 5 stars
Review: This book is a very good resource for learning the mechanical aspects of Mindstorms robots. The book provides step-by-step detail for several robot creations, with a range of complexities.

PROS: Detailed building plans and programs. Building tips to help you understand the principals behind the design. Joe Nagata: just go to his web site to see his LEGO creations and you'll know you're in good hands. Some really inventive creations, like the "water skater," a wheeled 'bot that propels itself using the same motion that a skater would use.

CONS: You'll need more parts than come with the standard Mindstorms kit. The book doesn't seem to be laid out correctly -the instructions for the current frame are adjacent to the next frame. Once you figure it out, it's not a problem. Some of the models didn't work very well as built - this is actually a PRO if you like to learn by troubleshooting.

Rating:
Summary: beginners will enjoy it
Review: this is a very basic book, if you are just starting with MindStorms or if you are 12 years old, then you'll like it. Hackers, dont think about getting it.

Rating:
Summary: You need this book!
Review: This is the book Lego Maniacs everywhere have been waiting for. It has very good robots, complete parts lists, and easy to follow plans. If you have been looking for additional building plans - now you have them!