Tag Archives: #creative

The clever way to buy Lego with Booko

Activities, Children, Christmas, Gaming, Gifts, Holiday, Learning, Lego, New Release, Top Tips, , , , , , , , , , , ,

We are mid way through the school holidays here in Melbourne and we thought it was the perfect time to let you in on a pretty cool secret. You can buy Lego through Booko. Oh yes, you read that right. Booko is now the clever way to buy Lego online!

What’s super exciting is that our handy alert function (where you get to set the price you want to pay for a book or DVD) also works with Lego! So if you’ve been eyeing up a Lego version of James Bond’s Aston Martin or Harry Potter’s Hogwarts set or something else special for Christmas for an ultimate Lego collector, you can now log in, set a price for the bricks you’re looking to buy and sit back while Booko hunts for the best price for you. 

Here’s a little guide to help you along with six of the most inspiring Lego books for budding brick master builders. 

Start by typing in the name of the Lego set you are looking for.
When the search appears, either click through to your store of choice to buy, or…
…click on ‘Add an Alert’ and a drop down box will appear. Pop in the price you’d be happy to pay and select if you are wanting a new or used Lego set. Then enter in your email address so we can let you know when your price has been found.

Lego Ideas by Daniel Lipkowitz

You have what it takes! Did you ever wonder what you can do with all of those Lego bricks after you have created the project they came with? Now with The Lego Ideas Book, you can take what you already have and make something new. This book is divided into six themed chapters; transportation, buildings, space, kingdoms, adventure, and useful makes, each with basic templates of key models and spreads to inspire you to create your own. Hints and tips from Master Builders can help you turn your classic car into a race car or add a bridge to your castle.

Don’t be concerned if you haven’t got all the bricks you need: this book also shows how to simplify details, making this a great user-friendly guide for any building ability. Featuring all-new Lego building projects, tips to supplement and enhance your Lego creations, inspirational builds, and expert advice from Lego Master Builders. The Lego Ideas Book will keep kids of all ages creating for hours.

Awesome Lego Creations With Bricks You Already Have by Sarah Dees

This book creates hours of fun, new worlds and new toys from the collection of Lego kids already have. Each project includes a parts list so you can verify that you have all the pieces and even buy supplemental pieces if you want, but most projects avoid specialty pieces and feature ones likely to be in most people’s collections. The book engages kids with fun, kid-friendly language and cool facts about the things they are making. Like other popular Lego idea books, this book is packed with characters and life-like scenes, but takes the next step with detailed step-by-step instruction photos to help you build more complex animals, robots, vehicles and buildings. The book features full-size photos of life-like scenes that are simple enough for children to build on their own. Also included are a few no-instruction challenges where kids can create a unique toy using only the photo as inspiration. This family-friendly book is sure to spark the imagination for everyone.

365 Things to Do With Lego by DK (Dorling Kindersley)

365 Things to do with LEGO Bricks inspires you to look at your Lego bricks in new and exciting ways and enjoy Lego fun every day of the year. Featuring imaginative play and building ideas, from Lego games that take just a few minutes and require a handful of bricks, to inspirational build ideas and activities to keep you occupied for hours. 365 Things to do with Lego Bricks is packed with fun and quirky activities, such as: build your own Lego pet; challenge your friends to make the tallest Lego tower against the clock; and learn how to make a stop-motion Lego movie. 365 Things to do with Lego Bricks includes a countdown timer and activity selector, allowing you to choose an activity at random, to time your activities and to race against the clock.

The Lego Neighbourhood by Brian Lyles and Jason Lyles

In The Lego Neighbourhood Book, you’ll create buildings with real world details like cornices and facades, and try your hand at interior design by filling your buildings with furniture and light fixtures. Then add the finishing touches to your models with plants, traffic lights, scaffolding, and park benches. Snap together a few houses, shops, and apartment buildings to create your own neighbourhood! Inside you’ll find step-by-step instructions for four multi-storey buildings, dozens of inspiring ideas to use in your own models, mini builds for a recliner, old-time lamp post, traffic lights, and more. 

The Lego Animation Book by David Pagano and David Pickett

Have you ever wondered what your toys would look like on the big screen? In The Lego Animation Book you’ll learn how to bring your creations to life with the art of stop-motion animation. Before you know it, you’ll be making your mini figures walk, talk, jump, and fly. Inside you’ll find step-by-step guides for making your first animation, techniques for creating special effects like explosions and flying mini figures, acting methods for your mini figures and the secret formula for bringing inanimate objects to life The book also offers advice for dealing with practical problems like lighting, framing, and capturing consistent photos. Along with building ideas for Lego-based camera dollies and rigs there are instructions and inspiration on the filming process, from storyboarding to post-production, recommendations for cameras, software, and other essential animation tools This book will help you dive into the world of animation and discover a whole new way to play!

Lego Minifigure: Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle by Gregory Farshtey and Daniel Lipkowitz

One of the most iconic toys happens to have the cutest little people – the Lego Mini Figure. This book features more than 2,000 of the most significant, popular, and rare mini-figures, this engaging reference guide explores mini-figures chronologically by theme. Fans will learn little-known facts about their favourite mini-figures in this first-ever publishing of the evolution of the famous Lego mini-figure. This visual history shows the evolution of this classic toy for the first time ever, with exquisite photography and fascinating facts about each and every mini-figure included. 

Enjoy!

First-hand Tips from Top Leaders We Want to Learn From

Entrepreneur, Leadership, Learning, New Release, Non-fiction, Personal development, Top Books, Top Tips, , , , , , , , , ,

Why do we love to read the memoirs of business leaders? The best ones are often a mix of relatable life stories, of the drama of persistent struggles, and of the excitement of eventual success.  This month we have been offering ideas around starting your own business – so for those of you on that career / business journey, here are some great stories about business leaders that offer a great balance of entertainment, education and inspiration.

Herding Tigers: Be the Leader that Creative People Need by Todd Henry


Todd Henry compares managing creatives to herding tigers – these brilliant, driven people are powerful beings who cannot be corralled but must be carefully, individually, and strategically led.  Creatives are usually valued for their individuality, originality, unconventional thinking – traits that may seem ‘difficult’ in more conventional teams.Herding Tigers shows that, by carefully balancing three key conditions – stability, challenge and freedom – managers can create a work environment that allows creatives to flourish, both individually and as a team.  While Herding Tigers is aimed at managers of creative teams – and is particularly useful for creatives-turned-managers – it offers thoughtful advice for anyone needing to manage a variety of personalities and working styles.

#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso 


Sophia Amoruso’s journey, from school dropout and shoplifter to successful entrepreneur, is so resonant that it has inspired a cultural movement and a Netflix show.  Being a #girlboss is about being in charge of your own life, and this memoir / business guide offers ideas on how to achieve this regardless of your talents and interests.  Luck and timing does play a part in Sophia’s success, but kudos to her for not shying away from the hard stuff – she clearly emphasises the importance of personal responsibility, vision, grit and patience.  #Girlboss is a fun, sassy read, with pithy advice grounded in good sense.  Great for young women looking for moral support as they enter the grownup world of work and business.  And if you are ready to put Sophia’s ideas into practice, there’s The Girlboss Workbook, packed with exercises, lists, ideas, and scribble room, to help you turn dreams into goals and plans.

Everything I Know about Love by Dolly Alderton

 
Once you’ve read this, you will want to share it with all your girlfriends and all the younger women you know.  Everything I Know About Love is the story of Dolly Alderton’s life as a twenty-something – hilarious, moving, and  unapologetically messy; and not just about romantic love, but about grief and the life-saving power of friendship too.  Dolly writes with an honesty that makes it super-relatable, yet better – because the clarity of her prose expresses everything better than you or I ever could. This new edition of Everything I Know About Love, published this year, contains a new chapter capturing Dolly’s thoughts on turning 30.

The Big Life: Embrace the Mess, Work your Side Hustle, Find a Monumental Relationship, and Become the Badass Babe You Were Meant to Be by Ann Shoket


Who wouldn’t want to be a Badass Babe?  Ann Shoket has written The Big Life for millenial women, but her book offers value to smart and ambitious women of any age.  Being the former editor-in-chief of Seventeen magazine, Ann Shoket has spent years understanding what matters to Millenials; she understands that the definition of success is changing, and is more likely to be about having passion for your work, and control over your career direction, rather than about high status or income.  Ann also offers valuable insights into the thoughts and attitudes of Gen X / Baby Boomer bosses, helping Millenials manage upwards, and dispel negative assumptions about their working style.  Packed with actionable, personal advice from Ann and her group of Badass Babes – a networking community of high-profile, successful young women, The Big Life is like having your own big sister cheer squad.

The Glitter Plan: How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned it into a Global Brand by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor


The Glitter Plan shares some similarities with #Girlboss – both offer a mix of memoir and business advice, sharing the stories of resourceful and determined women who grew small ideas into successful fashion brands.  Being the origin story of Juicy Couture, The Glitter Plan is also full of fun and glamour, celebrating its status as a celebrity favourite. Pamela and Gela’s friendship adds an interesting dimension to their success story – they work closely, as true equals, and their respect and regard for each other underpins their business decisions.  A good balance of entertaining biography and practical business tips, The Glitter Plan is a must-read for anyone dreaming of starting their own fashion label.

Radical Candor: How to Get What you Want by Saying What you Mean by Kim Scott


Criticism is hard to both give and take – culturally we associate it with aggression and humiliation, even if it’s well-meaning.  However, this is something a good leader and boss must learn to do – appropriate criticism can be essential  to achieving good results and maintaining a cohesive team.  Radical Candour is a framework for creating a safe and respectful environment to encourage constructive criticism.  Kim Scott, a former executive at Google and at Apple, first experienced Radical Candour when she was given some harsh-but-enlightening feedback by her then-boss, Sheryl Sandberg.  The key is for leaders to “Care Personally” – show that the criticism is to help the other person grow and improve – and “Challenge Directly” – be specific, focussing on behaviours rather than personality traits. More than just a guide on how to critique, Radical Candour helps to create a frank and positive culture that allows entire teams to thrive.