Rating: 
Summary: This book is more than you might expect
Review: When I opened Baum's "Definitive Guide", I expected a description of how to build and program a few simple projects. The book did that, and did it well, but what I did not expect was the depth of insight into mechanical engineering and computer science principles that it provides.For example, Baum gives a careful and clear explanation of how a mechanism works (such as a worm gear or differential, to name but two), and then presents experiments that you can build with Lego. These experiments will give you an invaluable feel for the principles involved. And I mean "feel" literally; after you build and try them, you will understand how these machines work on a gut level that's unforgettable. It's a lot of fun to build and operate even the simplest of Dave Baum's models. On the programming side, his NQC language is a nice stepping stone to the syntax of today's most widely-used programming languages (C and C++). But, as with the mechanical side, Baum -- without getting preachy or teachy about it -- introduces computer science concepts that will help make a youngster (of any age) a better and wiser programmer. Because you do them instead of just read about them, this is the kind of learning that tends to stick with you. NQC, which comes free with the book (and is free on the Web), is a better way to work with the Lego RCX unit. My kids, from 9 years old and up, prefer it to the tedious and somewhat weak Lego-provided method. As a tutorial to the language alone, the book would be a five-star recommendation. But Baum's work is a lot more than that, and a lot more than the shallow building guide to a few toys I originally expected. Buy it, build it, and program it: This book succeeds at being both toy and tutorial, a rare achievement.
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