Welcome to the ultimate online repository for unofficial LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT books! Over the past few years, MINDSTORMS fans have written a number of books on the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Set (aka the "NXT 1.0 set"), a robotics kit released in 2006. With the 2009 release of the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 set, authors have begun writing books for the NXT 2.0 set as well. I am a MINDSTORMS author myself, and given the numerous NXT books available, I decided to create a central resource that lists most of them. I have categorized the books by publisher and also included an "Other Books" section for workbooks, modules, e-books, etc. Most of the books are written for the NXT 1.0 set unless otherwise specified. You can purchase many of these books at Amazon.com by following the "Title" links. Also, use the following links to easily navigate to the different sections, and feel free to send me an email if you have any suggestions or comments. - David J. Perdue
| Cover | Title | Author(s) | Pages | Description |
 (2007) |
The Unofficial LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Inventor's Guide | David J. Perdue | 300 | I wrote this book specifically for the first version of the retail NXT set (#8527). The book includes a "getting started" section, a building section, a programming section, six projects with complete instructions (you can build, program, and test each robot with the pieces from one NXT set), and three useful appendixes, including an NXT Piece Library. The source code is available on the companion website. |
 (2007) |
The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Idea Book: Design, Invent, and Build | Contributors to the NXT Step Blog | 350 | Need some ideas for NXT robots? The contributors of the popular NXT Step blog are here to help! This book offers 8 projects with complete building and programming instructions as well as some "theory" chapters to fuel your imagination. |
 (2008) |
The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Zoo!: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Building Animals with the NXT Robotics System | Fay Rhodes | 324 | With nine animal projects ranging from a jumping frog to a peacock on wheels, this book truly can turn your house into a zoo! The building and programming instructions are excellent, but most of the robots require pieces not in the NXT set. However, the author clearly specifies what pieces are needed on a companion website. |
 (2008) |
FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide | James Floyd Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin | 304 | This book is all about competition--and specifically how to successfully compete in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL). Strategies, stories, and practical advice from two MINDSTORMS fans experienced in FLL competition will all be part of this book. |
 (2008) |
The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders: Ten Inventions to Spark Your Imagination | Contributors to The NXT Step Blog | 408 | This book offers detailed building and programming instructions for 10 robots that you can create from the parts in a single NXT retail kit. Another great book for learning techniques and getting some fresh ideas. |
 (2009) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Thinking Robots: Build a Rubik's Cube Solver and a Tic-Tac-Toe Playing Robot! | Daniele Benedettelli | 224 | If you're looking for a challenge, Daniele provides excellent instructions for an amazing Rubik's Cube Solver and a Tic-Tac-Toe playing robot. You'lll find detailed building instructions, and the book works with both the 1.0 and 2.0 versions of the NXT set. |
| Cover | Title | Author(s) | Pages | Description |
 (2006) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT: The Mayan Adventure | James Floyd Kelly | 336 | One of the first NXT books to appear on the market, this title uses a story line as the basis of 5 robot projects with building and programming instructions. While this book is especially fun for children, adults can enjoy it, too. |
 (2007) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT-G Programming Guide | James Floyd Kelly | 196 | If you need help understanding the official NXT-G programming language, this book will teach you how to effectively use the language, recognize its quirks, and troubleshoot your programs. |
 (2007) |
Advanced NXT: The Da Vinci Inventions Book | Matthias Paul Scholz | 369 | Forget the small, simple robots. This book presents 5 advanced projects that are all based on inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. In addition, you'll find detailed programs in five different languages. See the book's companion website for more information. |
 (2007) |
Extreme NXT: Extending the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT to the Next Level | Michael Gasperi, Philippe E. Hurbain, and Isabelle L. Hurbain | 312 | For those who want to take NXT robots to the extreme, this book combines non-LEGO components--that is, electronics--with NXT electronics and pieces to achieve astounding robots. See the book's companion website for more information. |
 (2008) |
Creating Cool MINDSTORMS NXT Robots | Daniele Benedettelli | 608 | With this "cool" book, you can build and program 7 NXT robots ranging from relatively simple ones to incredibly advanced ones. This is another great resource for robot ideas; also see the author's website for more information. |
 (2009) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0: The King's Treasure | James Floyd Kelly | 300 | Building on the success of Kelly's "Mayan Adventure" book, his new "King's Treasure" continues the story line with 5 robot projects and exciting scenarios. This book is specifically for the NXT 2.0 set. |
| Cover | Title | Author(s) | Pages | Description |
 (2007) |
Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains | Brian Bagnall | 524 | Programming NXT robots with the power of Java is possible through the leJOS NXJ language, and NXJ developer Brian Bagnall teaches you in this book both the basic and advanced concepts of the language. You'll also find several interesting robots with building and, yes, programming instructions. A second edition is coming out in summer 2010. |
 (2009) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Power Programming: Robotics in C (Second Edition) | John Hansen | 560 | In this book, you learn how to use the Next Byte Codes (NBC) and Not eXactly C (NXC) languages to create powerful programs for your NXT robots. To give you some practical experience in using these languages, the book includes a few projects with instructions. |
| Cover | Title | Author(s) | Pages | Description |
 (2007) |
Building Robots with LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT | Dave Astolfo, Mario Ferrari, and Giulio Ferrari | 448 | What's the best way to build an NXT robot? In this book, you'll learn the secrets of building sturdy, functional robots and also get some ideas for all types of incredible robots. |
 (2008) |
Programming LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT | Owen Bishop | 257 | If you want to boost your programming skills or are simply looking for some projects with challenging programming aspects, then this book may be for you. There are 10 projects in the book, including a maze solver and obstacle avoidance robot. |
| Cover | Title | Author(s) | Pages | Description |
 (2008) |
LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT | Michael Gasperi | 376 | This is the first book on the market to cover the LabVIEW toolkit for the NXT set, and it demonstrates how to write LabVIEW programs specifically for the NXT. The book includes a helpful CD with the example programs and the LabVIEW toolkit. |
| Cover* | Title | Author(s) | Pages | Description |
 (2006) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Orange Book | Yoshihito Isogawa | 128 | This color Japanese book, which can be purchased from amazon.co.jp, presents a number of robots with building and programming instructions as well as tons of incredible ideas. Note that the book is written in Japanese. Also be sure to check out his LEGO TECHNIC Tora no Maki book. |
 (2007) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Gray Book | Shinichiro Oba and Takuya Matsubara | 208 | The Gray Book is another Japanese title that covers a wide variety of topics: programming, computer-aided design, mechanical tricks, and even trignometry. It also features one very large robot called Betarex that uses 2 NXTs and 5 motors. Note that the book is written in Japanese. |
 (SoftBank Creative, 2007) |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Black Book | Oba Shinichiro | 164 | The Black Book is yet another Japanese title that covers the NXT-G programming language and a series of 4 robots. It has both color and grayscale pages. Note that the book is written in Japanese. |
* Thanks to Jim Kelly for submitting images of the Orange, Gray, and Black LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT books.
| Cover | Title | Author(s) | Pages | Description |
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Classroom Activities for the Busy Teacher: NXT | Damien Kee | 128 | This spiral-bound book outlines a 10 week set of lesson plans for teachers wishing to implement robotics in their classroom. A set of robotics challenges are presented, centered around the NXT system. The workbook includes 10 robotic challenges as well as 3 additional modules with assessment activities covering Robots in Society, Flowcharting and Multimedia Presentations. |
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LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Robots Alive! Endangered Species | Fay Rhodes | 110 | This book offers color building instructions for five endangered animals: a sloth, gorilla, Komodo dragon, polar bear, and a frog. You can build the robots with the Education NXT and Resource sets, and it's also possible to modify the robots so that they work with the NXT 1.0 and 2.0 retail sets. |
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Compass Sensor Experiments | James Floyd Kelly | 99 | This spiral-bound workbook has three hands-on experiments and 5 program samples for the HiTechnic Compass Sensor. It covers Relative and Absolute Heading topics and provides a simple Data Logging walkthrough using a robot and a spreadsheet application. |
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Develop leJOS Programs Step by Step | Juan Antonio Brena Moral | 250 | This is a live ebook, written to spread knowledge about the leJOS project and Java techniques for developing software for robots. The ebook includes examples which explain how to use your NXT brick with a PC or a Mobile phone. A must-read for Java fans, leJOS developers, and NXT developers. |
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Mystery Warehouse Part 1 | James Floyd Kelly | 69 | Mulligan's uncle has disappeared, and the only clue is a mysterious note. Tagging along on the adventure is Veronica, his friend from school. Inside a dark and eerie warehouse, the race is on to complete some very strange challenges and find Mulligan's missing uncle. Building and Programming Instructions for a robot to complete the mission. Includes 2 Pre-Challenge robot activities and 1 Main Challenge. Worksheets provided. |
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Mystery Warehouse Part 2 | James Floyd Kelly | 71 | Part 2 continues the story from Mystery Warehouse Part 1. Mulligan and Veronica are discovering more information about the disappearance of Uncle Dewey. Their robot-building and robot-programming skills continue to be put to the test as they move deeper into the strange warehouse. 2 Pre-Challenge and 1 Main Challenge activity. Building and programming instructions for 1 unique robot. Worksheets provided. |
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Mystery Warehouse Part 3 | James Floyd Kelly | 94 | Concludes the story from Mystery Warehouse Part 1 and Part 2. Mulligan and Veronica are about to discover the secret to Uncle Dewey's disappearance. One final challenge awaits them as they race to solve the mystery of the warehouse. 2 Pre-Challenge and 1 Main Challenge activity. Building and programming instructions for 1 unique robot. Worksheets provided. |
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NXT Robotics Competition Workbook | James Floyd Kelly and Jonathan Daudelin | 93 | This spiral-bound workbook is a great resource for new and experienced teams (FLL and/or RoboCup Jr.). It covers a variety of topics for getting a team active and also provides 10 worksheets for tracking various activities. |
