The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book
—New from No Starch Press
A Beginner's Guide to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0

San Francisco, CA, April 22, 2010—The LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT 2.0 set brings robot building to a wide range of hobbyists. But the NXT kit doesn't come with a how-to guide and it only includes building instructions for four robots. Users new to building complex LEGO models or lacking experience with the NXT programming language need guidance to help them reach the next level. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book is the introductory book that they've been waiting for.

In The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book (No Starch Press, May 2010, 320 pp., $29.95, ISBN 9781593272111), readers learn how to harness the capabilities of the NXT 2.0 set to build and program their own robots. Author Laurens Valk begins by walking readers through the set, describing the pieces and explaining how to get started with the software used to program NXT robots. Once readers understand the basics of the NXT programming language, the book's tutorials show them how to build robots that move, monitor sensors, and use advanced programming techniques like data wires and variables. With crystal clear, step-by-step instructions, readers will find it easy to create working robots in no time. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book features:

• A complete introduction to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0
• Building and programming instructions for eight innovative robots, including a robotic defense system, a six-legged walker, and an autonomous robotic arm
• 50 sample programs and 72 programming challenges (ranging from easy to hard) that encourage readers to explore newly learned programming skills
• 15 building challenges that expand on the robot designs to help readers develop ideas for new robots

All of the robots in the book require just one NXT 2.0 set to build; there are no extra pieces required.

"The NXT set can be complicated. Sure, you can build some sort of robot, but can you actually make it do anything interesting?" said No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. "This is the introductory MINDSTORMS 2.0 book that everyone needs; the one book that will make sure that that pricey MINDSTORMS kit won't end up gathering dust in a shoebox somewhere."

For more information or to request a review copy of The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book, contact Travis Peterson at No Starch Press ([email protected], +1.415.863.9900, x300), or visit www.nostarch.com.

About the Author
Laurens Valk is a member of the MINDSTORMS Community Partners who help test and develop new NXT products. He has been inventing robots with the MINDSTORMS NXT sets since their introduction, and one of his robot designs appears on the NXT 2.0 packaging. Valk is a co-author of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT One-Kit Wonders (No Starch Press) and a contributor to The NXT Step Blog. He lives in the Netherlands where he teaches robotics.

Additional Resources
Excerpts from Chapter 6: "Understanding Sensors" and Chapter 9: "Strider: The Six-Legged Walking Creature" (PDF)
Table of contents overview
Detailed table of contents (PDF)
Index (PDF)
Large cover image

The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book
by Laurens Valk
May 2010, 320 pp
ISBN 9781593272111, $29.95 USD
[email protected]
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com/, [email protected], 1-800-420-7240).

About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. Visit http://www.nostarch.com for a complete catalog.

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