I first saw this program on either the Science or H2 channel, can't remember which. It is the most amazing program I have EVER SEEN, bar none. They've condensed the entire 13.7+ billion years of the universe and the 4.7+ billion years of the earth's existence into an information packed 2-hr program. You will want to watch this show over and over again, because there is so much information in it, that you will surely learn something new each time you see it. Nothing has ever put it all-the physical and human development processes- into such a poignant and cogent framework. This should be a must see program in all middle and high schools, possibly even earlier. If believe that after seeing this program you'll feel that you have a much better grasp of where mankind has come from and how; and, where we are likely to be headed as a species. Two thumbs up, way up! Hope this helps, Dennis Read more
I found this single disc DVD, produced by the History Channel, to be very interesting and worthwhile. It's a monumental task to explore 13.7 billion years of earth's history in just 2 hours! As the cover introduction tells us, we will get the entire story of where we came from and how we got to where we are now. It tells an epic story in a brilliantly concise but understandable and thorough manner. If you find COSMOS to be too long (over 9 hours) for your attention span, this "rapid fire view of history" may be just what you're looking for: earth's history "from the Big Bang to the present day" covered in (actually) about 90 minutes in a manner that is understandable, lucid and intelligible. Read more
This video should be re-titled to: The History of the World in one and a half hours, because that's how much time it takes from beginning to end. It does have some interesting scenes of ancient peoples re-enacting possible scenes. And it has arrows showing how ideas spread throughout the world. At least this video has the scientific perspective of how the world developed so maybe more people can give up the religious myths about Earth creation. It doesn't have anything supernatural in it. But obviously you have to gloss over a lot of material to make a short DVD on such an enormous topic. Read more
Loved this video. Simple and effective way to teach and understand the basics when it comes to the creation of our universe and the history of mankind. Provides a great foundation for middle school aged students. Read more
I saw this on the HIstory Channel, and decided to get the DVD. When it came on, it seemed like a curiosity... how can you even touch the history in two hours. They actually do a much better job than you would think...they focus on themes, and show how this event or phenomenon lead to this, led to this, led to... Well, you get the idea. This is an entertaining and interesting fast review of the history of the world...:) Read more
I initially decided to watch the History Channel's documentary, 'History of the World in Two Hours' just to confirm my skepticism that it would not even come close to achieving its purpose. Not only was I proven wrong; I was so impressed that I immediately went on-line and purchased the CD which, by eliminating the commercials, actually abridges 13.7 billion years of history into 1 hour and 28 minutes while managing to entertain, educate, and astound in such a clever, simple format that my adult children and adolescent grandchildren enjoyed it as much as I. If you're curious to know why stars had to die so that we humans could live, the critical role bacteria played in the creation of life, or how fire and grass expedited human and social evolution, and many more such bits of scientific knowledge, I highly recommend that you invest an hour and a half of your time in watching this documentary. Read more
This is an excellent DVD. Even my young children love it Read more
I bought this for a middle school class, showing it over 3 days. The students were captivated, so I was happy. Actual playing time is actually less than two hours because the commercial time was deleted. The quality of the visuals was excellent. I can not speak to the accuracy of the beginning of the earth section. Knowing there is some controversy over that, I simply told the kids that the video showed what many scientists believe. Read more
