The sheer breadth of coverage provided by this collection is impressive. "Birds, Insects and Spiders" allows bird lovers to print photographs of their favourite birds, discover how they are affected by changing climates and find out what they like to eat. And in the insect section there are handy links so bug lovers can quickly pursue any connections between different species such as ants and wasps.

With "Primeval Giants" any family member interested in dinosaurs can quickly learn more about how historic fossil discoveries in South Western Mongolia built up our knowledge of these huge creatures and how their giant skull structures are in some cases shared by the birds of today. "Our Earth" is a well-structured CD-ROM, organised into sections on the formation of the planets, the earth's interior and the forces of nature. There are clear colourful diagrams of the inside of the earth and fascinating facts about earthquakes and exploding volcanoes (for instance, every year more than a million earthquakes occur on the earth but apparently most of them are not noticed because they are so minor). The "Our Body" title successfully illustrates how the central nervous system works and there are stunning 3-D animated models of the brain.

Pitched at all members of the family, this information-rich collection provides a general overview of subjects sure to whet your appetite for further detailed research. Each CD-ROM in this collection takes a while to install because it is densely packed with videos and graphics-rich diagrams which help bring the science topics alive-- though the content ensures it is well worth the wait. For young children and amateur enthusiasts this easy-to-navigate science collection will undoubtedly stretch the brain cells. And for those keen to discover more The Family Knowledge Collection II is also available. --Justin Hunt