The photographs on the "Fishes, Reptiles and Amphibians" CD-ROM are outstanding. See the whale shark, which grows up to 18 metres in length and read about its life in the surface waters of the tropical seas. Discover factual information on the reptiles, which is concise and informative (reptiles were the first vertebrates to completely adapt to living on land and have evolved over millions of years). This CD-ROM manages to drill down into the different species so in the section on snakes, for example, you are introduced to lesser-known types such as the Spectacled Cobra that lives in the jungles and cultivated lands of Asia.

Popular and rarely sighted mammals such as the sea cow are covered in the "Mammals" title. Stimulating and relevant facts and atmospheric colour photos accompany each section. For budding astronomers, "Our Cosmos" reminds you that there are 100 billion galaxies in the universe and supplies visually arresting photographs of the Milky Way. There are also innovative videos that comment on and illustrate the groundbreaking Big Bang theories of American astronomer Edwin Hubble.

Nowadays we are continually being introduced to new gadgets but with little chance to understand how they work. The "Inventions" CD-ROM offers sections on the history of the creation of TV sets, fountain pens and radio telescopes and there are easy-to-follow videos that demonstrate the inner workings of CD-ROMs themselves and how they rely upon laser beams. Although in some sections the content is quite detailed, it makes a brave attempt to simplify complicated but hugely influential inventions such as the microchip.

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--thought the content ensures it is well worth the wait. It's hard to imagine that your family's knowledge will not be expanded after ploughing through this well-formatted and thought-provoking collection. --Justin Hunt