Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Firstly, this is NOT Connections Vol. 2, it is CONNECTIONS 2 as in Connections Series 2. By saying it is "Vol. 2", people are likely to think it's merely one disc or volume in a series. There were three series by James Burke in this vein. Connections (10 50 min. episodes), Connections 2 (20 30 min. episodes), and Connections 3 (10 45 min. episodes). Also, there was "The Day the Universe Changed" a series of 10 50 min. episodes. This is actually a five-disc box set with the entire Connections 2 series. The episodes are as follows: Connections 2 DVD - Disc. 1 Revolutions Discover how the steam engine led to safety matches, imitation diamonds and the moon in a wild ride. Sentimental Journeys What has Freud got to do with maps? Or prison reform with blue dye? Or the inside of a star with the Himalayas? India reveals the answers. Getting It Together Start by examining a SWAT team, which leads to hot air ballooning, the root of many inventions. Whodunit? Who stole a set of billiard balls in 1902 and why was he the most famous crook in history? The clues: maps from 1775, Charles Darwin's cousin and the FBI. Connections 2 DVD - Disc. 2 Something for Nothing Something impossible happened 400 years ago. And we wound up in outer space, thanks (en route) to pigeon lovers, the Pope, and electric Italian frogs. Echoes of the Past On his way to finding the secret of the universe, Burke takes us to the Buddhist tea ceremony, ties it to international spies and Lincoln's assassination. Photo Finish The Le Mans 24-hour race is the backdrop for linking photography and bullets, relativity and blimps. Separate Ways Two trails split over slavery in the 18th Century. One route leads to the Wild West and Brooklyn Bridge, the other coining money and TV. Both end with a threat to peace. Connections 2 DVD - Disc. 3 High Times Unwrap a sandwich and you're on a path to World War II radar and Neo-Impressionist painters. Deja Vu History repeats itself, when you know how to look. Pizzaro beats the Incas, the first stock market opens. The Queen of England salutes a Mexican beetle and Hitler's plans misfire. New Harmony Microscopic bugs inspired the novel "Frankenstein" which aided the birth of Socialism. Hot Pickle The connections between a cup of tea, opium dens, the London Zoo and a switch that releases bombs. Connections 2 DVD - Disc. 4 The Big Spin The greatest medical accident in history starts a trail that leads to Helen of Troy, 17th Century flower-power, the invention of soda pop and earthquake detection. Bright Ideas A Baltimore man invented the bottle, which led to razors and clock springs, and the Hubble telescope. Making Waves Hairdressers, Gold Rush miners, Irish potato farmers and English parliamentarians are really tied together. Routes A sick lawyer in 18th Century France changes farming and triggers the French Revolution and new medical research. Connections 2 DVD - Disc. 5 One Word One medieval word kicks off the investigation into different cultures with the same stories that ends in cultural anthropology. Sign Here Dutch piracy starts international law and French probability math, phonetics and Victorian seances. Better Than the Real Thing How the zipper started with technology Jefferson picked up in Paris during a row about Creation. Flexible Response Robin Hood starts us on a trail from medieval showbiz to land drainage, to the invention of decimals that end up in U.S. currency, thanks to the guy who started the Erie Canal. Having cleared that up, I wish to say that this is a great series and DVD set. Very eye-opening and educational. It would make a great educational gift for children or a fun gift for adults. Anyone with an inquiring mind will be fascinated by James Burke's wit and intelligence, not to mention his charismatic delivery.