 | The Ascent of Man (5 volume set)
Buy new: $134.99 / Used from: $124.94 Probably the best documentary on the history of science ever made. It's an intelligent introduction to The Enlightment, ending with an important plee to not back slide into mysticism and superstition again. Beautifully filmed.
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 | Cosmos: Carl Sagan (7 DVD Set)
Buy new: $74.99 / Used from: $69.65 The history of astronomy by an actual acomplished scientist. Sagan was criticized somewhat for the somewhat egotistical presentation, but the material is still first rate.
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 | The Planets (Box Set)
Buy new: $40.49 / Used from: $19.54 The BBC's excellent series on modern planetary exploration. The series interviews important scientists, and covers the important work of the Soviet space program (often ignored in American documentaries).
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 | Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series
Buy new: $59.99 / Used from: $16.97 Attenborough has done so many excellent science programs, but this is undoubtedly his masterpiece. Watch it in HDTV if you can.
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 | Walking with Dinosaurs
Buy new: $17.49 / Used from: $14.98 An excellent history of dinosaurs, with 3D graphics that really amazed people at the time. There are a number of good "Walking with" programs that came after, and they are pretty much all good.
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 | Alien Planet
Buy used from: $8.10 A sophisticated robotic probe explores a planet on a distant star. I was surprised by how well done this was. Speculation about alien life and future space missions can be bad, but this program was pretty well thought out, with several guest scientists interviewed to justify their speculations.
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 | Evolution Boxed Set
Buy new: $99.95 / Used from: $53.69 A pretty good series on biology and the theory of evolution. All the more important in this day and age of increasing mysticism and superstition.
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 | The Blue Planet - Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4)
Buy used from: $44.50 Another excellent series by Attenborough, focusing in the biology of the oceans.
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 | Guns, Germs, and Steel
Buy new: $25.99 / Used from: $24.00 A fascinating and moving look at the geopolitcial reasons for the dominance of European civilization. Based on the pulitzer prize-winning work by Jered Diamond.
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