History of the world in two hours

The entire history of the world, 13.7 billion years from the big bang to the present day, all in just two hours? Sounds like a history professor's nightmare. Nevertheless, this pithy tale chronicles the creation of the universe and the advancement of humans' evolving capacity to tap into its energy reserves to flourish and reshape their surrounding environment. Viewers bear witness to the human transitions across milestones such as the beginning of farming in the Neolithic revolution, the birth of complex societies, the rise of Christianity and Islam, the Columbian Exchange, the advent of an industrialized West, and the creation of modernity. The combination of stunning CGI and visually appealing re-creations drive the condensed narrative forward though its whirlwind journey. VERDICT While brief to the point of oversimplification and guilty of a teleological run-up to the dominance of Western civilization, this film serves to open a dialog with younger students in their initial contact with topics such as the formation of the universe, evolution, and the longue duree of human history.-Brian Odom, Jefferson State Community Coll., Birmingham, AL (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.