In many an encyclopedia, printed or electronic, you look up a very specific topic, then follow references to a broader, more encompassing perspective on it. At first glance, Discoveries is a killer piece of software, a good program for curious people 12 and up. The program's offerings, moreover, can be explored through timelines and by geography. That is no great hindrance and, in any case, once you get inside the program, there are more than enough menus and pointers to move you along your path of inquiry, to places where you want to go or, serendipitously, to unexpected areas. Perhaps that is prejudice on my part.
Discoveries is heavily oriented toward graphics.
Thus, while all the topics are lavishly treated with photos, drawings, maps and paintings, there is precious little text to chew on. Many a topic is covered in little more than a few paragraphs. If I had kids at home, I would encourage them to depend on Microsoft's Encarta or, better yet, the electronic version of the Encyclopedia Britannica, for data, facts and interpretation. So naturally, now there are computer programs featuring the lumbering old bear. The graphics are terrific.