We have had some experience with The National Geographic's "Great Courses" in the past and were always favorable impressed. We particularly enjoyed Audio versions which we listened to while traveling in our car. This past fall when the catalogue came with this DVD version of 36, 30 minute lectures, along with a 368-page course synopsis, on the
Wonders of the National Parks, we went for it. We have visited a significant number of the 59 National Parks and thought this would be an excellent way to "visit" the ones we have not been to and a refresher for those we had. What we didn't fully appreciate in the Course Title (in smaller print) was, "A Geology of North America". We watched and listened to the first lecture soon after Christmas and were somewhat disappointed with its technical nature. It was done by Ford Cochran, Director of Programming for National Geographic Expeditions, a "respected journalist and educator in the earth sciences." His lectures include geologic pictures and drawings as you would expect to see in a Graduate Geology Course. The Synopsis is also technical and it's pictures are all in black and white. We have only watched 4 lectures so far and after the first one, do so only when there is nothing more entertaining on TV. A beautiful, large, colored picture of Bryce Canyon, on the listing in the catalogue, may have influenced our expectations.
We have had some experience with The National Geographic's "Great Courses" in the past and were always favorable impressed. We particularly enjoyed Audio versions which we listened to while traveling in our car. This past fall when the catalogue came with this DVD version of 36, 30 minute lectures, along with a 368-page course synopsis, on the Wonders of the National Parks, we went for it. We have visited a significant number of the 59 National Parks and thought this would be an excellent way to "visit" the ones we have not been to and a refresher for those we had. What we didn't fully appreciate in the Course Title (in smaller print) was, "A Geology of North America". We watched and listened to the first lecture soon after Christmas and were somewhat disappointed with its technical nature. It was done by Ford Cochran, Director of Programming for National Geographic Expeditions, a "respected journalist and educator in the earth sciences." His lectures include geologic pictures and drawings as you would expect to see in a Graduate Geology Course. The Synopsis is also technical and it's pictures are all in black and white. We have only watched 4 lectures so far and after the first one, do so only when there is nothing more entertaining on TV. A beautiful, large, colored picture of Bryce Canyon, on the listing in the catalogue, may have influenced our expectations. 
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