Brian Cox's Wonders of Life Review

As a coffee table book, Brian Cox's Wonders of Life is a delight. Informative and interesting, it captures the essence of a traditional book while still remaining very interactive. It's just the kind of thing to lose one's self in and learn some interesting facts.

As part of a series, Brian Cox's Wonders of Life focuses on nature and life on our planet. Divided up according to continent and type of life, it's a pretty easy app to browse. One can just as easily learn about the water cycle as they can discover what's so fascinating about the Monarch Butterfly. A search feature, as well as the option to navigate the globe, ensures that it's never too hard to discover something new.

In each case, a mixture of different medias are used to explain all. Videos, images, text, and diagrams each complement the data included, providing a well rounded summary of various topics of discussion. Nothing goes hugely in-depth here but it's always enough to pique one's interest.

A series of gestures makes it easy for even novice iPad users to figure out how to wander around the app. It's the kind of thing that's bound to work for any age group, demonstrating the multimedia potential of iPad apps, while also educating. For those willing to submit Facebook or other contact details, extra content can be unlocked too, although Brian Cox's Wonders of Life isn't pushy about obtaining such information.

Attractively laid out and quite fascinating, it's tough to criticize Brian Cox's Wonders of Life. It does pretty much everything one could want from such an app and does so with style. It's an ideal way to learn more about the planet we live on.