The Evolution of the Heart: Origins of Life

I watched the opening volume, Origins of Life, in this 6-video series on the evolution of the heart, and the title's no joke: the opener starts with the formation of the Earth. In fact, we only hear about the heart in passing (the action of the amoeba is like that of the muscles of the heart), as we pass the cooling of the molten rock, move on to the million year rains and gradually creep toward amino acids and RNA. The tape ends quite suddenly at an illogical point--chosen for the running time, surely. To wit: "Bacteria made use of plants and the increase of oxygen levels," we hear. "They thrived on this new form of nourishment. Here they are eating up the blue-green algae." The End. Which, along with the Briticisms "thousand million" instead of billion and "aluminium" instead of aluminum, might make this a little too confusing for the average American high school biology class. In its favor, the tape does include eye-popping microscopic videography, sophisticated computer graphics, a subtle and effective music score and generally good narration. Although a single volume doesn't stand on its own very well, libraries may want to consider purchasing the entire series ($495), which also includes: The First Primitive Heart, A New Ecosystem, The Development of the Multi-Chambered Heart, The First Mammals and The Development of the Human Heart. Optional. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)