Article: Guides provide varying degree of data about nature, space; The Nature CD-ROM manages to intrigue without overwhelming. Universe- Planets goes beyond the superficial. But while Nature does too little, Universe attempts to do too much.(VARIETY)

Two new CD-ROM guides on nature and space illustrate the widely varying educational quality of this type of reference.

Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Nature 2.0 ($39.95 for PC or Macintosh) aims at grade-school kids writing nature reports, although adults can learn something from it, too. It presents information attractively and consistently, but it doesn't provide more than a few paragraphs each about deserts, sharks or viruses.

A two-disk set from the Scientific American Library called the Universe from Quarks to the Cosmos and the Planets ($39.95 for PC or Macintosh) has a split audience. The Universe disk is a deep discussion of space science suitable ...

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