Providing an accessible introduction to the basics of fractals, this DVD presents an appealing balance of the theoretical and aesthetic aspects of the Mandelbrot set. Viewers will appreciate the clarity of exposition as John Hubbard uses a combination of lecture, boardwork, Macintosh computer demonstrations, and colorful computer-generated films and pictures to bring the concepts to life.

Part I focuses on iteration and Julia sets, while Part II addresses Mandelbrot sets. Part III examines a way of using the concept of electric field lines to understand these fractal sets. The concluding remarks round out the lecture by pointing to a philosophical framework that relate these sets to phenomena occurring in the natural world. Requiring only a background in calculus, this is a useful tool in classrooms and an excellent addition to a library.