I saw this book at the local city library, (I'm lucky to have a city and County library nearby) the jacket caught my eye and a quick flip through the pages made me check it out. There were beautiful photographs and illustrations and it looked to be be very well written.
The book is broken down into four sections: Genealogy Basics, Basic Research Techniques, Beyond the Basics, Unique Uses of Genealogy Findings. Before you get to the subjects there is a brief introduction and even a usage guide. In the introduction Laura Best acknowledges "genealogy is not merely the gathering of names, dates, and places; nor is it meant to exclusively look for the Kings and Queens in one's lineage.… Serious genealogists are more concerned with finding the story of a family's past." The photos in this section show creative ways to display and illustrate the data we find.
In Genealogy Basics she answers the questions: Where do I start? What information do I already have? What are primary and secondary sources? and she does so simply and concisely while offering tools to keep you on track and organized. The photos and illustrations in this section fit perfectly with the topics discussed.
Section 2: Basic Research Techniques not only introduces the genealogy research cycle but actually discusses techniques to use with each step. She discusses how to find information, various charts and you may want to use, families, evaluating data, citing resources, even filing data, and the benefits of a computer and the Internet in your research. She discusses the family history Library, family history Center, Library of Congress and the benefits of these resources.
Beyond the Basics continues teaching techniques and use of the chain of evidence, compiled sources, family Bibles, census records. She teaches us the role of maps in our research. Why we should use a timeline. What we can get from a photograph. she discusses techniques to use with churches and cemeteries. Land records tax records and military records are also discussed with techniques on how to use them. Laura goes on to tackle wills and probate records, early newspapers and even immigration records and passenger lists. Even naturalization and citizenship records get a thorough and concise treatment.
Her final section Unique Uses of Genealogy Findings shows us what we can do with the data we found. From genograms to photography scrap booking even the restoration of old homes. A glossary is provided along with a short list of Internet resources and an index.
For somebody new to genealogy I found this book very easy to read, and its instructions very easy to follow. I think Laura Best expertly balanced the how-to and with what of genealogy. If you know someone who is interested in genealogy but doesn't want an in depth manual this is an excellent quick start guide. Nothing is left out. I definitely recommend this book to beginners.
The book is broken down into four sections: Genealogy Basics, Basic Research Techniques, Beyond the Basics, Unique Uses of Genealogy Findings. Before you get to the subjects there is a brief introduction and even a usage guide. In the introduction Laura Best acknowledges "genealogy is not merely the gathering of names, dates, and places; nor is it meant to exclusively look for the Kings and Queens in one's lineage.… Serious genealogists are more concerned with finding the story of a family's past." The photos in this section show creative ways to display and illustrate the data we find.
In Genealogy Basics she answers the questions: Where do I start? What information do I already have? What are primary and secondary sources? and she does so simply and concisely while offering tools to keep you on track and organized. The photos and illustrations in this section fit perfectly with the topics discussed.
Section 2: Basic Research Techniques not only introduces the genealogy research cycle but actually discusses techniques to use with each step. She discusses how to find information, various charts and you may want to use, families, evaluating data, citing resources, even filing data, and the benefits of a computer and the Internet in your research. She discusses the family history Library, family history Center, Library of Congress and the benefits of these resources.
Beyond the Basics continues teaching techniques and use of the chain of evidence, compiled sources, family Bibles, census records. She teaches us the role of maps in our research. Why we should use a timeline. What we can get from a photograph. she discusses techniques to use with churches and cemeteries. Land records tax records and military records are also discussed with techniques on how to use them. Laura goes on to tackle wills and probate records, early newspapers and even immigration records and passenger lists. Even naturalization and citizenship records get a thorough and concise treatment.
Her final section Unique Uses of Genealogy Findings shows us what we can do with the data we found. From genograms to photography scrap booking even the restoration of old homes. A glossary is provided along with a short list of Internet resources and an index.
For somebody new to genealogy I found this book very easy to read, and its instructions very easy to follow. I think Laura Best expertly balanced the how-to and with what of genealogy. If you know someone who is interested in genealogy but doesn't want an in depth manual this is an excellent quick start guide. Nothing is left out. I definitely recommend this book to beginners.
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