Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage

by Barbara Renick, National Genealogical Societey, National Genealogical Society

A recent Maritz Poll reported that 60% of Americans are interested in their family history. And with good reason. Through genealogy, you can go back into history to meet people who have had more influence on your life than any others -- your ancestors. And the better you get to know your ancestors, the better you will get to know the who's and what's and why's of you. Barbara Renick, a nationally-known lecturer on genealogy, tells the uninitiated researcher the steps needed to find out who their ancestors really were, and brings together for even the more experienced genealogical researchers the important principles and practices. She covers such topics as the importance of staying organized and how to go about it; where and how to look for information in libraries, historical societies, and on the internet; recognizing that just because something is in print doesn't mean it's right; and how to prepare to visit the home where your ancestors lived. Genealogy 101 is the first book to read when you want to discover who your ancestors were, where they lived, and what they did.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

241 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2003

Reviews

[Carol McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic book on genealogy. By now, it is older, but the basics are still the same.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just skimmed through this book as it had all the info I already had but, it has the basics of researching Genealogy so, this would be a good reference book on how-to trace your family tree.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

The copyright date on this one now means that much of the information is out-dated, especially about the use of certain websites and what's available from various respositories. The information is not bad; it's just often been superseded.

There is still much of interest and worth here, though. The book is still strong on record-keeping and source citing. Most of the most relevant websites discussed can still be found and are some of the best for genealogy. But the layout and how information is found may be different.

Probably the most obvious changes are found towards the end when the author discusses DNA testing possibilities.

So, not the book that librarians should necessarily give to new family historians, but it can serve as a good reminder of sites to check, how to record findings (or null findings), and the techniques of especially using family resources/people and piecing together indirect information to discover the truth.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd read this in 2003 or 2004, before it became out of date, because it was really excellent for its time. Still, many good research tips are found throughout.

[Kami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect choice for me to learn the basics of where to start and how to stay organized when working on one's family history. It was short. (I didn't really care to read a 500 pg manual). It was very informative and covered all the basics but never seemed too dumbed down. It was well formatted with tables to make things a little quicker at a glance. But best of all the author was really engaging and funny. I loved the stories she told to illustrate her points. I ended up reading the whole thing when I had planned on only looking up a few things I had questions on.

Recently I had the chance to hear this author lecture, she is just as funny in real life. And wow, she knows what she's talking about too.

[Desi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Helpful!

[Judi Thomas]

Good except the references to technology is not current.