5 comments about Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian.

1. This book is one of the better genealogy citation books on the market. I bought the book merely for examples, especially for help with new databases online. The examples that Ms. Mills gave are often hard to understand and few cover sources found on the internet.



2. This book was purchased as a textbook for a research class. Hopefully, this book will help me correctly cite my future genealogy research sources. A book like this would have been helpful before leaving to research. Now I am stuck with some older information that will be difficult to trace back to the original source. It is great as far as it goes. This purchase has encouraged me to buy the Chicago Manual for a closer look at the complete style.



3. This is a useful book. If you don't cite your sources, your information is not credible. Obtain the most recent edition of this book as the internet keeps creating new challenges for evidence citation.



4. Every genealogist, amateur or seasoned, should by this as a reference book. Citing is key in genealogy and so is this book.



5. As a genealogist since 1980, I know how important it is to be able to cite your documenation in a correct way. This is one of the MUST HAVE books in your genealogical reference collection.

5 comments about How to Do Everything with Your Genealogy.

1. When I first began researching my genealogy in the 1980's, I made sure that I read all the "how-to-do-it" books in print. I had quickly learned that I was becoming involved in something more than looking at a census or filling out a chart. Learning from others with more experience helped me develop my research skills and saved me from a lot of trial and error learning. As genealogy has become one of the most popular pursuits, the need for guidance has grown, too. The number of those "how-to" books has increased, but some offer more than others, especially since technology has come to play such a large role in our research. This book fills a real need.

   From beginning with home resources to making use of all the technology available, George gives his readers 472 pages of first class advice and information. The book is intensely readable, and the examples are clear and to the point. Both the beginner and the advanced researcher will benefit from chapters on using the Internet, locating advanced records, and following alternate paths to find the records you need.

   One of the best features of the book is the chapter "Plan A Very Successful Genealogical Research Trip". When spending the time, effort, and cash to get to a research locality, we want to be as successful as possible. Planning is the key. George gives step-by-step directions to get prepared and uses practical examples to illustrate just how to do this. I know I will be more successful on my next trip because of things I learned here.




2. I'm new at genealogy, but I'm having a lot of fun learning about my ancestors. This book explains absolutely everything about locating your family in history, particularly how to use the internet to find out about your ancestors. Read a chapter, then follow its summary to locate a great, great, great grandparent.



3. This is a great "how to" book for beginning genealogists and a good reference book for anyone searching for their ancestors.



4. I am so pleased with this book!. It gives the genealogist concrete information on research, organizing and presenting your work. Personal examples are very helpful. I wouls recommend this book to any family historian.



5. This book is certainly comprehensive... it covers the expected range of genealogy topics, from vital records to selecting technology tools and planning a genealogy research trip.
   
   But, for all the value that thorough and linear thinking has in the field of genealogy research, Morgan's writing style is unnecessarily tedious. For example, when talking about pedigree charts, he describes how you write your own name on line number one, then actually goes out of the way to explain to us that "the next pair of lines is numbered 2 and 3" before describing to us what these next lines are all about. And though he does devote some text to technology, this is discussed mostly in separate chapters at the end and he fails to incorporate as a central theme the role technology can play in alleviating the tedium of research.
   
   In short, this book could have been written in half as many pages without losing much on substance. It's definitely not the kind of book you can read from cover-to-cover, even chapter-by-chapter. I found the Genealogy Handbook by Ellen Galford to be a much better starting point. However, given the comprehensiveness of this book and its decent index, this book still maintains some value as a reference.

2 comments about Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case.

1. This is a must-have for the serious genealogist. For those just starting your family history, if you do not understand the importance of taking the time to document your sources, this will make a believer out of you. It helped me evaluate all the different bits of conflicting information I received through oral family tradition and my own research to help me decide just what information had the strongest case for being correct.



2. This book provides great information in a way that is easy to understand. I highly recommend this for genealogists everywhere.

5 comments about The Family Tree Problem Solver: Proven Methods for Scaling the Inevitable Brick Wall.

1. If your brick walls are the immigrant generation, do yourself a favor and get a book specializing in that country's research rather than this one. Despite the 2005 copyright, the majority of the advice would have still held true a decade ago. And the emphasis on early American record issues is a real minus for those with later arriving ancestors. Despite the introduction's suggestion, the problem-solving techniques alone weren't worth the lack of examples in my problem areas.
   
   However, if you've been working on your genealogy for decades, need a refresher, and are working on your DAR application... you might love this book.



2. This book is full of info to help you know the next step in trying to find a relative through non traditional methods. I originally got the book at the library, and I found I needed to buy the book - so I could highlight and mark it for future reference. Great resource!



3. I am sure that this book will prove very useful in my genealogy research. It is easy to follow with good examples.



4. This book is excellent to assist the serious genealogist. It requires some dedication to follow through the suggestions but if you do, you will learn a lot. Unfortunately, for all my dedication, I still have not uncovered my paternal grandfather's secrets. But I have not finished traveling all the paths the book suggests. Some I have, some are still waiting. I would recommend the book to give you a serious and straight forward path to follow rather than randomly searching.



5. As a genealogy reference or guide I found this book to be a dud.
   
   It has almost the worst Index I have ever seen. Sources that are mentioned in the text are not in the index nor clearly explained.
   
   As an example the source I know as the "Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature" was mentioned, more than once, under an odd acronym and I did not find any explanation or comment on the acronym or the different title.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Genealogy, 2nd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to).

1. Christine Rose's "The Complete Idiots's Guide to Online Genealogy" made me finally move from, "I am going to do a genealogic study of my father's family", to "I have been working on this project for two years, and am truly enjoying the experience".
   
   The book is well organized, and easy to read and understand. I have in the past 5 years developed a memory problem that will not get better. I had become so afraid failure, I did not want to attempt learning something new again. I used "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Computers" years ago, and found it a great way to quickly ground myself in the basics. When I saw Ms. Rose's book, I knew it was my best opportunity.
   
   I now have numerous books concerning genealogy, but "Idiot's" is dog earred and still the first book on the shelf. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn family history and genealogy and how to put together a family tree. Especially those who do not have the inside lingo.
   
   Shari Peavy



2. This edition of the book is more up-to-date, so it's actually useful somewhat. Mostly, though, it's a book written by experts for experts. There is little thought given to the practical application of genealogy -- making friends with newly found relatives, for example, and family reunions. There is no mention of the politics that go into genealogy. You can easily destroy your family by writing the wrong date for a marriage on your descendant chart, but the book totally omits important facts like that! It has a small chapter on DNA, which is nice, but it leaves out critical information on that topic, too. The "Idiot's" title of this book is misleading; the authors fail to think like a layman. Beware.



3. 
   This is a great book for beginners and experienced researchers. I recommend it to my students.
   Maria (Ree) Hopper, CG



4. As a newbie to genealogy, I find this to be a very helpful book. It points you in the directions that you should go and gives a lot of ideas that I would not have thought of.



5. These authors have the credentials to and have written a superb handbook, especially for the genealogy "newbies". Even the experienced family historian will here find MUCH help. Paul Drake JD

3 comments about The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker.

1. This is the same book that is included on the program disk in pdf format. I prefer sitting in a chair and leafing through the book to trying to read it on the computer. The 2008 version of Family Tree Maker is very different (much more Internet integrated)from prior versions. It is worth reading either this book or the pdf if you are going to be serious about tracing your family tree. There are lots of hints and explanations. I'm not sure I'd buy it again but I'd sure be looking for one to borrow!



2. Very good companion to the software. Photo detail. I'm still not sure if I prefer this to the previous family tree maker....some great upgrades and some I wish they had left alone. If you have never used previous FTM programs, you'll love this.....



3. I was given the Familiy Tree Maker without documentation as a gift. I found that the 2008 version was enhanced over my older version and this book really helped me to use the features in this version. It would have been nice if there were a few more examples as I am new to collecting geneology information. I would recommending buying this book if you are new to version 2008.

5 comments about Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace.

1. Ms. Mills latest book is a great tool for evidence citation in genealogy research. I have used it frequently since purchasing. I strongly recommend it.



2. This book is a must have for historical researchers and writers. Up-to-date it is a wealth of information. I would recommend this for every researchers library.



3. I have only begun to use this reference tool but have been very impressed so far. I needed a guide to thorough citing of sources in my genealogical and historical research. I am an amateur and is has been many years since I learned documentation. I was thoroughly confused about how to document electronic sources.
   
   This book gives numerous and specific examples of citations for a wide range of possible sources. Even if you don't choose to use an established style, you can easily discern what information is needed to provide for a return to the source of your information. It is very much worth the purchase price if you are desirous of effective documentation of your work.



4. "Evidence Explained" by Elizabeth Shown Mills is by far the most comprehensive resource I have seen for accurately and effectively citing historical sources. The book is well organized and the author provides excellent citation examples for just about every source imaginable. Whether you are a novice or experienced researcher, I would highly recommend this book.



5. If you are an author, this 885 page book contains everything you will ever need to know about citing your sources, including books, magazine articles, journals, federal, state and local government records, radio and tv broadcasts, web sites and blogs, newspaper articles, church records, maps, cemetery records, court records, business and institutional records, and on and on and on. If there is any source author Elizabeth Shown Mills has left out, it probably isn't worth citing.
   
   If you are an author and don't have this book, you should order it now. You will use it over and over and it will save you much grief should anyone be inclined to challenge your sources.
   
   Robert Summers
   Author of The Fall and Redemption of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd

5 comments about To Our Children's Children: Preserving Family Histories for Generations to Come.

1. As a member of the DAR, preserving my family's history is extremely important. This book asks questions most people might never think about, such as "can you remember any stories you heard about your grandparents when they were children?" It is important to document our pesonal heritage for our grandchildren, and this book makes that easy. I would highly recommend it. In fact,I have purchased several copies for other family members.



2. This book (purchased 4) is an excellent guidebook for my customers
   whom I film as I video their life histories. Customers use this as a tool
   to to revisit memories they'd like to share with their families. Some folks not sure what to talk about, yet when they read through the many questions they really reconnect with how faceted and fascinating their lives' really are!



3. Simple and easy questions to guide anyone through writing details about their life. I interviewed my parents using this book and was surprised at what I learned. Mom, when asked if she lived on a busy or quiet street as a child, said "It must have been a busy street because I remember hearing the traffic light change." That very detail bespoke of an era -- a time when traffic lights had arms that popped up to say STOP or GO and would ding in the process. I've recommended this book to many people and have given it as gifts.



4. To Our Children's Children Book A stranger told me about this book and I became interested in purchasing a copy. Recently cleaning out my father's house found old pictures, WWII, Boy scouts, VFW memorabilia. I am fortunate to be able to ask my dad a lot of the questions in the book. It is an excellent start to preserving those precious family histories for other generations to come. Now I am taping and writing down the information which will be placed in archivalbe scrap book to be tresured for years to come. Pleas take the time to pick this book up and start own family history.



5. Not only is this a thoughtfully written and organized book, but this is also a handy little book. It's small size easily fits into a backpack or overnight bag. I put the book and a really good gel pen and a pad of paper into a gallon-sized Ziplock-type baggie so that I can write anytime, anywhere. I always take it with me to the beach and often take it with me on overnight trips, too, finishing one question per trip. I randomly open the book, choose an appropriate question, close the book and start writing whatever comes to mind about the subject.
   It is surprising how the questions in the book really make one think back. One time I took my 18-year-old son to the beach with me. I showed him the book, we each chose a question and wrote for over an hour, sitting amongst the grasses in the sun and wind. I discovered he was definitely not too young to write down his history! Yes, I hand-write the entries and then transcribe them later with a word processor. A workbook or journal would be too space-restricting for me, and no way can I do a question per day!
   I'm okay with not answering all the questions in the book. It is nice to know that even if I don't get very far in the book, my three children and my siblings will know me a lot better than if I never answered one. If I had no children, I would write anyway because you just never know who would be touched by your life. This is a must-have book for anyone wanting to pass some history down because it makes it so much easier to do. This book made it easy enough for me, the single mom with two jobs, to start a personal history!

5 comments about Quicksheet Citing Online Historical Resources.

1. Any genealogist worth his or her own salt must have this useful reference tool. In this day and age of electronic genealogy it is growing more and more important to fully document your sources found online. They can be here today and gone tomorrow. This easy to follow guide takes the guess work out of documentation. It lays a firm foundation with its basic principles and has models for common record types such as census images, census indexes & databases, digital articles & books, historical records, land-entry records, newspaper & newspaper items, passenger lists, social security death index and vital records. It gives examples of three different entry types--source list entry, full reference note, and short reference note. It is four pages long and comes laminated for long lasting use. This is something you definitely should keep at your fingertips!



2. First Revised Edition with updated sample citations and style changes.
   
   Elizabeth Mills's QuickSheet provides a template for citing historical sources on the Internet. It also lays down rules to help you judge the reliability of these sources.
   
   Published in the form of a laminated folder, the QuickSheet contains a series of sample citations showing the correct way to identify online sources such as databases, census images, and digital books and articles.
   
   Based on the premise that online sources are publications that have the same characteristics as printed publications, it provides rules and models for common record types such as passenger lists, vital records, and newspapers. Since a website is the online equivalent of a book, the QuickSheet shows you how to cite author/creator/owner of a website, title of the website, place (URL), date posted, and so forth.
   
   Convenient for desktop use at home or in the library, the QuickSheet answers all those niggling questions left unanswered by the standard citation guides; it is also a perfect companion to the classic citation manual Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian and Mills's 885-page definitive guide to the citation and analysis of historical sources, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace.



3. Item was as advertised and seller's delivery was prompt. What else can you ask for?



4. Lots of valuable information in a concise fashion. Easily transported and readily available for review. Wonderful source citing tool. Handy to carry in a notebook or file folder when doing research for review of material accessed.



5. This is a great little item. Easy to carry. Lots of quick, useful info. I'd recommend it.

5 comments about The Story of a Lifetime: A Keepsake of Personal Memoirs.

1. This book has questions that really get to the center of who you are. It really makes you think about life and choices. You can learn a great deal about who you are while completing it to be left to you family. I purchased one for all of our family members to be left to my two daughters. I was worried people would think I thought they were old and going to die soon (haha) but everyone was excited about the book.



2. My siblings and I bought this book for our mother who just turned 65 and is home alone often. She needs nothing material and so it is very hard to buy gifts for her.
   
   Because she is on her own, she enjoys quiet and sedentary activities such as reading, puzzles,etc. We thought this would be a good gift to keep her mentally alert and engaged in something meaningful. She has expressed delight in the book. We just now have to see her start to fill it out! The book contains so many different topic areas that we feel she will be kept busy if nothing else.



3. We gave this to my mother in law as a gift. It is a beautiful book, and seems to have an extensive amount of ideas to help prompt her in telling her story.



4. I bought this book years ago for my parents. My Mom is now 90 and in a dementia home, but my Dad is 88 and still going strong. He finally got time to start on the book. He took out all the pages, and 3 ring-punched them so he could put each page in his typewriter to respond to the questions and then I added old photos from his Dad's scrapbook and also ones from their old photo albums. Some of the questions are repetitious and those pages, we did not use. When he only had a short answer to type, I attached a photo that went with the answer. It's taken us months to complete but he loved working on it and everyone wants a copy. At the end, I added our own section where everyone in the family submitted their own question to him and included a photo of themselves for their personalized page in the book. I highly recommend getting all parents to make such a wonderful keepsake!



5. A great book. Thorough prompts for any writer or non-writer. A jumping off point to something truly wonderful or a stand-alone journal for keepsakes. Loved the book. Gave it to my mother on my wedding day. Thank You!