Customer Reviews

30 Seconds: A Guide to Organizing Your Genealogy Files

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased this book to help me learn more about different systems that could be used to organize the inevitable pile of papers that accrue for most genealogists. After reading the book (and rereading it in case I really just missed the point), I still can't understand how Mr. Langman suggests these miscellaneous papers be organized.

He recommends a color tabbed system that includes your four main surmanes and couples that is simple, but never explaines how the system can accomodate more than 5 generations. He simply repeats himself and makes confusing statements about the types of records that should be stored in the files.

This book does not give value to anyone who has even rudimentary organizational skills. Consider other genealogy books for a more thorough explanation of organizational systems for genealogists.

While I am certainly a novice genealogist compared to the author, I am able to organize file folders and make tabs line up in files or three ring binders. The book, as short as it is, explains in excruciating detail how to set up "couples" based genealogy files. The first half decribes it for file folders, the second half basically repeats the first half only for three ring binders. If you need explicit details on how to label tabs and make them line up and use color coding this book may hold value for you. However, be prepared for poor editing which abounds. If you have basic organizational and labeling skills then get "Organizing Your Family History Search" by Sharon Carmack. The only reason this got two stars is because there may actually be people out there that are so bad at organizing files that this book may add value for them. I sent mine back. This is the first book I've ever sent back to Amazon.com and I've bought dozens.

This is without a doubt, the worst book I've ever even seen! Poor, weak content and apparently never proofread.
Fortunately, Amazon has a good return policy of which I took full advantage.

Helpful hints are given, but not that many. The price is too much for what is in the book. The material could have been presented in a much shorter, and less expensive, book.

I truly appreaciate the fact that someone understands and has actually shared information on how to organize family research information. It's an easy reading book with fairly easy instructions on how to go about doing this. I wanted to rate it a 4 star because I felt it needed to be up-dated with more recent tech. information for this new age. However, many folks out there doing this kind of research can identify very well with the information the author has offered. Thank you!

This book is very detailed. The author organizes so that any record can be accessed in 30 seconds. I think it sounds great but I am somewhat overwhelmed by it. I did get specific ways to organize all the data and I am implementing those. All in all I would say it is a very useful book.

This is the best book I have found devoted to organizing genealogy records. It is a basic book that is concise and simple to follow. It should be read by those just starting to do family research and by others whose files are out of hand.
Amongstt the topics covered are pedigree charts, family group sheets, filing by blood line, surname indexes, research checklists and creating a reserach log.

This paperback is short but succinct. It was what I was looking for, a clear explanation of how to organize a mountain of papers. It ended a long search into various means of organizing genealogical data -- most of these seemed overly elaborate and confusing. esp. for the beginner. I highly recommend this book.

A little too much of step one and then step two and then step three.