Customer Reviews

The Family Tree Problem Solver: Proven Methods for Scaling the Inevitable Brick Wall

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We all have "brick walls" -- those situations in which the courthouse records have disappeared, or no census record can be found, or there are four people with the same common name in the same neighborhood at the same time, not to mention people whom we come to suspect must have landed by flying saucer. After failing to find an obvious solution, the inclination often is to throw up one's hands and shift attention to an easier branch of the family. Marsha Rising, however, a well-respected author and long-time speaker in the field of genealogical methodology and case-making, wants us to embrace the brick wall as a challenge to our skills in research and evidence analysis. Her sessions at national conferences are always very popular, and with good reason, so you might think there's good reason to pay attention to anything she thinks is worth saying on the subject -- and you would be right.

She presents here a research model that will focus your work, from reminding us of the distinction between "search" and "research," and identifying the problem blocking the way (which actually may not be what you assume it is), to reevaluating the data you already have (you may simply not have recognized the answer), to identifying the specific evidence you need to solve your problem. And she illustrates each step with cogent case studies. Then she delves into the most common types of brick wall and the best ways to deal with them: The lack of vital records in the period before mandatory civil registration, the best use of the census (especially before 1850), the need to analyze collateral family members and community networks (what's called "cluster genealogy"), finding a replacement for the infamous "burned courthouse," and separating individuals of the same name. She wraps up with a discussion of ten mistakes to avoid and a restatement of the components of careful analysis of the evidence. Rising's style throughout is professional yet accessible (though, personally, I could do without this publisher's cutesy marginal icons . . .), and I would not hesitate to recommend this excellent book as a classroom text in the advanced course at Samford.

I disagree with both the author's and the other reviewer's comments that this book is only for the more advanced genealogical researcher. The valuable strategies here should be reviewed by every beginner genealogist, to prevent us from wasting time barking up the wrong trees, and proceeding to previous generations before we've fully exhausted the resources of documents regarding later ones. An invaluable book by an experienced researcher.

A friend ordered this from Amazon and was so impressed that she gave her copy to me and ordered another one. I haven't even finished reading it, but it inspired me to broaden my search for the origins of my g-g-grandfather who has been a mystery to me for decades. The author gives pertinent examples of work she has done on origins which at first seemed impenetrable. I am making good progress now, although the direction I'm heading in has become a bit disturbing and I may just have to join the Black Sheep Genealogical Society...

This book is a cut above many popular genealogy "how to" books.

I'm really picky about genealogy books, and this one is excellent. Most books don't discuss carefully evaluating evidence and really thinking through problems associated with conflicting information, burned counties, brick walls etc. The "thinking" in this book and the examples of alternative sources one may not be familiar with are what is outstanding. In addition, Ms. Rising's examples are clear, easy to follow and informative, and there are many of them. Her research methods are applicable to ANY time period you are working in. I disagree with another reviewer who complained that this book won't help someone with "late" immigrant ancestors.

I'm an experienced genealogist and a trained researcher who has been working for 25 years on my family lines. The land chapter, in particular, and the chapter on working in the years between the Revolutionary War and 1850, gave me several directions to go in knocking down some brick walls.

Beginners as well as experienced researchers will benefit from this book. What will help doing genealogy research most of all is knowing how to evaluate what you have and how to recognize what else you need. This book does much more!

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.

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.

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!

Excellent resource for American ancestors from 1800-1900. She discussed techniques and common pitfalls that were very helpful despite my having many years of good solid experience.

I love the problem solving techniques that this book demonstrates. The author provides step by step instructions and case studies that help with some of the more difficult problems in genealogical research. I have recommended it in classes that I teach on methodology because I think it is so helpful.

This was the best book I have found by far to help me with some of the problems I have come across with tracking my family genealogy. It didn't just spit out websites, it actually shows you how to use sites, and how to read the information on those sites. You also get a chance to see actual examples of problems that arise with information that is found on some sites that can be confusing and how to decipher some clues out of the smallest bits of information.

The case studies are very in depth and the examples are explained in detail so that you understand how the end conclusions were determined. I learned the meaning of many legal terms that were used in the past that would be found in old documents. That was very helpful because they are not words that are commonly used today and are interpreted in totally different ways today.

If you are having some trouble finding information on some, or even one of your ancestors, I recommend that you purchase this book. It is a wealth of information and a great resource for those old legal documents that can be so confusing.