How to Do Everything with Your Genealogy (Paperback)

~ George Morgan (Author) "We are living in fast-paced times, and sometimes it feels as if we are transients without a sense of place..." (more)
Key Phrases: ancestor profile, penelope swords, genealogical research trip, New York, World War, North Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book pretty much covers it all … is an excellent, well-written resource... A great addition to any genealogy bookshelf! -- About.com/Genealogy

Product Description

Anyone interested in discovering their family genealogy should carry a copy of this book everywhere. Written by internationally recognized expert, George G. Morgan, this book is an irreplaceable resource for beginner to expert knowledge gatherers. Not only does Morgan explain how to get the search started – creating a family tree, locating and evaluating documents, selecting the appropriate hardware and software for the search – he goes steps further and dedicates an entire section to research methods and strategies where he discusses, among other topics, getting past “dead ends,” and organizing possible research travel. With an entire chapter dedicated to expanding research horizons, and appendices covering up-to-date print and online resources, this is truly a comprehensive treatment of the tools necessary to conduct a successful genealogical search.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (March 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007223170X
• ISBN-13: 978-0072231700
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #575,176 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A First Class Reference For All Genealogists, April 21, 2004

By	Linda Kleback (Lynn Haven, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive but tedious reference, May 13, 2007

By	Robert Reid (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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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.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Do Everything with Your Genealogy, January 17, 2007

By	Linda Almes "reader" (Bristol,TX, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.