Genealogy Online for Dummies (Paperback)

by Matthew Helm (Author), April Leigh Helm (Author), Matthew L. Helm (Author) "Wouldn't you know it-one of the most successful keys to researching your family history online doesn't even include turning on the computer..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Family Tree Maker, World Wide Web (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"this is a book you must not miss" -- Pensacola News Journal, May 28, 2000 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
If you have an interest in genealogy, a wealth of information is at your fingertips. You can correspond with family members who live in far-off lands. You can research the history of a particular area and find images of historical documents without setting foot outside your home. You can discover resources that you never suspected to be helpful in your pursuit of your family history. And you can do all of it by using your computer and the Internet.

Genealogy For Dummies, 3rd Edition, is for you if you're looking to fill in your family tree, zero in on the best online sites, access government records, or share data with other researchers. This easy-to-use guide is also for you if

You’ve done at least a little genealogy groundwork, and now you’re ready to use the Internet to pursue (and better prepare yourself for) your genealogy research both online and offline.

You have at least a little computer experience, are now interested in pursuing your family tree, and want to know where and how to start.

You have a little experience in genealogy and some experience with computers, but you want to learn how to put them together.

Genealogy research can become frustrating when you can’t find any information or pursue a lead that turns out to be false. Improve your chances at success by looking into records from governments or religious groups, and knowing how to use genealogical software. Genealogy For Dummies, 3rd Edition, also covers the following topics and more:

Interviewing family members

Sifting through records: birth, marriage, divorce, death, civil, military

Using search engines and online databases

Knowing how to use libraries and historical societies

Finding ethnic records: African, Asian, Hispanic, Native American

Getting the lowdown on census records

Organizing and presenting your findings

Getting help from other researchers

Being a genealogist has no formal requirements. You simply need an interest in your ancestry and a willingness to devote the rest of your life to pursuing information and documents. This latest edition of Genealogy Online For Dummies can make your job easier.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 3rd edition (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764508075
• ISBN-13: 978-0764508073
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #739,322 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent intro to Web genealogical resources, June 20, 2000

By	Frank Cunat (Chevy Chase, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Genealogy Online for Dummies (Paperback)

The best review I can give of this book is that it directed me to about 6 Web sites I hadn't heard of which should give me a lot of useful information in researching my family tree. Unlike a lot of Dummies books, this one isn't padded with filler; every page conveys useful information, discussing numerous internet resources and making suggestions for organizing research. The book also contains lengthy sections on African-American, Native American, and Hispanic genealogical Web sites, and apparently has more information on these sites than many other books.

The reasons I didn't rate the book five stars are two-fold: there are dead links in addition to the live ones, and the book was published before the LDS database (maintained by the Mormon Church) was made available online. That suggests that this book is ripe for a 3rd Edition.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genealogy Online for Dummies, 4th edition,, May 14, 2004

By	Arctic Reporter (Nome, AK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Genealogy Online for Dummies (Paperback)

Genealogy Online for Dummies is a handy how-to, where-to, what-to, who-to, and why-to book. Matthew L. Helm, one of the authors, is executive vice president and chief technology officer of FamilyToolbox.net, Inc. With a bachelor's degree in history and a master's in library and information science, he created and he maintains the Helm's various genealogy websites. April Leigh Helm, the other author, is the company president. She has degrees in journalism and higher education administration. They are no dummies, and anyone who reads this book will be no dummy about genealogy online.

The book has 16 chapters organized in five major sections, also three appendices, an index, a genealogy Internet directory, and a tear-out "cheat sheet." The text covers in part one doing the groundwork, in part two focusing the online research effort, in part three expanding research online, and in part four using the computer and web to organize and share information. In summary, part five lists ten handy databases, ten things to remember when designing your genealogical website, ten sites that offer help, and ten tips for "smooth sailing."

Throughout the text are addresses of useful websites, research tips, definitions of genealogical terms, step-by-step instructions, and warnings. Examples of warnings are "don't violate any copyright laws by sending large portions of written works through email" (p. 215), and don't post on your website "any information that could land you in the doghouse with any of your relatives - close or distant" (p. 246). The text features sidebar discussions of issues like copyright (p. 250) and privacy (p. 248), and even a "mandatory lecture on privacy" (234). But the tone and message are generally positive: You can do genealogy online. The text explains not only the software, the search engines, the online resources (websites), but also the hardware appropriate for different tasks, and the basics of HyperText Markup Language (html) needed to create a website.

One appendix provides the basics of going online, for anyone not already connected to the Internet. A second appendix defines genealogical terms. The third appendix provides a long list of software available on the CD inserted in the back of the book, mostly demo software for Windows; but the CD itself contains only the demonstration software for Reunion 8, and a very useful list of genealogy-related urls. The index is detailed. At the center of the book is a 30-page genealogy Internet directory, organized into clear categories and fully annotated. The cheat sheet provides instructions for using the Helm's Genealogy Toolbox at www.genealogytoolbox.com/, as well as the addresses for 14 websites.

The final chapter's "ten tips for genealogical smooth sailing" take the reader back to the big picture: (1) start with what you know, (2) get organized, (3) always get proof, (4) always cite your sources, (5) focus, focus, focus; (6) share your information, (7) join a society or research group, (8) attend a conference or workshop, (9) attend a family reunion, and (10) don't give up. Before the reader gets here, the text has provided clear, detailed guidelines for thoroughly researching, organizing, and presenting genealogical information.

The organization and layout of this 332-page book are great. I found it easy to locate specific information, and I found the information clear enough for the beginner and yet substantive enough for the advanced genealogist. The graphics clearly illustrate the text, and the text is easy to read. The occasional 5th Wave cartoons are appropriate and humorous. I am adding this manual to my desktop reference collection of books that I want within arms reach.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars review of Genealogy Online for Dummies, May 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Genealogy Online for Dummies (Paperback)

Pros: Covers lots of topics and is a very valuable source for beginners with great, well written, summaries of many skills and sources needed for doing family history
Cons:

No real cons. I was a bit surprised, however, not to read more about the incredible land patent database of the former General Land Office offered through the Bureau of Land Management's Eastern State Office. There is no mention that people can actually download from the office's site copies of early land patents of ancestors after discovering how and where they received federal land. Yet, this only points out that one book, though great, cannot cover everything.

I was interested to review this book since I do a lot of genealogical research and wanted to see what more I could learn. I wasn't disappointed. There's plenty to be discovered through the great information supplied by this fine book. Though one of the "For Dummies" series for beginners, there is much here for people who aren't dummies but are advanced in their genealogical studies. The authors have their own website, "Helm's Genealogy Toolbox" at www.geneaologytoobox.com, and that is featured as well as other web sites and links.
The book also contains a CD with three items: 1) a trial version of "Family Tree Maker," a popular genealogy database, 2) an evaluation copy of "Homesite 5.5," a popular HTML editor, and 3) a gazetteer designed for genealogists,"World Place Finder." This CD runs on Mac OS system software 7.55 or later, which is useful if you haven't yet stepped up to OS X.
This book is indeed a fine source for all genealogists, covering not only what can be found on the web (an incredible amount), but also great tips for basic "how to do" skills. There is even information in one of three appendixes for the real beginner without many computer skills, such as getting set up with a service provider. The other appendixes include terms and more information on using the CD.
As to its organization, the book begins with the needed first steps about recording easily available information needed to "ground" what you later discover. Progressively you also learn about preserving notes and photos, organizing your records, and many other valuable tips to get started. Later chapters (a total of 16 in the book) continue with planning genealogical research trips and strategies, plus lots of great information about the almost countless sources that have developed on the Web to aid family history buffs. This includes some information even on foreign sources and archives.
The book also covers the increasing availability of various source records, such as census and vital statistics posted on the Web, plus the value of using comprehensive genealogical indexes, surname forums, and the incredible national GenWeb project which coordinates state and county records. And that's only a sample of what this useful book covers! The helpful index allows you to easy find the variety of specific topics in this great "how-to" book,.
Overall, its easy-to-follow style, like other "for Dummies" books, makes this a real winner for both the beginner and advanced genealogist. It is well worth the price.