What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Do Everything: Genealogy,
Discover your genealogy using the latest methods Thoroughly revised to cover new tools, techniques, and data, How to Do Everything: Genealogy, Fourth Edition uniquely addresses all the major genealogical record types and explains traditional and digital research strategies. Genealogy expert George G. Morgan shows you how to research your family history using the most current websites, mobile apps, social networking sites, record archives, census data, digital records, DNA research, and more. Discover your family's past with help from the new edition of this bestselling guide.
Start an effective, well-organized genealogical research project
Work with traditional, electronic, and genetic research
Analyze and organize your family information
Locate and access genealogy records in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, and Australia
Place your ancestors in geographical and historical context
Learn successful Internet search techniques
Locate vital, civil registration, census, and church records
Track down military, property, and immigration and naturalization records
Access libraries, archives, and other repositories online
Research and verify your ancestors using genetic genealogy (DNA)
Get past brick walls and dead ends
Incorporate social networking into your research
Start an effective, well-organized genealogical research project
Work with traditional, electronic, and genetic research
Analyze and organize your family information
Locate and access genealogy records in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, and Australia
Place your ancestors in geographical and historical context
Learn successful Internet search techniques
Locate vital, civil registration, census, and church records
Track down military, property, and immigration and naturalization records
Access libraries, archives, and other repositories online
Research and verify your ancestors using genetic genealogy (DNA)
Get past brick walls and dead ends
Incorporate social networking into your research
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
76 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 17, 2018
My mother-in-law gave me this book one year for Christmas, and I thought it was wonderful. It is a wonderful reference book for a genealogist, whether you're just starting out or whether you've been researching for years.
The book points you in the right direction on where to find certain types of records, not just US records, but UK and a number of other countries, as well.
An excellent resource for any genealogist!
The book points you in the right direction on where to find certain types of records, not just US records, but UK and a number of other countries, as well.
An excellent resource for any genealogist!
March 12, 2018
This was the textbook for a genealogy class I'm taking, so I didn't read this entire book cover-to-cover. Most of the book was assigned reading, but not all of it. What I did read was very interesting and useful information, however. It teaches how to do basic and more advanced genealogy work.
The biggest takeaway, though, is that you need a subscription to about half a dozen online databases such as ancestry.com...
The biggest takeaway, though, is that you need a subscription to about half a dozen online databases such as ancestry.com...
September 5, 2014
Perhaps George Morgan didn't tell us how to do EVERYTHING in genealogy, but he sure tells us plenty. This book is a great primer for anyone interested in genealogy. It is like a great textbook on the subject. I would even say it is a modern-day complement to Val Greenwood's The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. This book is just as good.
March 26, 2016
This is a crash course in genealogy covering both hard documents and internet search engines. Various information sources [civil, religious, and government] are discussed along with ideas on how to use them.
Currently reading
January 14, 2022Restarted reading this on 2022-01-13.
I had started reading it in 2019 but never finished. I want to do a "genealogy reboot" so I'm going to start reading this again from the beginning in hopes I can be more organized this time.
I had started reading it in 2019 but never finished. I want to do a "genealogy reboot" so I'm going to start reading this again from the beginning in hopes I can be more organized this time.
April 10, 2019
This was probably a really helpful book when it was first published but now it should probably be renamed "Basic genealogy for people who are afraid of the internet and also have no common sense".
Most of the traditional methods detailed in it can now be conducted online in 1/10th of the time. The chapters it devotes to the mystical Internet beast spend most of their word counts explaining what search engines, email, and message boards are, with bonus "you want to click on this menu and then this and then this to get X" which ... just ... isn't helpful in 2019. There were lots of screenshots that might've been useful in ... 2009? I cannot believe this is that new because I've been doing genealogy longer than that and 90% of this book was already irrelevant then. Wow. Anyway, there is some value to this book in the hilariously outdated snapshots of web design available in the otherwise totally useless pictures.
My "favourite" part was in the chapter on planning a successful research trip (which could still be useful in this century) where Morgan includes helpful hotel booking tips like you should decide whether you want to share a bathroom or spring for a room with an en suite. Also don't forget your insect repellent if you're hunting through graveyards. These are obviously not bad tips but they're really so far outside the scope of a book on genealogy that I don't know how they made it to a second edition.
As per usual everything revolves around America, although there are links and the occasional page devoted to other English-speaking countries that were marginally helpful, assuming the websites still exist in 2019. But mostly he's talking about records that just don't exist over here in the UK (I borrowed this from my local library, who are important and I need them but they actually have the worst, most useless, collection of books in the universe).
Anyway, this was a waste time until the end when I was just straight up laughing at being taught how to book a hotel. Would not recommend.
Most of the traditional methods detailed in it can now be conducted online in 1/10th of the time. The chapters it devotes to the mystical Internet beast spend most of their word counts explaining what search engines, email, and message boards are, with bonus "you want to click on this menu and then this and then this to get X" which ... just ... isn't helpful in 2019. There were lots of screenshots that might've been useful in ... 2009? I cannot believe this is that new because I've been doing genealogy longer than that and 90% of this book was already irrelevant then. Wow. Anyway, there is some value to this book in the hilariously outdated snapshots of web design available in the otherwise totally useless pictures.
My "favourite" part was in the chapter on planning a successful research trip (which could still be useful in this century) where Morgan includes helpful hotel booking tips like you should decide whether you want to share a bathroom or spring for a room with an en suite. Also don't forget your insect repellent if you're hunting through graveyards. These are obviously not bad tips but they're really so far outside the scope of a book on genealogy that I don't know how they made it to a second edition.
As per usual everything revolves around America, although there are links and the occasional page devoted to other English-speaking countries that were marginally helpful, assuming the websites still exist in 2019. But mostly he's talking about records that just don't exist over here in the UK (I borrowed this from my local library, who are important and I need them but they actually have the worst, most useless, collection of books in the universe).
Anyway, this was a waste time until the end when I was just straight up laughing at being taught how to book a hotel. Would not recommend.
July 27, 2020
This is an excellent book for conducting genealogy research. Although many have said it is for beginners, it can be a great reference for beginning genealogists, a refresher for intermediate and a point of reference for advanced researches. In fact, like me, the reader may be all three - an advanced researcher for recent American records, an intermediate researcher for pre-1850 records in the U.S. and a beginner when it comes to Canadian, English and/or Australian records.
George gives ample background information for English-speaking countries to conduct an exhaustive research pursuant to BCG guidelines, along with url's for online research. He covers interlibrary loans, how to prepare for a research trip (when and if we ever get to do those again), and equipment such as computers, printers, scanners, etc. He gives a cursory nod to DNA research which is just as well, considering how quickly the state of DNA is changing and in-depth books are published by Blaine Bettinger and Diane Southard.
This is a book that is well suited for any genealogist's library and i highly recommend it.
George gives ample background information for English-speaking countries to conduct an exhaustive research pursuant to BCG guidelines, along with url's for online research. He covers interlibrary loans, how to prepare for a research trip (when and if we ever get to do those again), and equipment such as computers, printers, scanners, etc. He gives a cursory nod to DNA research which is just as well, considering how quickly the state of DNA is changing and in-depth books are published by Blaine Bettinger and Diane Southard.
This is a book that is well suited for any genealogist's library and i highly recommend it.
May 30, 2017
I've seen this recommended on the genealogy lists as one of the best newer beginning genealogy books. I do believe that there is a lot of good information here.
However, the type is fairly small and covers full pages, so it seems kind of intimidating to recommend to actual beginning researchers. Larger type would also be better for readers that are beginning their research as they approach retirement.
I also felt that there is quite a bit of redundancy; some things are mentioned a number of times.
It was interesting that the author decided to write about most English speaking nations, rather than being just US-centric.
Again, there is much to learn in this book; but I feel there are some other works that may be more appropriate for true beginners. I'd use this as a follow-up as they begin to understand what they are really getting into...
However, the type is fairly small and covers full pages, so it seems kind of intimidating to recommend to actual beginning researchers. Larger type would also be better for readers that are beginning their research as they approach retirement.
I also felt that there is quite a bit of redundancy; some things are mentioned a number of times.
It was interesting that the author decided to write about most English speaking nations, rather than being just US-centric.
Again, there is much to learn in this book; but I feel there are some other works that may be more appropriate for true beginners. I'd use this as a follow-up as they begin to understand what they are really getting into...
November 16, 2019
I've been reading this book piece-meal for about a year. It is a good overall textbook type of book for a beginner or someone who has been researching for awhile but would like to see what a truly exhaustive search for ancestors in all records would involve. This book is note-worthy in that it includes records in Canada, the UK and Australia. I learned a few things from reading this book. It is nice to have on hand for a refresher, although there are probably website URLs that will change as the years go by. I have the 4th edition.
January 19, 2020
This was a very “for dummies” book without the title that makes me feel stupid. It was very easy to follow, offered great websites and ideas for following through with your genealogical search, and was thorough and included many different ideas for the novice beginner to the advanced genealogist.
May 15, 2017
Detailed instructions for researching your family tree with photos, charts, etc. Unfortunately, for me, most of it comes from U.K. sites and not from U.S. sources.
May 19, 2017
Nice survey of what you need to do genealogoy
August 6, 2018
I learned very little.
August 5, 2020
A helpful resource with a well-organized format easy to use. Lots of great info to aid genealogy research.
January 2, 2021
Genie research etc
Read
January 23, 2021A WONDERFUL RESEARCH BOOK...
January 16, 2022
Great for learning about genealogy. I'll probably never really be "finished" with it.
January 25, 2012
I've been "doing" genealogy for (eek!) almost 16 years, though only actively searching (on and off) for the past decade. Most "how to" genealogy guides focus exclusively on American records. Morgan promises (it's in his introduction!) that he'll be covering "the major record types available in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as research strategies ..." (p. xix).
I have the first edition, published in 2004 (since my library's genealogy book collection is, IMO, relatively poor), so I'm not going to comment on the technology section(s) (who uses PDAs anymore?). But I am looking forward to the case study (I heart case studies! ;) as well as ideas on organization (always needed!) "Along those lines..." was the first genealogy column I read (and enjoyed!) and his 1998 (I think) article on organization was one of the first I accessed (I still have the print out!)
*****
How to Do Everything With Your Genealogy is a good beginner's guide (though I take issue with the "how to do everything" part, though I know it's part of the series title), or as a refesher for the more experienced researcher. It includes overviews and lots of examples of various source types, from the basic (i.e. census) to the more advanced (i.e. probate packets and wills). Morgan also covers organization (family group sheets, pedigree charts), but not much beyond that (for paper records). He appears to rely heavily on (and devotes an entire chapter) to commercial genealogy database programmes. Though somewhat dated, the chapter for online searching is still useful (includes a lot of basic, but necessary information, especially for the beginner). Personally, I got the most out of the brick wall ("Follow alternate research paths to locate difficult records) and research trips ("Plan a very successful genealogical research trip") chapters.
Overall, How to Do Everything With Your Genealogy is a good guide to flip through (though probably not the best to read all in one sitting - there's just too much information to absorb) and borrow from the library.
I have the first edition, published in 2004 (since my library's genealogy book collection is, IMO, relatively poor), so I'm not going to comment on the technology section(s) (who uses PDAs anymore?). But I am looking forward to the case study (I heart case studies! ;) as well as ideas on organization (always needed!) "Along those lines..." was the first genealogy column I read (and enjoyed!) and his 1998 (I think) article on organization was one of the first I accessed (I still have the print out!)
*****
How to Do Everything With Your Genealogy is a good beginner's guide (though I take issue with the "how to do everything" part, though I know it's part of the series title), or as a refesher for the more experienced researcher. It includes overviews and lots of examples of various source types, from the basic (i.e. census) to the more advanced (i.e. probate packets and wills). Morgan also covers organization (family group sheets, pedigree charts), but not much beyond that (for paper records). He appears to rely heavily on (and devotes an entire chapter) to commercial genealogy database programmes. Though somewhat dated, the chapter for online searching is still useful (includes a lot of basic, but necessary information, especially for the beginner). Personally, I got the most out of the brick wall ("Follow alternate research paths to locate difficult records) and research trips ("Plan a very successful genealogical research trip") chapters.
Overall, How to Do Everything With Your Genealogy is a good guide to flip through (though probably not the best to read all in one sitting - there's just too much information to absorb) and borrow from the library.
April 5, 2009
I've recently become interested in doing some research into my family history. Until a month ago, I didn't know the names of m great grandparents, much less any earlier ancestors. I decided I wanted to do some research and used this book as a means to that end.
Despite the grandiose title, it is a reasonable introduction into researching one's family tree It covers a fairly wide breadth though not too much in depth. Useful for beginners like me but probably not for anyone with any experience.
Despite the grandiose title, it is a reasonable introduction into researching one's family tree It covers a fairly wide breadth though not too much in depth. Useful for beginners like me but probably not for anyone with any experience.
Read
November 3, 2014a different kind of genealogy book in the sense that he includes so many different kinds of documents and shows pictures of them. Very thorough and a good addition to any library. Not just another Dummies book.
May 7, 2016
A complete guide for researching Genealogy using traditional and online strategies. I was especially impressed with the details on death documents and census records however, every aspect of researching is explained in detail. Loved it!
February 24, 2011
It has a detailed, step by step approach to genealogy packed full of different resources, both internet and paper. It is also easy to read without a lot of technical jargon.
June 27, 2012
this is a great first resource to help understand the genealogy language. it is well organized and provides many tips and resources.
May 7, 2012
Im probably only a quarter way throgh it, but Im enjoying it.
August 7, 2012
For a number of years, I have been researching my family history. This book had some useful reference points in that area.
September 26, 2012
Makes for a nice introductory volume.
November 15, 2016
I haven't finished the entire book but so far it's been helpful. I'm a beginner.
September 5, 2012
Great book for the beginner. Lots of useful information to help you with your research.
December 12, 2012
Great information for the beginning genealogist.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews