Your DNA Guide, the book : step-by-step plans to connect you with your family using your DNA

by Diahan Southard

You don't have to learn everything about genetic genealogy before asking (and answering!) specific DNA questions.That’s the premise of Your DNA Guide -the Book, a unique new approach to learning genetic genealogy. Instead of learning more-than-you-need-to-know in textbook style, you’ll choose a specific DNA question and start exploring it right away. Follow concrete step-by-step plans, learning important DNA concepts--in plain English—as you go. As you proceed, you will check your progress and be guided based on your specific results at each stage. This powerful, hands-on approach is based on the author’s 20 years of experience in the genetic genealogy industry, including five years of one-on-one client mentoring.Your DNA Guide -the Book is for anyone who has taken a DNA test or may want to. It helps genealogists reconstruct family trees. It helps adoptees identify biological relatives. It can help you identify a specific DNA match. In short, it helps anyone explore what their DNA—and their DNA matches—can tell them about their family.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Science

238 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Diahan Southard is a leading voice for consumer DNA testing. As Founder of Your DNA Guide, Diahan teaches internationally, writes for popular magazines, consults with leading testing companies, is author of Your DNA Guide- The Book, and producer of Your DNA Guide – the Academy, an online learning experience.

Diahan’s involvement in genetic genealogy began nearly 20 years ago as a bench scientist for the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, the world’s first genetic genealogy database. Diahan often weighs in on the compelling–and sometimes competing–ethical, familial, health, and criminal justice implications of consumer DNA testing.

While she truly enjoys enlightening minds of genealogists everywhere, Diahan considers her greatest DNA contribution to be her three children. She feels it is a true gift that she can be a stay-at-home mom and a work-from-home business woman. Of course, this would never be possible without the unwavering support of her tall and handsome husband who holds down the fort in as she travels and lectures.
-- from yourdnaguide.com

Reviews

[Kevin Spire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diahan Southard is a master when it comes to using DNA to solve genealogy questions. This is a great reference book to help a genealogist move thru the process of working with DNA data.

I cannot recommend this book as something that you would sit and read in the evenings with a glass of wine (but I suppose you could). This book is more of a reference manually that will walk the individual thru a step-by-step process to guide them towards an answer.

[Esmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you took a DNA test to solve a genealogical puzzle, this book may be helpful. There are a few books out there that explain DNA testing with some information on how to use it. But those books are surface level with only a few explanations on how to actually use your DNA for genealogy. This book is next level and breaks down each step a researcher should take. There are instructions and explanations for various scenarios. These step-by-step instructions are not linear and so you will have to skip from one section to another to know what to do. Because of that, the book is a bit hard to follow, even though the author tells you what page to turn to for the next step. The author incorporates acronyms and abbreviation for some of the terminology which is key to understand the titles on her steps. I found the acronyms confusing at first as I read through the book. I did find a few useful suggestions on how to start researching but felt a bit lost after that. I did read the book through without necessarily having a DNA project in front of me and this is not that kind of book. I think this could be a good handbook to have on hand, just keep in mind that sorting DNA matches is complex. An assumed answer may be wrong and the author explains why. Patience is needed to use this book and have it be effective.

[Kathy KS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This instruction book gives information about forming a plan for using DNA results to help with genealogical research, and vice versa. Interestingly enough, it's actually written much like the "choose your adventure" books that have been enjoyed by kids for several decades. For this reason, it's somewhat difficult to just read straight through because users are constantly being led to another page to either provide further information on a topic OR to continue following "your plan."

I will say this about the book: my excitement to try the system out on some of my difficult family lines is very high. So much so, that I will be purchasing a copy for my own collection when I return this copy to the out-of-state library it was borrowed from on interlibrary loan.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard about the author by watching a 2025 video of her presenting about DNA at RootsTeach. Her lecture was intriguing enough that I searched for more of her RootsTech lectures from the past few years and watched those as well. After I watched a series of her lectures from 2024, I decided to look up her web page and ended up buying this book and the related workbook. I’ve went through both the book and workbook and am now excited about using the tools in the book to help me understand my DNA matches and to use that information to help corroborate the information in my family tree.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is an excellent resource that gives me a workflow to help me sort through the 13,000 plus DNA relatives MyHeritage assigned to me. The glossary at the back of the book is helpful to understand terms used by both Southard and other experts in the field of genetic genealogy. She also has a YouTube channel, Your DNA Guide, that may help if you need something more visual to understand terms. l

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're puzzled by your DNA results and need a guide to ferret everything out, this is the book for you. Engagingly written with a "choose your own adventure" type feel, this book will take you step by step to figuring out the answers to your DNA/family history questions.

[Broughps · Rating 3 out of 5]

It can be very confusing to follow with all the back and forth and not all problems such as half siblings are covered well enough. I think it would have worked better if it had stuck to the left over method.

[Marcy Kludt Belles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a normal book. You can't read it cover to cover. You determine your goal and follow the instructions. You will be skipping around in the book based on that goal. Diahan gives great explanations in easy to understand words.

[Lori Fortner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good guide that offers short chapter how-to suitable for all who are interested in genetic genealogy

[Lilian Magill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very easy, practical book on how to solve your DNA mysteries. It helped me solve mine. You don’t have to read it, in one go as it offers practical help, that you have to try, straight away.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super useful book, highly recommended if you're learning to use DNA for genetic genealogy.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Works like a workbook or instruction manual more than something to read through. Super useful.

[Geneveive · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book, but more of research book, so always going back for more information.