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Practical Genealogy: 50 Simple Steps to Research Your Diverse Family History
Uncover facts and mysteries of your ancestors—a clear approach to genealogy
The pursuit of family history tends to be shaped by several motives, including finding a larger familial historical picture, preserving the past for future generations, and storytelling. Practical Genealogy provides a method for investigating your family history by establishing an understanding of genealogy and the factors, tasks, and obstacles involved in the research. The end find the information necessary to piece together your heritage.
Follow 50 steps that will fill in the puzzle of your lineage. Learn how to perform your own investigation through the lens of real-world obstacles like tracing ancestry through adoptions and orphanages. Practical Genealogy simplifies and breaks down the complex research process into actionable tips that can be conducted over a period of time. And most importantly, no blood test is necessary.
Inside Practical Genealogy you’ll
Break through barriers—Learn how to negotiate common "brick wall" issues like missing chunks of family history or multiple names found for the same person.Case studies—Examples of actual genealogy research are provided to support the comprehension of each step of your exploration.See the BIG picture—Large fonts and easy-to-read images make learning easy for older adults.When you take genealogy research into your own hands, your potential for discovery is limitless.
The pursuit of family history tends to be shaped by several motives, including finding a larger familial historical picture, preserving the past for future generations, and storytelling. Practical Genealogy provides a method for investigating your family history by establishing an understanding of genealogy and the factors, tasks, and obstacles involved in the research. The end find the information necessary to piece together your heritage.
Follow 50 steps that will fill in the puzzle of your lineage. Learn how to perform your own investigation through the lens of real-world obstacles like tracing ancestry through adoptions and orphanages. Practical Genealogy simplifies and breaks down the complex research process into actionable tips that can be conducted over a period of time. And most importantly, no blood test is necessary.
Inside Practical Genealogy you’ll
Break through barriers—Learn how to negotiate common "brick wall" issues like missing chunks of family history or multiple names found for the same person.Case studies—Examples of actual genealogy research are provided to support the comprehension of each step of your exploration.See the BIG picture—Large fonts and easy-to-read images make learning easy for older adults.When you take genealogy research into your own hands, your potential for discovery is limitless.
- GenresNonfictionReference
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2020
139 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 12, 2020
This is a surprisingly helpful book on researching your family tree. I'm so used to everything being about paid subscriptions to ancestry.com and this goes so far beyond that. Really helpful. I also like that he gives all kinds of resources to do research and tells which are paid and which are free. Some resources are specifically for researching African American genealogy, which is especially helpful for those who have a harder time with research since enslaved people were not recorded the way others were for many terrible reasons and can be harder to research.
A great resource.
Note that Goodreads has this and the workbook lumped together as one book, and the reviews seem to be for either one. Practical genealogy is the book itself. There is also a very helpful workbook that I adore (it even has information about recording LGBTQ and adopted families with sensitive, great advice there, plus great spaces for your research and family tree).
I read an ARC of this book for review.
A great resource.
Note that Goodreads has this and the workbook lumped together as one book, and the reviews seem to be for either one. Practical genealogy is the book itself. There is also a very helpful workbook that I adore (it even has information about recording LGBTQ and adopted families with sensitive, great advice there, plus great spaces for your research and family tree).
I read an ARC of this book for review.
May 14, 2020
In Practical Genealogy: 50 Simple Steps to Research Your Diverse Family History, Brian Sheffey takes a complicated and often-times overwhelming endeavor and breaks it down into actionable steps that will keep you on track with your research. That in itself is amazing - it is so very easy to go off on tangents when you find a bit of information. Before you know it, you're shooting off this way and that and getting nowhere!!
His straight-forward, easy to understand style tells you how to document what you've found so that you can pursue it at the appropriate time in your overall research. The book is loaded with helpful resources and suggestions. If you are interested in looking into your family tree, this book will be a valuable resource to guide you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. A review was not required, so this is a voluntary, unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.
His straight-forward, easy to understand style tells you how to document what you've found so that you can pursue it at the appropriate time in your overall research. The book is loaded with helpful resources and suggestions. If you are interested in looking into your family tree, this book will be a valuable resource to guide you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. A review was not required, so this is a voluntary, unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.
April 1, 2021
Very useful
This book is well organized into sections with a sort of daily lesson that will be easy to refer back to at a later date. The writing is clear and professional and even as an experienced librarian and historian (and beginning genealogist) I found many new tricks and tools here.
This book is well organized into sections with a sort of daily lesson that will be easy to refer back to at a later date. The writing is clear and professional and even as an experienced librarian and historian (and beginning genealogist) I found many new tricks and tools here.
November 29, 2020
Most of this I already knew but it did fill in some gaps and give me some good ideas.
May 16, 2020
“This workbook is arranged so you do not have to work your way through it sequentially,” Brian Sheffey explains in the beginning instructions of his book, Family Tree Workbook: 30+ Step-by-Step Worksheets to Build Your Family History.
~ What ~
This one-hundred-and-twenty-four-page paperback targets those who want to document one ancestor’s life or an entire family group in book format. After an introduction and directions, there are five chapters covering the topic; it ends with a glossary, resources, index, acknowledgments, and author’s biography.
This book begins with individual and family-specific worksheets that cover pedigrees, ancestor overviews, family addresses, family groups, siblings, blended families, timelines, and United States and worldwide migration maps. The second chapter compiles information on marriage records, land deeds, military history/service logs, medical history, death records, cemeteries, interviews, photos, heirlooms, DNA tracking, family charts, newspaper articles, and color/enslaved/ Cherokee/Dawes cards registration logs. The third part has census information with passenger arrival records while the fourth contains managing information via research, worksheets, and sources. The final part reaches completion with tips and future-proofing genealogy research.
~ Why ~
Having a friend who loves keeping track of her family, this book is ideal as it has a plethora of charts to compile. I like the detailed charts that include a gambit of relative data. Adding the heirloom, newspaper, and U.S. Federal Census charts to complete are a plus.
~ Why Not ~
Some may have no interest in recording their family history and ancestors so they may not want this book. Others may think genealogy is too time-consuming to research and report the information on the worksheets. A few may feel overwhelmed in the book’s presentation.
~ Wish ~
While I appreciate the concept of having a family tree workbook, I feel this one is not organized well as there is jumping around to put names, dates, and places, causing possible duplication. I wished it focused more by date or generation.
~ Want ~
If you are looking for a way to keep track of your beloved family, this is a lovely beginner’s book that helps organize the past while keeping tabs on the present.
Thanks to Callisto Publisher’s Club and the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.
~ What ~
This one-hundred-and-twenty-four-page paperback targets those who want to document one ancestor’s life or an entire family group in book format. After an introduction and directions, there are five chapters covering the topic; it ends with a glossary, resources, index, acknowledgments, and author’s biography.
This book begins with individual and family-specific worksheets that cover pedigrees, ancestor overviews, family addresses, family groups, siblings, blended families, timelines, and United States and worldwide migration maps. The second chapter compiles information on marriage records, land deeds, military history/service logs, medical history, death records, cemeteries, interviews, photos, heirlooms, DNA tracking, family charts, newspaper articles, and color/enslaved/ Cherokee/Dawes cards registration logs. The third part has census information with passenger arrival records while the fourth contains managing information via research, worksheets, and sources. The final part reaches completion with tips and future-proofing genealogy research.
~ Why ~
Having a friend who loves keeping track of her family, this book is ideal as it has a plethora of charts to compile. I like the detailed charts that include a gambit of relative data. Adding the heirloom, newspaper, and U.S. Federal Census charts to complete are a plus.
~ Why Not ~
Some may have no interest in recording their family history and ancestors so they may not want this book. Others may think genealogy is too time-consuming to research and report the information on the worksheets. A few may feel overwhelmed in the book’s presentation.
~ Wish ~
While I appreciate the concept of having a family tree workbook, I feel this one is not organized well as there is jumping around to put names, dates, and places, causing possible duplication. I wished it focused more by date or generation.
~ Want ~
If you are looking for a way to keep track of your beloved family, this is a lovely beginner’s book that helps organize the past while keeping tabs on the present.
Thanks to Callisto Publisher’s Club and the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.
May 13, 2020
Like a lot of people, I sort of fell into family history. My mom had recently died, and I’d suddenly become an orphan at the ripe old age of 50 - connecting to family through genealogy helped me regain my footing after feeling untethered and alone. I started with what little I knew, and pretty much winged it for the first year.
To say I made some mistakes is an understatement.
I eventually went back to school and became a professional genealogist, and set about correcting a lot of those organization errors I’d put in place in the beginning.
All which is to say, I wish I’d picked up a book like Practical Genealogy years ago. The author does a terrific job of laying a solid foundation for genealogical research, and that is really critical. Going back to do things right is an often overwhelming task - much better to start smart from the beginning!
There are tips and procedures for everything from dealing with photos and understanding genetic v ancestral research, to creating a file system and developing a timeline.
The author also introduces various types of documents and how to understand and use them, including federal, state and local census and land records, vital statistics, immigration, financial and military records, as well as others.
Practical Genealogy also includes a wealth of information about locating, understanding and conducting genealogy for African Americans, as well as for adopted, bound out and orphaned children.
And finally, the author includes information about preserving your research for future generations in the form of written family histories and heirlooms.
If you or someone you know is thinking about entering the fascinating world of genealogy, I highly recommend getti Nd a copy of Practical Genealogy. It covers most of the information a new researcher neeeds to know about and understand, while providing enough historical information to our family history into a bigger context. Even as an experienced genealogist, I found several great tips and plenty to love about this book
This review is based on an advance copy read.
To say I made some mistakes is an understatement.
I eventually went back to school and became a professional genealogist, and set about correcting a lot of those organization errors I’d put in place in the beginning.
All which is to say, I wish I’d picked up a book like Practical Genealogy years ago. The author does a terrific job of laying a solid foundation for genealogical research, and that is really critical. Going back to do things right is an often overwhelming task - much better to start smart from the beginning!
There are tips and procedures for everything from dealing with photos and understanding genetic v ancestral research, to creating a file system and developing a timeline.
The author also introduces various types of documents and how to understand and use them, including federal, state and local census and land records, vital statistics, immigration, financial and military records, as well as others.
Practical Genealogy also includes a wealth of information about locating, understanding and conducting genealogy for African Americans, as well as for adopted, bound out and orphaned children.
And finally, the author includes information about preserving your research for future generations in the form of written family histories and heirlooms.
If you or someone you know is thinking about entering the fascinating world of genealogy, I highly recommend getti Nd a copy of Practical Genealogy. It covers most of the information a new researcher neeeds to know about and understand, while providing enough historical information to our family history into a bigger context. Even as an experienced genealogist, I found several great tips and plenty to love about this book
This review is based on an advance copy read.
May 20, 2020
If you are interested in genealogy this is an excellent book to have in your library. If you are just getting started it might look overwhelming. Of course, finding your long-lost relatives might seem overwhelming. But this book can help if you will follow the author’s suggestions. If you are a seasoned genealogist this book will validate what you have been doing and might be something you will want to share with those who seek out your help to let them know the kind of work you do.
Sheffey has taken the search for relatives and in a very systematic way outlined what you need to do in order to trace down your lineage. Along the way, he carefully points out the obvious elements which everyone probably knows, but shares some extra suggestions – like keeping a log – which will make your research that much more valuable to you and those with whom you share it.
Along the way, the points out that you (not maybe, but definitely) will hit some walls which seem insurmountable in your quest for that illusive ancestor. He gives the reader a plethora of suggestions for how to overcome these obstacles.
Finally, one of the elements which I found to be most exciting is that Sheffey did not limit himself to helping the budding genealogist discover their roots, but he outlined methods to make that ancestor come alive. Sheffey has taken the search for our lineage from a staid, dry, cloistered look among dusty tomes, to a living exciting memorable adventure. With the ideas of adding research about the music, information about the era in which they lived, and other interesting trivia the author has given the reader the opportunity to make the life of their ancestors real.
Upon request, the publisher, with no preset conditions, sent me a copy of the book to review.
Sheffey has taken the search for relatives and in a very systematic way outlined what you need to do in order to trace down your lineage. Along the way, he carefully points out the obvious elements which everyone probably knows, but shares some extra suggestions – like keeping a log – which will make your research that much more valuable to you and those with whom you share it.
Along the way, the points out that you (not maybe, but definitely) will hit some walls which seem insurmountable in your quest for that illusive ancestor. He gives the reader a plethora of suggestions for how to overcome these obstacles.
Finally, one of the elements which I found to be most exciting is that Sheffey did not limit himself to helping the budding genealogist discover their roots, but he outlined methods to make that ancestor come alive. Sheffey has taken the search for our lineage from a staid, dry, cloistered look among dusty tomes, to a living exciting memorable adventure. With the ideas of adding research about the music, information about the era in which they lived, and other interesting trivia the author has given the reader the opportunity to make the life of their ancestors real.
Upon request, the publisher, with no preset conditions, sent me a copy of the book to review.
June 22, 2020
I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
I have been working on my family history for years. I started before the internet and when I hit a dead end, I set the information aside. I picked back up not too long ago and have found a lot more information, but I’m always looking for more ways to find more data. That’s what Practical Genealogy has done for me. There are more places for me to get immersed in finding out new things about my ancestors!
Practical Genealogy also has some ideas that I hadn’t considered. I’ve always wondered the best way to preserve all of this information and have it to pass to future generations. Now I just need to decide how I want to present the information.
If you’re planning on working on your family history or already are, Practical Genealogy is a good resource.
I have been working on my family history for years. I started before the internet and when I hit a dead end, I set the information aside. I picked back up not too long ago and have found a lot more information, but I’m always looking for more ways to find more data. That’s what Practical Genealogy has done for me. There are more places for me to get immersed in finding out new things about my ancestors!
Practical Genealogy also has some ideas that I hadn’t considered. I’ve always wondered the best way to preserve all of this information and have it to pass to future generations. Now I just need to decide how I want to present the information.
If you’re planning on working on your family history or already are, Practical Genealogy is a good resource.
July 18, 2020
f you are interested in genealogy this is an excellent book to have as a resource. If you are just getting started genealogy can be a bit overwhelming and I have on occasion found it frustrating.
If you have been doing genealogy for quite some time this may give you a few new tools of investigation or simply reinforce what you have been doing.
The author is very systematic and organized and uses a well defined outline of how to begin tracing down your family history. It also has handy tips along the way and suggests keeping a log in case others will be helping you or eventually taking over your research. And also has plenty of ideas of how to overcome obstacles or walls that seem to be dead ends as you go forward. Overall it is nt a bad book and would be helpful tot hose new to doing genealogy work.
I received this book from Callisto Publishing and Rockridge Press for an honest review.
If you have been doing genealogy for quite some time this may give you a few new tools of investigation or simply reinforce what you have been doing.
The author is very systematic and organized and uses a well defined outline of how to begin tracing down your family history. It also has handy tips along the way and suggests keeping a log in case others will be helping you or eventually taking over your research. And also has plenty of ideas of how to overcome obstacles or walls that seem to be dead ends as you go forward. Overall it is nt a bad book and would be helpful tot hose new to doing genealogy work.
I received this book from Callisto Publishing and Rockridge Press for an honest review.
May 9, 2020
This title is exactly as described; it provides an excellent and practical guide to exploring family history. Just a few of the many things that a reader can find out from this book include learning how to research land records, learning what can be found out from a "binding order" and ways to listen to the music of one's cultural heritage. Each section of this book is short and practical. I think that this book will be useful to many and , most especially, to those who are just beginning their exploration.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2020
Full of helpful research information. Provides 50 steps to trace your ancestry, some you will use, others you won’t. It’s a clear method for investigating your family history and finding the information necessary to complete your heritage. The author breaks down the complex research process. I’m not at the point where I want to go too deep into research, I’m looking to just go back to my Grandparents or perhaps my Great-Grandparents. Unfortunately, there are not many relatives left to get the names and history from, but hoping the basic information I have will get my search started.
May 23, 2020
A big thank you to NetGalley and Callisto Media/Rockridge Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I found this to be a great resource and informative. I haven't done a lot of genealogy since my mom died and I got her into the DAR. This makes me want to get back into the research mode! This is a great refresher. 5 stars
February 6, 2023
Definitely Practical
I gifted myself a 23 andme kit for Christmas. Since I begun I'm find out more and more information. I also have training in Knowledge management and content creation. All three skills are needed.
I recommend this book both kindle and paper 📃 back.
I gifted myself a 23 andme kit for Christmas. Since I begun I'm find out more and more information. I also have training in Knowledge management and content creation. All three skills are needed.
I recommend this book both kindle and paper 📃 back.
May 5, 2020
I received a complimentary copy.
If you have ever wanted to research your roots, this book has great tips and ways to go about doing so without a huge bunch of confusion.
If you have ever wanted to research your roots, this book has great tips and ways to go about doing so without a huge bunch of confusion.
May 20, 2020
Informative Read...
May 31, 2020
Well written, easy to read book to take the first step in digging up your famiy tree.
October 21, 2020
This book offered fresh solutions to search for family 'missing links'. I garnered some ideas for researching a dead end or two in my own family tree. Recommended for genealogy hobbyists.
September 15, 2022
I give this a three star because, although it has good ideas on finding past relatives, it did not help me to find the ones I need help finding.
January 8, 2023
This is a good reference book on genealogy. It has a lot of good tips and websites to go to. I learned a lot and will keep it around to go back to as needed.
July 9, 2023
Helpful, great information.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews