Reviews (4)

Courthouse Records
This book gives a lot of great information and tips for research at court houses.It is up to date and thorough, and a great help to researchers.

Not Bad......... But NOt Great
This would make a nice gift. However, most of this information ..... if not all of it can be found on the internet.

Excellent Reference
Everything a family historian needs to fully utilize records available at the courthouse.Excellent organization and packed with clear and complete explanations of how to find the many different resources hiding in the different departments.Anyone who has ever been intimidated by a courthouse will appreciate this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Court records    2. Genealogy    3. Law    4. Methodology    5. Reference    6. Reference / Genealogy    7. Research    8. United States   

Reviews (6)

The first book to buy on Italian records
This was the first book I bought on Italian genealogy several years ago and it is still the best source for understanding Italian records. Using the form letters I have been successful in obtaining information from a variety of Italian sources. What is especially useful is the balance between the how to chapters and the background on the records. Highly recommended.

Only in Italy, Only in America
Thank heavens this book came into my life as a dedicated heritage researcher, first generation Italo-American.Since I am alone in this, as are many out there I have founf doing this, I especially appreciated the wonderful sources, shortcuts, and information given to the noviate, although anyone can learn something from this complete guide.A great addition to the literature.

This Is It!
For those of you in search of your Italian heritage need look no further. Everything you need is right here in this relatively cheap book written by, get this, a non-Italian! Whether you just want to get your grandparents birth records from the 1890's or go all the way back to the 1700's to get your 5th great grandparents marriage record, this book will tell you how, in easy step by step instructions. Can't read or write in Italian? Mr. Cole's book does that for you, too. Don't know your Italian history? Guess what? Mr. Cole does, and he shares it with you in his book. Read more

Subjects:  1. Genealogy    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Italian Americans    4. Italy    5. Reference    6. Research    7. Family history   

Reviews (7)

A Must Have
A must have for the family historian.Gives all the details needed to figure out not only the place, but where it legally was in time.Book in excellent condition, well organized.

Still an essential tool
Even though the Internet contains a wealth of genealogical information, this book is still a valuable asset. There are so many states and counties that do not have information on-line that to ignore this resource is like ignoring road signs when you're lost.

Best genealogy book ever.
This book has been a great tool in my genealogy research materials. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Genealogy    2. Reference    3. Courthouses    4. United States    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Research   

Reviews (5)

Bits 'n Pieces are useful
I agree with Michael K Smith's in-depth review. My very short impression is: The book contains useful information, but it is short on hard advice. If you've never considered how to file information, this book would be very useful.
Family History
I found it a very informative book though a lot of the content was common sense. It doesn't hurt to be reminded of the obvious occasionally. Unfortunately, from my point of view, it was an American reference book which does not concern me in Australia. For anyone researching in America, I'm sure it would be very helpful.

A waste of my money!
What a DISAPPOINTMENT! This book is NOT for you unless you are a beginner geneaolgist.The book does NOT LIVE UP TO THE HYPE ON THE COVER!!!
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Subjects:  1. Files and filing    2. Filing systems    3. Genealogy    4. Management    5. Paperwork (Office practice)    6. Reference    7. Reference / Genealogy   

Reviews (1)

Very useful. Saved me a lot of time.
I ran into this book by accident. I've been working on revising a book I wrote back in 1990 (still for sale on this website for some reason) about Davy Crockett. Knowing nothing about genealogy, I found this book to bequite impressive.Read more

Subjects:  1. Family/Marriage    2. Genealogy    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Land tenure    5. Public land records    6. Reference    7. United States   

Reviews (2)

Value depends on accepting the book's purpose
Page 1 of 'The Unabridged Pentium 4' (TUP4) claims 'there is real value in understanding how the architecture has grown over the years,' where the 'architecture' is the IA-32 register set, instruction set, and software exceptions.If you accept this premise, you will find TUP4 to be a valuable book.If you are looking for detail on the lowest-level of programming on IA-32, you should download Intel's free IA-32 Intel Architecture Software Developer s Manual.
Possibly a definitive manual of the P4?
Well should the title say Unabridged. It would not go nicely for you to drop this 1633 page tome on your feet!
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Subjects:  1. Computer Architecture    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Computers - Communications / Networking    5. Hardware - Personal Computers - PCs    6. Microprocessors    7. Networking - General    8. Pentium (Microprocessor)    9. Computer architecture & logic design    10. Computers / Hardware / Network Hardware   

Reviews (1)

Still scratching my head
After spending more than a week of trying to validate the information in Marianna Haun's latest book, I've come away less impressed by the whole X-factor theory than I was after reading the first book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Genealogy    3. Genetics    4. Heart    5. Horses - General    6. Pets    7. Race horses    8. Reference    9. Research    10. Size    11. X chromosome   

Reviews (3)

Good primer - - - I hope
I have to admit this book was a bit overwhelming for someone trying to get a handle on geneology, and just focusing on certain of his lineage without too many frills. This is not a criticism, however, since this book is supposed to be a reference book more than anything else, and the author is trying and succeeding in giving us as much information as she can.I did read it from cover to cover to get the lay of the land, and found it well-written, thorough, and careful in its exposition of the subject. It was recommended by the more general Geneology 101, and was a good follow-up. This book took 101 a step further in showing us how to take max advantage of the net and save some foot steps.
Perhaps the best thing available in this crowded field
Regular readers of my reviews (here and elsewhere) will know that I cast a chary eye on books that purport to introduce the reader to the miracle of "Internet genealogy." I've read and reviewed dozens of such titles from the viewpoint of a researcher of more than thirty years' experience (beginning in the days of spiral notebooks and 3x5 cards) who is also a thoroughly wired computer geek and a heavy user of the Internet. I have long maintained that online research is simply the (sometimes) more convenient continuance by other means of traditional, tried and true methods. There is no "royal road to genealogy," no universal database from which you can immediately download your entire lineage back to Adam. Most of the books I've seen fall into two categories: Introductions to traditional genealogy with a thin icing of information on genealogical software and Internet how-to, and "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Computers and the Internet"-type volumes that include specific genealogical applications as an afterthought. There are a few, like Elizabeth Powell Crowe's *Genealogy Online: Researching Your Roots* (1998), Matt Helm's *Genealogy Online for Dummies* (1998), and Pamela Hahn's *The Unofficial Guide to Online Genealogy* (2001), which actually are quite useful and are worth reading (though all three are inevitably becoming dated), but these are very much the exception. The rest are simply exercises in marketing.
Online Genealogy PLUS Great Techniques
This work is one of the first that seems to approach the use of the internet as a great tool, while still supporting and instructing standard research techniques. Easy to follow and loads of examples make this book a useful helper with my own family research. Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer network resources    2. Genealogy    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Internet    5. Internet - General    6. Internet resources    7. Reference    8. Reference / Genealogy   

Editorial Review

The Helms have put together an excellent introductory guide to doing genealogical research online. They've avoided the usual trap of organizing their book by resources, which may be easy for the author but makes it harder on the user. So instead of devoting this chapter to useful Web sites, that chapter to valuable newsgroups, and so forth, they've organized the book in a way closer to the way you'd organize good family research. Read more

Reviews (10)

very basic
This book is for the beginner genealogist. It tells you how to plan your research and what kind of computer equipment to have. It takes you step by step in certain websites. It is extremely boring, even for a genealogy book. I was hoping for more info on what is contained in individual websites, where to find certain types of documents and explantions of software available to the genealogist. It is great if you don't have a clue but if you can navigate the internet on your own, you don't need this book. I will use it occasionally but The Genealogy Sourcebook and The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy are much more in depth.

Genealogy Online for Dummies, 4th edition,
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. review of Genealogy Online for Dummies
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 historyRead more

Subjects:  1. Computer network resources    2. Computers - Other Applications    3. Databases    4. Directories    5. Genealogy    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Internet - General    9. Reference    10. Family history    11. Reference / Genealogy   

Reviews (2)

Digitize this!
This is a book for dummies!It assumes you know nothing about scanners, cameras or the digital world. If that's the case, then this is the book for you. However, I found it difficult to read as the author does not get to the point. Too much time is spent on the simplest things while ignoring the point of the text. It would have been nice to pick up a book like this and get to the point of 'how to' without having to jump hoops through the history of things. That was not the point of the purchase of such a book nor the representation of the cover. There was no point reading the entire text as I quickly realized that much of it was "filler" text and I could skip to the parts I thought were interesting. My recommendation would be to look for other title options before this one.

Excellent guide to a relatively newsubject
When my father died a few years ago, my mother began systematically sorting through eight decades of accumulated stuff and giving the next generation "first dibs" on anything they wanted before the remainder was discarded. Of course, I took anything relating to the family's history, including old correspondence, military and employment files, and about forty pounds of old photo albums and several shoeboxes of loose snapshots. I'm slowly, steadily working my way through them, scanning not only photographs but also documents and old letters into a digitized format, cleaning up some of the older items with Photoshop, writing up brief text files (to be attached to the image files) explaining those people, places, and circumstances I could identify (and also transcribing my mother's penciled notes from the backs of many of the photos), and collecting everything in some sort of order on CDs for later distribution to the rest of the family. (Christmas is always coming.) Now, I'm reasonably computer-savvy and I have professional training in archival conservation, so all this seemed pretty obvious to me, but that probably would not be the case for many non-techies.
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Subjects:  1. Computer network resources    2. Digital preservation    3. Genealogy    4. Reference    5. Family history   

Reviews (1)

The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker 2006
Very informative.User friendly. Well written and well organized. Lots of illustrations to go along with the text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer programs    2. Data processing    3. Genealogy    4. Reference    5. Research   

Reviews (1)

Descriptively analyzing the separation and differences in the communist north and democratic south of the Korean peninsula
Ethnic Nationalism: Genealogy, Politics, And Legacy by Gi-Wook Shin (Director of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center) explores the roots, politics, and legacy of Korean ethnic nationalism. Descriptively analyzing the separation and differences in the communist north and democratic south of the Korean peninsula, Ethnic Nationalism addresses the general identity formation of the two Koreas. A core addition to academic library International Studies reference collections, Ethnic Nationalism is strongly recommended to the attention of political science, sociology, and cultural anthropology students studying the contrasts and similarities of North and South Korea through their collective history of anti-colonialism, civil war, authoritarian politics, democratization, territorial division, and globalization.
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Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Ethnicity    3. History & Theory - General    4. Korea (South)    5. National characteristics, Korean    6. Nationalism    7. Political Ideologies - Nationalism    8. Political Science    9. Political aspects    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Ethnic studies    13. Korea   

Reviews (10)

Antiquated Treatment of a Valuable Genealogical Topic
As a professional genealogist who also teaches, I tell my students that the topic of genealogical organization is one that must be addressed by all genealogists, amateur or professional alike. For publishing on this topic in 1999, I applaud Carmack.
Can only buy ONE book on Genealogy Research? Get this one!
This book is EXACTLY what you should get before you really get "into" doing your genealogy research. Wish I had! Instead I found myself being overwhelmed with what I had found and my various tries at organizing it just wasn't working! I did my research and this books looked like it had the most of what I wanted. That was an understatement. I have a LOT of work to do to organize my 1+ years of research ... but this book is really helping me get my act together. Good portions, but overall, terribly stilted.
This is not a bad book. Parts of this book are extremely helpful to help you organize your genealogical papers. The probem with this book is that the author lets her own dated opinion keep her from seeing the bigger picture in the state of genealogical research. In essence, she spites herself out of writing an excellent resource.Read more

Subjects:  1. Genealogy    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Reference    4. United States   

Reviews (6)

Not bad -- but not what it's advertised to be
With each year, the World Wide Web becomes, more and more, the venue of first resort for family researchers -- especially for novices with insufficient background in traditional research methods, who often do not understand that the Internet hasn't made genealogy "easier," just more convenient and much less expensive. I've been a heavy user of online resources for a decade and a half, but I still make personal visits, legal pad in hand, to rural courthouses and cemeteries. I also have reviewed (in several publications) a considerable number of "Internet genealogy" how-to books over the years and I have found that many actually use that phrase only as a marketing ploy, devoting most of their attention either to genealogical methods in general or to computers and the Internet in general, not to the use of the Internet in family research. On a purely quantitative basis -- counting the pages, that is -- this volume gives about 25% of its space to traditional genealogical subjects (family group sheets, visiting a library, the nature of "courthouse records," analysis of evidence, publishing a family newsletter, etc.), and about 30% to discussions of computer issues and the Internet (how Google works, why you should make backups of your data, getting an email account, finding an ISP that will include free web page space, and so on).
Opening a whole new world
I had sent a copy of this wonderfully informative and well written book to 6 of my relatives and friends hot off the press. My sister, who has lived out of the country for some 35 years and having returned to her root country, wanted to learn more about our family.I encouraged her and was thrilled to be able to send her a copy of Nancy's book.This was back in October, 2003.Since that time, its been almost a miracle of sorts...following the information and suggestions in Nancy's book, my sister was able to get in touch with our father's cousin, a college professor, only to find out that he, too, had been trying to find our family!The two of them have been sending emails back and forth since October, exchanging and sharing information, checking out family burial locations, sharing pictures, and this has opened a "whole new world" for both families.We are even planning a reunion of sort as early as next summer.We have so much gratitude to Nancy Hendrickson for embarking on this endeavor of educating those of use who are not all that savvy with the internet but also showing us that searching for one's roots on or off the internet is not as complicated as one would believe and most of all, the rewards. Climbing Your Family Tree, Exploring Your Roots
Finding Your Roots Online is a MUST read for anyone who wants to use the Internet to climb their family tree.The book begins with computer and Internet basics, then moves into a detailed explanation of the four most valuable search strategies.Each strategy section is accompanied by real-life searches, along with the best Web sites for specific types of research. My favorite chapter was the one that showed how to move easily back and forth between the strategies in order to tease every bit of genealogical information out of each site.If you follow along with each search, you're sure to find several of your own ancestors. Ms Hendrickson's great experience, practical approach, and deep interest in geneology and history shine through these pages, lighting the way for beginner and experienced searchers alike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer network resources    2. Genealogy    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Internet research    6. Internet resources    7. Online Services - General    8. Reference    9. Family history    10. Internet   

Editorial Review

If you want to learn more about your family, now's the time to start.With the advent of the Internet, there's more information available than ever before, and it's easier to access now than in the good old days of musty libraries and records halls.Read more

Reviews (3)

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, Second Edition
Very informative for the novice Genealogist.Helpful hints of where to look for information both online and in the library.
Great for the classroom
I have been using this book in a class I teach at the local Adult Education center.The class is 10 sessions of 3 hours each and the book provides a comprehensive overview on Genealogy on the internet.The author's information is well written and todate 75 students have enjoyed this book with me...

Very good resource book
Online Genealogy is a fun hobby that is increasing in popularity.It use to be a hassle trying to contact libraries and record halls by mail or telephone.Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer network resources    2. Genealogy    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Internet - Web Site Directories    5. Online Services - Resource Directories    6. Reference    7. United States    8. Crafts & Hobbies / General    9. Internet   

Reviews (4)

practical guide for newbies and technophobes
i generally have found the for dummies series to be helpful, and this book is no exception -- you can sit down, thumb through it, and create a photo album online quickly without having to wade through any technical jargon or fluff. i'm no slouch in the web development department and even i found lots to like about this book -- it has helped me explain certain concepts and steps to my less technical family members. i'm including it with my standard baby shower package from now on (which also includes an aromatherapy relaxation candle, lip moisturizer, charmin-to-go, dove facial cleansing wipes, hand sanitizer, and other small items that new moms appreciate).

Good Way to get Started on Web Work.
As with the other For Dummies books, this book is intended for beginners and absolutely minimizes the jargon. At the most basic level the book provides a series of templates that can be used with a fill in the blank approach to get a site up and running quickly. Then it branches out to increasing the creativity by designing your own pages. At this level there is almost no mention of dynamic database driven sites. This is building a static web site with pictures and text. This is a book to get you started.
Keeps granny happy
If you've ever been bugged for photos from the family reunion, or wanted to show off your new kid/cat/car, this book actually makes it seem easy.I know, I know, putting up your own website has a reputation like dragging all your neighbors in and making them sit through your vacation slides used to.But this book shows you how you can still show off a little, without boring everyone to tears.Actually, you can do some pretty neat stuff, which can be really fun when your family is scattered all over, and you don't feel like running up the long-distance bills just so you can keep up on current events.
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Subjects:  1. Computer - Internet    2. Computer Books: Web Programming    3. Computer network resources    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Family    7. Genealogy    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Web publishing    10. Web sites    11. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    12. Multimedia   

Reviews (3)

Talk about comprehensive!
This is hands down the most comprehensive resource on all aspects of genealogical research in the Chicago/Cook County Illinois area bar none.I purchased this book when it was new and don't know how else I would have done as much Chicagoland area research without it.Without this book I would have had no idea where to start researching when visiting Chicago and really helped insure I got the biggest bang for the buck when there.Where Ms. Szucs really pays off is breaking out the various municipalities and even offers offbeat sources such as the Medical Examiners Office that I would NEVER have thought of and it's a good thing as I've used that as a resource twice now with great results.Yes, it would be great to have an updated edition with new area codes and telephone numbers, internet sources and the like, but I find those sources can get stale-dated pretty darned quickly!Mrs. Szucs delivers what you need to get the ball rolling and it's always important to double-check local numbers and use those available resources like Google.

Where are the updates and revisions?
This is the same 1996 edition in a new cover. A big clue was the list of suburban Chicago libraries still with the 708 area code. Most of them changed to 847 in 1996. THE BEST BOOK ON CHICAGO GENEALOGY
Chicago is rich with genealogy records but if one does not live in or near this vast city it is very hard to obtain those records.Read more

Subjects:  1. Archival resources    2. Chicago (Ill.)    3. Cook County (Ill.)    4. Genealogy    5. Library & Information Science    6. Library resources    7. Reference    8. Research    9. United States - State & Local - General    10. Illinois    11. Research methods: general   

Reviews (1)

Every Genealogist Should Have This on Their Desk
This nifty laminated "Quicksheet" is packed with citation examples for a wide variety of Internet genealogy sources. If you research on the Internet, this handy guide is a must-have! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Genealogy    2. Reference   

Reviews (4)

Very highly recommended to all genealogy researchers
Very highly recommended to all genealogy researchers, whether novice or expert, New England Court Records: A Research Guide For Genealogists And Historians by Diane Rapaport (former trial lawyer with a B.A. in History and a J.D. degree in Law) is an in-depth 470-page collective study of the locations and contributions of New England's facilities and resources which would historians and genealogical researchers to better understand the history and citizenship of New England. Introducing the reader to a detailed description of each facility, along with contact and location information, and employing an easy-to-use format exploring a state, county, and city/township locator reference ideal. A major work that could well serve as a template for other regions of the country, New England Court Records is a thoroughly "user friendly" reference ideal for the purposes of genealogists and local historians researching the New England area.
Timely and Wonderful