Genealogy Books - Unpuzzling Your Past: The Best-Selling Basic Guide to Genealogy

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Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: Excellent teaching (and marketing) for the lazy student
Comment: Excellent information that I've found very useful as I'm beginning to learn basic research methods.
My only complaint is that these editions become outdated fairly quickly and constantly require you
to buy a new edition. Which might be understandable except I'm having no problem learning from the
edition published in 1983. Much of the information clearly would be unchanged, so there seems
little reason (aside from cynical tarket marketing) in plunking down a new $20 every few years only
to get some updated appendix information or addresses easily found on the internet. Oh, and save
your $16 on the workbook, stop being lazy, fire up your word processor, and create your own
worksheets (Croom even generously teaches you how -- except for that cynical tarket marketing part).
I really don't hold Croom responsible for this anymore than I would hold my grandmother responsible
for not understanding the depths to which the marketing people for corporate publishers will stoop
to suck money from both readers and authors. I've talked to Emily Croom via Barnes and Noble
University and she's an excellent teacher and an obviously kind and patient woman who is very
knowledgeable about genealogy research methods. Trust me, I thought I was unteachable! But do your
own legwork, find another way to donate money to Croom for being the genealogy elder that she is,
and keep your wallet away from what is clearly a corporate marketing scam of constant updates.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Excellent
Comment: This is by far the best book general methods book I have found. I highly recommend it to anyone
beginning genealogical research and to those who are veterans, as well. I have given several to
friends with a fledgling interest in genealogical research. It is indispensible for the beginner & I
highly recommend it to everyone. Organized in a logical, easy to follow manner; not too technical;
practical -- just plain good.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Complete, concise and excellent for beginners.
Comment: Croom's book offers excellent advice for beginners and genealogists with some experience. The
workbook gives helpfuls lists such as "Where Do I find That?" and gives sources for birth, death
and marriage information. It also explains the censuses and Soundex very well.

The appendices
list archives, libraries and genealogical societies that are very helpful and up to date. There is
also an excellent list of available state censuses.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great for beginning genealogists!
Comment: This book by Emily Croom is THE best book I've seen for the beginning genealogist. The information
is very concise and well written. I am really impressed by Ms. Croom's use personal examples to
explain the research concepts that she is talking about. This book is a MUST for the beginner.

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