‘Generation by Generation’ Helps Genealogists Focus on Objectives and Stay Organized

In her August 30, 2023 review of Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, by Drew Smith, organizational expert Janine Adams observed, “Like Drew, I wish a book like this had been around when I started doing genealogy research. It’s so clearly laid out and clearly written, with bits of humor tossed in. The depth of information is broad and Drew doesn’t go down rabbit holes, but he doesn’t just skim the surface. His explanation of the various types of DNA was one of the most easy to understand that I’ve read. The generational approach of Part II is very user friendly and easy to apply to the moving-up-the-tree way that many people (including me) research. I’m not a beginner genealogist, but I benefited from the book!”  

We would add that author Drew Smith has the unique ability to incorporate a significant amount of vital information in a handful of engagingly written pages. Pages that both introduce the genealogist to a crucial topic and point the way to additional information. For example, Chapter 3: The Genealogical Research Process emphasizes the importance of keeping one’s genealogical objective front and center. Chapter 4: Tools and Methods to Keep Us Organized, among other things, points out the attributes that the researcher should look for in selecting genealogy computer software. 

To drive these points home, we have reproduced the opening pages of these two chapters.