Family Tree Problem Solver Book

This is the brand new 2019 Third edition of the 2005 book, The Family Tree Problem Solver. I had not previously read the previous editions, but after I read the new version, I found a copy of the Second Edition (2011) to compare it and see what's new. Most of the main text is unchanged and the changes in the first eleven chapters are mostly to acknowledge the vast amount of records that have been digitized and are available online now. However, many records are still hiding in courthouses and archives and are not available online yet, so if you are a serious genealogist, knowing how to find the information you need is vital. There is a new chapter written by Sunny Morton to address evaluating online hints, and a chapter on DNA has been replaced by a brand new chapter on DNA by Diahan Southard to address how much has changed since 2011 on that front.

To be honest, I found these added chapters the best part of the book for my research. The main text, as comprehensive as it is, is limited to United States genealogy and records, and mostly pre-20th century records. Therefore, if your family lines have only been in the U.S. for a few generations, this may not be the problem solver you had hoped for. On the other hand, the general search strategies are sound and it's always a good idea to review them, such as how to tackle identifying people with similar names, and how to analyze evidence for reliability.

If you have many ancestors who lived in the U.S. in the 19th century and before, you'll find this an excellent resource to have on hand. Others may find that checking it out from the library may tide them over until they find more U.S. ancestors in their tree.

Table of Contents

1. Analyzing Research Problems and Planning Strategies
2. Avoiding Ten Common Genealogy Mistakes
3. Finding Births, Marriages, Deaths Before Civil Registration
4. Locating Missing Ancestors in the Census
5. Researching Friends, Associates, and Extended Family Members
6. Problem-Solving With Court Records
7. Replacing Burned Courthouse Records
8. Utilizing Land Records
9. Sorting Individuals With the Same Name
10. Finding Pre-1850 Ancestors
11. Analyzing Evidence
12. Accepting Online Family Tree Hints
13. Applying DNA Test Results to Your Research

(Thanks to F&W Publishers and NetGalley for a digital review copy.)