This guide is organized according to the actual process used in genealogical research: Start with yourself, then move on to living family and relatives, and then move backwards in time, generation by generation. Each chapter describes a time period and the kinds of records available for that era, allowing beginners to learn about new types of records just as they need them.

The guide is divided into two parts. Part I discusses such things as relationships between family members, naming practices, genealogy software, how to review existing research, and the basics of DNA testing. Part II begins with a discussion of the major genealogy websites, and then explains the most important record categories for all generations from the present day back to the colonial ea. There are also chapters devoted to searching for the origins of American families in the records of Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and non-English-speaking nations.

This book makes ample use of consecutive Internet screen shots to take the mystery out of online searching. And it is written by an expert genealogist and teacher who is equally conversant with traditional search methods and the digital world.