Although author Buzzy Jackson writes from the perspective of a beginning genealogist, this isn't a how-to book for would-be genealogists. Nor is it a history of Jackson's family, although readers will learn a lot about her heritage in its pages. Jackson addresses the “whys” of genealogy – why is genealogy such a popular American hobby? Why do we start out on this never-ending quest to find our ancestors? Jackson's book is part memoir and part a behind-the-scenes look at the world of genealogy. Readers will accompany Jackson to meetings of her local genealogical society, on visits to interview older relatives, on a genealogy cruise, through the complexities of DNA testing, on a visit to an ancestral home town and its cemetery, and on a research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Newbies to genealogy may be encouraged by Jackson's experiences, while experienced genealogists may enjoy being reminded of their own early research experiences. ( )

Buzzy Jackson, who earned a Ph.D. in history, shares her ventures into the world of family history. She begins with her first local genealogical society meetings, has her own mtDNA and her father's Y-DNA tested, goes on a genealogical cruise, encounters her Alabama relatives, and visits the Family History Library in the course of the book. While I enjoyed the book, I didn't love it. It was written in a slightly more contemporary conversational tone than many books of this nature. It was interesting to see her impressions of some of the most prominent genealogists in the field. Some of these descriptions had me laughing. Although she emphasized the importance of documents, I sometimes had the same feeling that I have watching episodes of "Who Do You Think You Are?" on television, namely that too much was jumped. I realize that her intention was not to provide a detailed account of tracing her line, but I would have preferred an approach that resembles the methodology taught by the leading genealogists. I purchased this book after hearing the author speak at the National Genealogical Society's conference in May 2011. Because I enjoyed her keynote address so much, I expected to like the book more than I did. There are portions that should be read by those new to genealogical research. They will identify with someone who was going through what they are encountering as they begin their family history research. Experienced researchers have little to gain by reading this, except for an occasional laugh or two as they recognize their genealogical colleagues and picture them as the author did. ( )

A humorous and captivating look at working on your family tree; it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, ‘old-hand’, or in-between—if genealogy interests you then you’ll like this book!

Buzzy jumps into genealogy feet first and takes off running. She joins a local genealogy society, attends a beginners’ lecture, sails away on a genealogy cruise and even makes it to the mecca: The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. And she does this and more in one year!

Watching her as she contacts long-lost relatives and finds a forgotten cemetery will either have you smiling because of your own such forays or give you the impetus to do the same.

This is a fun book and you will learn something, even if you are a “seasoned” researcher.

How many knew that the prisoners in the Utah State Prison help with many of the Family History Library’s projects? One of their most significant ones took eleven years – the indexing of the Freedman’s Bank Records. (You can find these records on-line, try Heritage Quest which many libraries offer for free)

Buzzy interviews several of the big names in genealogy such as Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak (“Trace Your Roots with DNA”) and David Rencher, Family History Library’s chief genealogical officer. A nice touch to be sure, but the best parts are when she is sharing how, why and where she conducted her research for her family tree.

Pick this one up and enjoy! ( )