23 September 2011

Considering "The Family Tree Problem Solver"

Marsha Hoffman Rising, who died, last year, was a widely respected US genealogist. Her book "The Family Tree Problem Solver" giving "proven methods for scaling the inevitable brick wall." gets high praise from US reviewers.

I hadn't paid it much attention. Recently BIFHSGO colleague John Chatterley mentioned it, commenting that "although targeted at American researchers, many of the approaches can be used elsewhere."

The Ottawa Public Library holds several copies. One has a temporary home under my roof. It's the 2005 edition published by Family Tree Books comprising an introduction, 11 chapters and a one page index within 232 pages, 8-1/2" by 11."

If I had US ancestry I'd likely be quite enthusiastic about the book and its myriad of examples based on US records, I don't. The techniques, pitfalls and principles are broadly applicable but the examples being of no direct relevance I found quickly became tiresome.

The gist is in Rising's Reminders and adjacent end material which can be accessed without charge through the Google Books extract at http://goo.gl/mqp11




No comments: