I just recently got back into researching my family tree and this book provided a quick refresher course. I loved how straight forward it was and how it explained everything in layman's terms. I especially enjoyed the stories shared about others' discoveries about their families. They were fun, short breaks from the nitty-gritty of research suggestions. Definitely a must read for any beginner genealogist!

Pros: One of my hobbies is researching my family's history on Ancestry.com. Recently, I've come to a point of hitting a wall in my family tree building, so I thought this book would help me improve my research. I appreciated that the author is a professional genealogist and not just a hobbyist. I appreciated that this book is inclusive of different races, religions, and family situations. The pitfalls noted throughout were very helpful--I learned new things about documents (e.g., the census) I've been using in my research.

Cons: None that I can think of. I think the title of this book does a good job of setting expectations of what to expect in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and i30 Media Corp for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a great guide to getting started with genealogy. I love researching my family history and have already done many hours of research but still found this to be filled with great information for researching and organizing information.
I particularly loved reading the case studies and pro tips included in the book.
Overall, this is a great beginner's guide to genealogy and I recommend it for those interested in starting their research.
Thanks to i30 Media Corp and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book has great tips on how to start your genealogy project. I have been working on my family genealogy for 20+ years and the information in this book brought me back to the important basics and how to find my way back to the important concepts.

A very brief and basic guide to tracing, recording, and safely storing your family tree. Giving lots of helpful tips as well as highlighting common pitfalls, this guide is a great resource for anyone beginning their family tree. Thank you to Shannon Combs-Bennett, Net Galley and i30 Media Corporation for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a newbie to the whole genealogy but I felt like a lot of this information was repetitive. I liked that there were some sources given for forms that can be used and how to fill them out and also suggestions on how to file them both digitally and manually. With that information I feel I had enough but it kept going over this same stuff. It is a decent book just a little long.

This is a very helpful guide for anyone who is interested in researching their genealogy. I’m a newbie although I’ve been at it for about three years in my free time. I have hit some hiccups and roadblocks, and after reading this guide I’m anxious to start again. There are a lot of good tips and practical steps to avoid errors and pitfalls. Very well done!

I loved this short book - mostly because it was short, easy to digest, and within it even as a little more than a novice in my personal family tree research, I learned things. I also gained insight on some resources that exist I had no idea about - started using some, subscribed to a magazine. I can't wait to see how many steps ahead this jumps me on the genealogy game board because of the added information. I'm still challenged by the whole organization part of collected data but there are lots of good tips in this gem to help with that. Read it - but more importantly, research it!! I obtained my copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review, without any obligation.

Genealogy Basics In 30 Minutes The quick guide to creating a family tree, building connections with relatives, and discovering the stories of your ancestors by Shannon Combs-Bennett is exactly what the title says. This easy to read book is a compact and concise starter kit for anyone who has considered starting a family tree then gotten lost is the confusing maze of genealogy. It provides a starting point and guides the reader along a logical path for researching and documenting their own family history. The pro trips and pitfalls were extremely helpful and likely to save the budding genealogist hours of regret. I enjoyed reading the case studies, since they brought the more fact based materials to life in a very relatable way. There is so much information packed into this 30 minute “course” and it is presented in a very reader friendly format. I can’t imagine a book that would give anyone a better roadmap for their own genealogy journey. I certainly feel well prepared and ready to start researching my family history. ( I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

This book is supposed to get one started with tracing their family history. I guess for someone who hasn't a clue where to begin, it might be useful. But, as someone who has not done any family history work, I found most of it pretty common knowledge and really didn't pick up anything useful. I don't consider myself a slow reader and it took well over 30 minutes to read the book. .

Shannon Combs-Bennett has accomplished the extraordinary in her excellent guide GENEALOGY BASICS IN 30 MINUTES: inspired me to dig deep and gather the information and links for my own family. In wise, succinct, and accessible prose, Combs-Bennett unearths the useful from the pile of stuff and ways you think things work. I am smarter and inspired -- and while it will take me a lot longer than 30 minutes to do my own research, now I know where to begin, what to pursue, and what to do with my questions. A truly marvelous distillation of years in the trunks, trenches, and attics of earnest, confused, and willing seekers. I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is a good guide for anyone starting out in researching their family history. It packs a lot of practical information and personal anecdotes into the slim volume which is just about readable in 30 minutes.

The author lives in Washington, D.C. so the book is understandably focussed on genealogy research in the USA. While the principles are the same, many of the websites and societies recommended are really only of interest to those with ancestors in North American.

I love the Appendix where the author suggests twenty questions questions to ask parents and other living relatives. How I wish I'd read this before the passing of all in the generation above me.

With thanks to NetGalley, Shannon Combs-Bennett and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genealogy, created around 100 years ago, is a relatively popular hobby nowadays, with more and more people, for different (good) reasons trying to connect with their past. However, if you want to do it correctly, you may need to know that there is a lot of science behind setting up correctly your profile. Shannon Combs-Bennett is a professional genealogist sharing her knowledge into a book which although can be read in just 30 minutes - actually it took me around one hour to go through it - it offers a lot of knowledge about this very personal type of research.
The knowledge can be also used by historians involved in various genealogical studies as well, as it gives an insight about how to correctly deal with various kind of records and types of genealogical questions. Although the book is mostly focused on the US, there are enough takes that put things into a larger and complex perspective that can be followed for cases based in other countries and regions as well.
Doing genealogical research is like setting up a code out of different scraps of information and structures. It may be that during the research, fragments of the code should be rewritten several times, which is perfectly normal as the information revealed requires it.
Besides outlining and exploring the scientific basis of genealogy, the book has many practical details about what kind of apps and online tools to use for a professional genealogical research, as well as about how to approach the sources of information - preferably with a smile - and even what the research kit should include.
This book is a quick yet very useful introduction to genealogy

I've been wanting to get more into genealogy, and this book provided so many great tips for beginners. It also provides information on additional resources should you want to expand your knowledge even further. I'm excited to dig into my family tree!

A big thank you to NetGalley and i30 Corps for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a nonfiction, reference book. It is a good beginners guide to genealogy. It gives examples and great ideas. 4.5 stars. this is a useful tool for a beginner genealogist. It was a good refresher for me. I have not done any genealogy in a while, so I enjoyed it. 4.5 stars

Genealogy Basics In 30 Minutes delivers on its premise - it's an excellent practical overview of techniques and sources for tracing one's family tree. While primarily aimed at beginners or those who've only made sporadic exploration into their family history, Shannon Combs-Bennett provides a robust foundation upon which to launch more intensive investigations.
Genealogy Basics In 30 Minutes explores topics including how to start a family history exploration, maintaining organised records and the growth industry of genetic genealogy.
Despite being only a slight volume at 102 pages, the book contains comprehensive contents and index and links to online resources.
Shannon Combs-Bennett is highly qualified in her field, and this volume is a great starting point for those who have an interest in researching their family history, or who wish to improve or update their skills. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author, Shannon Combs-Bennett, publisher i30 Media Group, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I have been working on my ancestry chart for several years, but found some ideas and tips that will help me! For someone just beginning Shannon Combs Bennett provides help in how to organize and back up your finds. I wish I had read this years ago!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my voluntary, honest review.