I am going begin posting the occasional book review. I will primarily review books that have something to do with genealogy, family history, family document preservation, etc., which have also been independently published. As an independent author myself, I know the importance of book reviews and word of mouth recommendations. If you are an independent author and you have written a book in the above genres, please contact me.
Guide to DNA Testing: How to Identify Ancestors, Confirm Relationships, and Measure Ethnic Ancestry through DNA Testing. By Richard Hill. Published by Atrax LLC; Sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.; 2014, 33 pages. Kindle eBook. $0.99.
This DNA guide book is a quick read, and is the perfect book for someone who knows ABSOLUTELY nothing about using DNA for genealogy research. Written by Richard Hill, the award-winning author of the best-selling memoir Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA, Mr. Hill’s latest book provides a brief overview of the field of genetic genealogy.
Providing a summary of current options in DNA testing, the book is geared towards the most basic of genetic genealogy beginners, especially someone who has never previously tested. The book provides good descriptions of the three major types of DNA testing available: Y-DNA, Autosomal DNA, and Mitochondrial DNA. Summaries of the three major testing companies are also included as well as advice for testing strategies and money saving tips. Despite the assertions of the book’s subtitle, it will not help a family researcher identify their ancestors or confirm relationships. While there are sections on using DNA to find relatives, such as “Powerful Tools for Adoptees,” and “Uncovering Previously Unknown Relatives,” these sections gloss over the methodology and hard work needed for achieving such goals. Mr. Hill’s focus on using DNA to guide adoptees in finding their families is apparent throughout the book, with the last few pages dedicated to promoting his memoir.
I am currently reading He Wrote Her Every Day by Gail Lindenberg, published by CreateSpace, 2013. Look for the review in the coming days!
This entry was posted in Book Review, Genealogy and tagged book review, genetic genealogy, Guide to DNA Testing, independent author, Richard Hill on March 20, 2015 by Deborah Sweeney.
I have written three reviews so far! And I am working on reading my next book for review, the first book in a forensic genealogy mystery series.
Writing a book review was one of the chapters we studied in my ProGen Study group.
Glad to see that you will be reviewing books in the genealogy field. Look forward to reading them in the future.
Thanks! This review was one that I had to write for my ProGen class last fall, then I submitted it to the local genealogy society. My group mates and I were joking around that we should create a blog to post genealogy related reviews. Obviously we didn’t get around to it, but I like the idea. There really isn’t a single good place to read genealogy specific reviews.