Who am I? Where do I come from? Why am I the way I am? In Ancestry Quest: How Stories of the Past Heal the Future, Mary Beth Sammons follows dozens of individuals as they delve deep into their family mysteries—attempting to discover the truth of their identities—all through the results of a simple DNA test and online ancestry searches. Each journey is dramatically different: some joyously unite with long-lost siblings while others are forced to reckon with a fractured and devastating past. These stories, heart-wrenching and warming, intimate and inspiring, showcase and distill the lessons learned in the search for what makes us who we really are—and promise to redefine family in ways never before possible.
In Roots Quest, sociologist Jackie Hogan digs into our current genealogy boom to ask why we are so interested in our family history. She shows how the surging popularity of genealogy is a response to large-scale social changes, and she explores the way our increasingly rootless society fuels the quest for an elemental sense of belonging—for roots.
A “fascinating [and] unique exploration” of the mythological founder of Britain, divine ancestor of King Arthur, and symbol of British identity (Your Family History). Believed to be a great-great-great grandson of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, Brutus of Troy led a voyage from Greece to Britain. Landing at Totnes in Devon, it is said that Brutus overthrew the giants who lived there, laid the foundations of Oxford University and London, and sired a line of kings that includes King Arthur and the ancestors of the present Royal Family. Genealogist Anthony Adolph traces the legend of Brutus of Troy from the Roman times onwards, looking at his popularity, his mentions in fiction, and his place in mythology of some of London’s landmarks. Brutus’ story played a crucial role in royal propaganda and foreign policy. His tale also inspired poets and playwrights including Shakespeare, Spenser, Milton, Pope, Wordworth, Dickens, and Blake. Brutus of Troy delves into how the myth shaped Britain’s identity and gave the nation a place in Classical mythologies and the Bible.
"Honoring our Ancestors provides 50 stories that hold one common thread--the seemingly endless ways to creatively pay tribute to those who came before us. One man built a Viking ship and sailed across the Atlantic; another devoted decades to collecting slavery memorabilia. One family passed a diaper down through four generations, while another staged a scavenger hunt that helped family members get to know their ancestral hometown"--Back cover.
Who am I? Where do I come from? Why am I the way I am? In Ancestry Quest: How Stories of the Past Heal the Future, Mary Beth Sammons follows dozens of individuals as they delve deep into their family mysteries—attempting to discover the truth of their identities—all through the results of a simple DNA test and online ancestry searches. Each journey is dramatically different: some joyously unite with long-lost siblings while others are forced to reckon with a fractured and devastating past. These stories, heart-wrenching and warming, intimate and inspiring, showcase and distill the lessons learned in the search for what makes us who we really are—and promise to redefine family in ways never before possible.
From the host of MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight, “a rich and revealing memoir” (The New York Times) about her travels around the globe to solve the mystery of her ancestry, confronting the question at the heart of the American experience of immigration, race, and identity: Who are my people? “A thoughtful, beautiful meditation on what makes us who we are . . . and the values and ideals that bind us together as Americans.”—Barack Obama The daughter of a Burmese mother and a white American father, Alex Wagner grew up thinking of herself as a “futureface”—an avatar of a mixed-race future when all races would merge into a brown singularity. But when one family mystery leads to another, Wagner’s post-racial ideals fray as she becomes obsessed with the specifics of her own family’s racial and ethnic history. Drawn into the wild world of ancestry, she embarks upon a quest around the world—and into her own DNA—to answer the ultimate questions of who she really is and where she belongs. The journey takes her from Burma to Luxembourg, from ruined colonial capitals with records written on banana leaves to Mormon databases, genetic labs, and the rest of the twenty-first-century genealogy complex. But soon she begins to grapple with a deeper question: Does it matter? Is our enduring obsession with blood and land, race and identity, worth all the trouble it’s caused us? Wagner weaves together fascinating history, genetic science, and sociology but is really after deeper stuff than her own ancestry: in a time of conflict over who we are as a country, she tries to find the story where we all belong. Praise for Futureface “Smart, searching . . . Meditating on our ancestors, as Wagner’s own story shows, can suggest better ways of being ourselves.”—Maud Newton, The New York Times Book Review “Sincere and instructive . . . This timely reflection on American identity, with a bonus exposé of DNA ancestry testing, deserves a wide audience.”—Library Journal “The narrative is part Mary Roach–style participation-heavy research, part family history, and part exploration of existential loneliness. . . . The journey is worth taking.”—Kirkus Reviews “[A] ruminative exploration of ethnicity and identity . . . Wagner’s odyssey is an effective riposte to anti-immigrant politics.”—Publishers Weekly
Ancestry magazine focuses on genealogy for today’s family historian, with tips for using Ancestry.com, advice from family history experts, and success stories from genealogists across the globe. Regular features include “Found!” by Megan Smolenyak, reader-submitted heritage recipes, Howard Wolinsky’s tech-driven “NextGen,” feature articles, a timeline, how-to tips for Family Tree Maker, and insider insight to new tools and records at Ancestry.com. Ancestry magazine is published 6 times yearly by Ancestry Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com.
Genealogists and other historical researchers have valued the first two editions of this work, often referred to as the genealogist's bible."" The new edition continues that tradition. Intended as a handbook and a guide to selecting, locating, and using appropriate primary and secondary resources, The Source also functions as an instructional tool for novice genealogists and a refresher course for experienced researchers. More than 30 experts in this field--genealogists, historians, librarians, and archivists--prepared the 20 signed chapters, which are well written, easy to read, and include many helpful hints for getting the most out of whatever information is acquired. Each chapter ends with an extensive bibliography and is further enriched by tables, black-and-white illustrations, and examples of documents. Eight appendixes include the expected contact information for groups and institutions that persons studying genealogy and history need to find. ""
a primer for beginning and organizing your quest for your family roots Table of Contents Chapter 1/The Genealogist: A Curious Nut on the Family Tree Chapter 2/Prepping for the Past Lane Chapter 3/In the Beginning Is My End Chapter 4/A Look at the Book and 'Zine Scene Chapter 5/Your Research Takes Form Chapter 6/Sense and Census-ability Chapter 7/Dying to Get into a Cemetery? Chapter 8/Happy Hunting Grounds Chapter 9/They Went Data Way Chapter 10/Now What? Chapter 11/FUNdamentals and Farewells Appendix This Web page is registered with Published.com
Travel backward through time from today's scattered billions to the handful of early humans who lived in Africa 60,000 years ago and are ancestors to us all. In Deep Ancestry, scientist and National Geographic explorer Spencer Wells shows how tiny genetic changes add up over time into a fascinating story. Using scores of real-life examples, helpful analogies, and detailed diagrams and illustrations, he explains exactly how each and every individual's DNA contributes another piece to the jigsaw puzzle of human history. The book takes readers inside the Genographic Project—the landmark study now assembling the world's largest collection of DNA samples and employing the latest in testing technology and computer analysis to examine hundreds of thousand of genetic profiles from all over the globe—and invites us all to take part.
