“Genealogy Basics in 30 Minutes” written by Shannon Combs-Bennett was recently released. This is a quick guide to creating a family tree, building connections with relatives, and discovering the stories of your ancestors. The book is divided into the following chapters:

• Introduction
• Starting your family tree
• Genealogy road trips
• Online research, genetic genealogy, and other resources
• Tracking and sharing research
• How to tame sprawling records
• Conclusion
• About the author
• Appendix
• Index

Within this easy to read book, Shannon explains the “joys, challenges, and triumphs of researching your family origins. There are lots of examples, case studies, and advice that can help would-be family historians quickly get up to speed.” I wish when I started doing research that I had a great resource like this to get me started. There are lots of great tips and information for the budding genealogists. For example, on page 28 Shannon gives tips on what to include in a portable genealogy kit. In the back of the book Shannon lists 20 qquestions to ask relatives geared toward children. Another topic she covers is getting organized, and anyone who has done genealogy knows the importance of this skill. I will be keeping this book next to me as a great family history resource.

Shannon Combs-Bennett is an author, researcher, and lecturer based in the Washington, DC area. She is a frequent contributor to Family Tree Magazine and Family Tree University. She serves as the Creative Director for the In-Depth Genealgist, and is the founder of T2 Family History.

Other educational genealogy books you can find written by Shannon are "An In-Depth Guide to Washington, DC" and "An In-Depth Guide to Richmond, Virginia".