The Family Tree Problem Solver: Tried-and-True Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors Paperback – April 19, 2011

I am reading this book now. There is a lot of good information about solving genealogical problems. There are many examples that accompany the suggested methods.

For me, this book deserves 10 Stars and I can't recommend it enough! Whether you are new to family research, like me, or have been involved in tracing your tree for years, you will find some something of value to push through any blocks you may have encountered. I've only been researching my family for about 3 months now, so it's all new information to me and after exhausting every avenue I could think of, Ms. Rising's book helped me to find completely new leads I wouldn't have thought to explore.There is a branch of my family that has told a very romantic family story for generations, involving my 3x great grandparents' lives in a volatile area in Southwest Missouri during the Civil War. I love family lore, but I wanted to find the documentation that would either support the stories, or clarify the actual events as they truly occurred because the truth means more to me than stories that can and DO get embellished over the years. I had many challenges to overcome (courthouse burned TWICE, leaving practically zero trace of them), and this book has helped me enormously in looking at the bigger picture of not just names and dates, but the people who lived lives as we do today, as members of a family and a community, which can open floodgates of information to explore where previously there was only a brick wall. As a result of following Ms. Rising's tactics I have found documented facts that I wouldn't have found otherwise and the picture that's forming is far more intriguing than the family lore!Whether your challenge is, like mine, no county records, or family from the difficult years prior to the 1850 Federal Census, or a family with a dozen men named John, this book can help you navigate the unknowns. There are no magic answers, of course, and I have several ancestors I doubt I'll ever get to the bottom of, but this book has helped me tremendously in knowing I have uncovered every crumb trail my ancestor may have left behind. And in the case of my burned courthouse family, I have found a much deeper story than I think I would've found had those county records been readily available because being new to family research, I probably wouldn't have thought to dig even deeper or wider into their community to find the nuggets I have found, including the documentation to support them! Highly recommended!

Gives some good advice for problem solving.

Kudos to author Marsha Hoffman Rising! This work is an invaluable research tool for anyone investigating family histories, and an historically accurate and provocative look into the facts and realities of the women daily lives, legal and religious rights, and contributions to our personal lives, as well as American history. As we research the distaff side of our family trees we are often left with tantalizing clues, that lead us down the garden path to brick-walls. Hoffman provides historically accurate, fact based, well researched and tested strategies for scaling those walls, and locating the women in our past. Her methods work! Hoffman demystifies research techniques,and provides state - by - state historical and legal information that I have never found compiled elsewhere. Her friendly style makes the book easy to read, and her recommendations easy to follow. Most importantly, she provides an accurate, no nonsense, historically accurate view of womens history.I wish I had found her work earlier in my own genealogy searches! I would highly recommend this author, and her works for anyone seriously looking for their fore-mothers.This fine book is a "must have," for every genealogist, whether amateur or pro!

There is no question this is a very well-written book. Marsha Hoffman Rising presents her ideas with practical examples that anyone who is entrenched in genealogy can implement immediately. The two main concepts which I took from her include: Dealing with the problems in the years before 1850 and using information from collateral lines, neighbors, and community to help uncover information about your direct line and provide clues to migration patterns.The only disappointment I have does not involve the main ideas she put forward, as those were well-done. As she says on the cover, these are "Tried-and-True Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors." Her ideas are not new. I was hoping there would be new, innovative, out-side-the-box ideas to use. For those of us who have been engaged with trying to break through those walls, we have heard these ideas before in one form or another.I don't want to discourage anyone from purchasing this book, because it is a worthwhile read. However, if you are an advanced genealogist, looking for novel ideas to break through a brick wall, you may be disappointed.

I do a lot of genealogy. I have a few “brick wall ancestors” and wanted ideas to get my research moving forward. I have only thumbed through the book so far but already have a few ideas to try.

I bought this book for my mother who is doing genealogy. She is so into it that she often travels back east to search graveyards, courthouses and libraries for information. She loved to find the stories of our family and revels in telling us all of the new information that she find. So, I thought this would be a great gift for her. She has had it since Christmas 2012 and has already found our great-great grandfathers 83 page handwritten will!There are several resources in here that she had never utilized or even thought of before and she is an experienced genealogist. I highly recommend this for anyone who is researching their family, experienced or not.I plan on buying copies for everyone in my family who is interested in the subject

There was nothing in the book description on Amazon to indicate the almost exclusive orientation of this book to USA records. Very useful if that is your area of interest but disappointing if your research is elsewhere.

Good book but only for US research

There are some useful segments in this book but I feel it is primarily targeted at family history researchers with American connections.It looks well presented with plenty of images to help with research.Not suited for me (I’m Australia based with no USA ancestors).Star rating given on general book layout and presentation.

Bon format !!

Very helpful