A review of Your Family History Toolbox

Paul Larsen, the author of Your Family History Toolbox, published by EasyFamilyHistory.com, 1914 Pikes Drive, St. George, UT 84770, provided me a copy of the book for my review. The book comes on a CD and from the ISBN it looks like the book is only available in an electronic version. I have been acquainted with Paul's books for sometime and he is a consistent exhibitor at various genealogy conferences, especially Family History Expos.

Even though the format of the book is heavy on clip art, the book has some solid substance. It is well organized and gives a very broad overview of online genealogy resources and tools. I am not aware of any other publication with so many suggestions for assisting with your genealogical research. The book is a good starting point for anyone interested in learning more about the types of resources available online. The book is by no means exhaustive, but the selection of topics and the subject matter of each topic give an adequate review of what you might never become aware of otherwise.

I must admit that despite practically living on the Internet, there were quite a few programs and websites mention in Your Family History Toolbox that surprised me. The book could literally gone on to be two or three times larger than its 139 pages, but the information is presented in an easy to review and read fashion. More information would not have necessarily have improved the book. The selection made by the author was enough to get you started in almost all the areas covered.

It is basically the kind of book that every genealogist needs to go through to give a feel for the types of resources you might or might not find on your own. The tag line on the cover is a good description of the book, "Cutting-Edge Tools and Gadgets to Make Your Family History Research Easier, Faster, and More Fun."

Here is a sample from the Table of Contents

1.What is a ‘Family History Toolbox’? 

2.What’s IN a Family History Tool Kit? 

3.Your Basic Essential Tools
Family History Software 

• Free Online Software Directory 
• Free Online Software Tools & Utilities Directory 
• Free Software Reviews by Experts

A Free ‘Family Tree’ Email Address
‘How-to’ Book/eBook: A Step-by-Step Illustrated Guide and Resource Directory 

• Free Intro Video: Crash Course in Family History

eBook – My Family Tree: Where Do I Start? 3-Easy-Steps
Beginners Helps/Tutorials
Valuable ‘How-to’ Articles/Videos/Podcasts/Blogs
Free Tools, Forms, Calculators and Worksheets
Wikis: Key Information Source

• FamilySearch Wiki 
• WeRelate Wiki 
• Ancestry Wiki

101 Best Web Sites: Family Tree Magazine

 The list could go on, but I expect you get the idea. This book is all about making genealogists more aware of the resources that are as close as our computers. Good job, Paul.