A few days ago, Leland wrote a review of this book; I do hope you all order a copy. But that being said, do not get a copy if you won’t read and study it! I’ve written before about how crazy it is to purchase a book with great intentions of reading and studying and using the book and there it sits on the shelf gathering dust. Shame on us!
For instance, for a project I’ve been working on I found the Fitzroy Chapin, son of Paul Fitzroy Chapin, son of Paul Chapin and Mary Fitzroy. It looked good, it seemed good and I grabbed it up. But it was wrong! Fitzroy Chapin was born in 1821 and so could not have been the son of Paul Fitzroy Chapin born in 1824. Pertaining to the same clan most likely, but these two were not father-son. Had I slowed down and taken a second, third or fourth look, and had the advice in this book more firmly in my mind, I would not have made that mistake so quickly and easily.
This book clearly and repeatedly explains the value of keeping the definitions of proof statement and proof summary and proof argument more clearly in mind when pondering a possible genealogy connection. If those terms and concepts are a bit foreign to you (as they were to me at one time) then you need this book! It’s a little book, only 80 pages, so it’s a doable study.
Many of us on the Salt Lake Christmas Tour have been researching for years and years but are now finding that some of the connections we made early on might just not be so. To lose one child-parent link can remove a long interesting pedigree. But it he or she is not “yours,” then you must seek out who is your ancestor. This book will help you hone the skills you’ve been using for decades when you come to the Family History Library in December…. especially if you’ve been working on the same problem for years! Decide now to become a better researcher and results in December will prove the worth of that decision.
Click here to order a copy of Genealogy Standards!
Donna, aka Mother Hen, until next peek.