Reddit mentions of The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. 3rd Edition

I try to stay neutral about most people I'm researching.

As /u/nosleeptilwhiterun said in a different thread:
> I always say if you are going to be "proud" of your ancestors accomplishments, I hope you then feel shame for their misdeeds. I feel neither.

I agree with that.

Some people I'll find more interesting than others - because they're more active (newspapers) or because you can see them accomplishing or overcoming things in their lives or helping to change/improve their towns or cities where they live. I'm not sure I'd call that pride per se, but more like you're happy to watch them improve.

Quick example, a woman I was researching was the first woman elected to the town's board of education in 1889. She was a suffragette, very involved in local affairs and beat her opponent with nearly double the vote. Good for her.

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I added this in the other thread, but I think it fits here too.

In The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy by Val Greenwood, he writes:

> "If you are scared of skeletons then stay out of closets. And if you are ashamed of ancestors who do not meet your own social standards then stay away from genealogy." (pg 12) ...

> "Regardless of what you find, your first responsibility is to the truth." (pg. 12)

Go to your local library. They will have a lot of how-to books and online access to genealogy sites (like Ancestry). Some libraries even offer free classes.

Personally, I started with this book years ago, which is arguably the best text book ever written on the subject: The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. Your local library probably has a copy.

Reddit also has a /r/genealogy sub with lots of people willing to help.