Trace Your Roots With DNA

Combining the jargon loaded topics of genetics and genealogy in a surprisingly easy-to-read format, "Trace Your Roots with DNA" is just what genealogists have been waiting for. From the basics of genetics, to a complete explanation of how DNA tests work and what they can - and can't - tell you about your ancestors, authors Megan Smolenyak and Ann Turner have created an outstanding reference book for anyone interested in using DNA to answer the puzzles of their past.

If I could select two people to author a book on "geneatology" (genealogy + genetics), I wouldn't have been able to suggest any better than Megan Smolenyak, author of numerous articles on DNA testing for genealogists, and Ann Turner, founder and list administrator for the popular GENEALOGY-DNA mailing list on Rootsweb.com. These two expert genealogists have taken a challenging, jargon loaded topic and brought it to a level that even beginners can understand in their book, "Trace Your Roots with DNA" from Rodale Press.

After two chapers covering genetic and genealogy basics, the book explores the many uses of genetic testing for tracing your family tree. It covers what kind of information DNA tests can -- and can't -- provide, how the tests work, which ones to use, where to get them, and how to interpret the results, as well as how to further expand your results by joining an established research project, or starting and managing your own family study. Numerous examples, using both famous historical figures and ordinary folks, bring those "alleles" and "genotypes" to life in a way that even genetic novices can understand.

If you've ever wondered how to use DNA testing to expand your family tree, this outstanding book is definitely the one you've been waiting for!