NextGen Genealogy: The DNA Connection

After watching an episode of Who do you think you are, and various persons claimed to be "pure" English. Their DNA told a completely different story. Family legends have led us to believe a multitude of fascinating stories, but I am passionate about the truth of where I came from so I shall have to have my DNA checked as well.A totally absorbing book.

The TV dramas provide us with a distorted idea of what DNA is and what can be learned from DNA testing. Dr. Dowell's book dispels those misconceptions. This is not a book that can be read and then put aside with a feeling that the material has been mastered. Although the book is well written and well organized, there is just too much information there for casual understanding. My original intention was to read the book quickly to gain an understanding of what was contained in the book and then read it more slowly to gain an understanding of the material. The first reading was successful but I would be surprised if I had retained even 10% of what I read. There was just too much information available. But I did gain a pretty good idea of how our ancestry contributes to our DNA and the information that can be obtained from the different types of DNA tests. More importantly, I realized that this is a reference, to be used to answer specific questions about how DNA can be used in researching ones ancestry. And the answers are there. Dr. Dowell's method is to explain a concept and then provide examples, often taken from his own research, of how that concept applies to resolving dilemmas that surfaced in that research. Basically, he describes DNA as a tool that helps solve mysteries. This book should be in the library of everyone with a serious interest in genealogy.

There's useful information in the book but not a lot that is unique. Most is available in various posts and blogs. The largest negative is the excessive price. Definitely not worth the price.

This was a terrifically helpful book on a topic with which I have no experience but a need to get up to speed quickly. It's practical and applied, providing specific examples and very current information on the primary marketplace options. The book is well-written and easy to read. The examples made sense and helped me absorb what I was learning. I feel that to really be able to apply this information to my own analysis of DNA data, I will need to go back and study the examples more closely so that I can more fully understand the author's analytic decisions in the process. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a basic but thorough understanding of what they need to know before heading down the path of DNA testing.

Not a bad primer on DNA but he spent too much time and too many pages on his own family. He should have made his searches look generic even if they weren't.

This is the first book on english I read. Its a deeper book. I have reed a swedish book of author Magnus Bäckmark who have help me first. This book is a very good compliment.

This is the most current and complete book on genetic genealogy. I appreciated the clear explanations and the very focused structure. Other books on the subject are either very outdated or seem to wander around in a way that results in too much duplication of content. I would have purchased this book earlier; but I was put off by the high price. Sadly, lots of people who could benefit from this information will not see it due to the textbook-level pricing.

This book is rather basic peppered with personal examples and WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. Not worth the value.