The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Genealogy

The CompleteIdiot’s Guide to Genealogy

By Christine Rose and Kay Germain Ingalls

Alpha, 2012. 410 pgs. Nonfiction

Hands down this is the finest introduction to genealogy that I’ve read. This book teaches you where and how to begin your research, how to keep track of your findings, how to stay grounded in good research techniques as you explore internet resources, and how to glean the most from all the primary record types used in research. Interspersed throughout the text are definitions, “pedigree pitfalls,” “tree tips,” and “lineage lessons.”

Rose and Ingalls cover the basics extremely well. This guide is accessible, nicely organized, and clearly written. I found the chapter dedicated to resolving discrepancies to be one of the most useful.

SML

Provo’s Two Temples

by Richard O. Cowan & Justin R. Bray

Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2015. 364 pgs. Nonfiction

Provo’s Two Temples is a beautifully written and lavishly illustrated history of each of the two LDS temples now in Provo. The first temple was dedicated in 1972. The first half of this volume tells the story of the planning, building and use of this first Provo Temple. The story of the second temple is a little more complicated. On December 17, 2010 a devastating fire gutted the Provo Tabernacle and left little but the brick walls. The Tabernacle has been rebuilt to be the Provo City Center Temple, and the second half of this volume tells the story of the former Tabernacle, the fire, and the construction of the new temple, which is scheduled to open in March of 2016.

This book was a surprisingly quick and enjoyable read. There were many interesting details, fabulous photographs, and the authors have included quite a few quotes from a variety of individuals which provide a personal touch to the text. One last note: in an age in which many books are produced cheaply this is one that has been well built. This is a book that will endure.

SML

The Last Pioneer: John Taylor, a MormonProphet

by Samuel W. Taylor

Signature Books, 1999. 406 pgs. Nonfiction

Originally published in 1976 by Macmillan as The Kingdom or Nothing: The Life of John Taylor, Militant Mormon is a bright, engaging biography of the 3^rd President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in England in 1808, John Taylor joined the LDS Church in Toronto, migrated to Far West, Missouri, then to Nauvoo, Illinois. When the Mormons migrated west to Utah, Taylor headed to England on his second of four missions completed during his lifetime. He returned in 1847 and led a wagon train to Salt Lake. Besides two missions to England, Taylor also went to France & Germany and later to New York City. He supervised the translation of the Book of Mormon into French & German, he published a newspaper in New York City, and he attempted to begin the sugar beet industry in Utah. In this account, Taylor had at least seven wives and he became a staunch defender of the Mormon practice of polygamy. During the last few years of his life it was necessary for him to go underground to avoid capture by Federal officials. In this volume the entire story is related in satisfying detail.

That which stands out the most in this biography is Taylor’s capabilities and unflinching dedication despite any and all opposition and circumstances. Taylor has lightly documented the details in this biography with but few footnotes throughout. Included at the back are an adequate bibliography and index.

SML

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

by Richard Lyman Bushman, with the assistance of Jed Woodworth

Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 740 pgs. Nonfiction

There has long been a need for a well-documented, thoroughly researched, balanced account of Joseph Smith. Bushman provides a dense yet readable narrative and integrates recent research and discoveries into his work (recent at the time of publication back in 2005). There’s a lot of detail here and some interesting possibilities raised such as the location where the Church was organized (traditionally Fayette, New York—Bushman suggests Mansfield). Also the date when the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored (traditionally May-June 1829; Bushman suggests a data as late as late as June or July of 1830).

By a wide margin this is the finest biography available on Joseph Smith and will likely remain so for quite some time. Perhaps following the completion of the Joseph Smith Papers Project a new biography will appear, utilizing yet further sources and synthesizing additional strands from the life of this singular man.

SML

The Desert Between the Mountains: Mormons, Miners, Padres, Mountain Men, and the Opening of the Great Basin, 1772-1869

The Desert Between the Mountains: Mormons, Miners, Padres, Mountain Men, and the Opening of the Great Basin, 1772-1869
by Michael S. Durham
Henry Holt, 1997. 336 pgs. Nonfiction

This quick survey of the history of the Great Basin begins with geography and geology, the Native American presence, and the first Spanish explorers in the region. It then moves on to various explorers and mountain men criss-crossing the region. Lastly it tells of the pioneering efforts of the Mormons in the region, the “Utah War,” the short-lived Pony Express, and concludes with the arrival of the transcontinental railroad.

The narrative moves breezily and uses footnotes sparingly. If nothing else, this overview whets the appetite for further reading on such explorers as John Fremont and Jedediah Smith, tales of the fur trappers, and tragedies such as that of the Donner Party and the mountain meadows massacre.

SML

Sisters Abroad: Interviews from the Mormon Women Project

Sisters Abroad: Interviews from the MormonWomen Project

Neylan McBaine, editor

Patheos Press, 2013. 137 pgs. Nonfiction

This slim volume is a collection of interviews with 13 Mormon women from 13 different countries. Each is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were interviewed as part of the Mormon Women Project which now includes about 250 interviews with women from 22 countries. The selection published here in Sisters Abroad includes the following interviews: Galina Goncharova, Russia; Sahar Qumsiyeh, Palestine; Swarupa Katuka, India; Agnes Twagiramariya, Rwanda; Dagmar Patricia Kollmeier, Germany; Adeline & Veronique Defranchi, France; Terese Kanyanga, South Korea; Ildiko Kovacs, Hungary; Gina Traynor, Ireland; Faustina Otoo, Ghana; Rostya Gordon-Smith, Czech republic; Ines Piñate, Venezuela; and Siu Man, Hong Kong.

The stories here are diverse, fascinating, and inspiring and each provides a glimpse into these women’s struggles, sacrifices, dreams, and hopes.

SML

My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business

My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business

By Dick Van Dyke

Crown Archetype, 2011. 287 pgs. Biography

This is a terrific little journey through Dick Van Dyke’s “Lucky Life.” He gets his start in radio. Then he joins Phil Erickson on the road doing a comedy routine. He did some television work for a few years, then landed a part in Bye Bye Birdie. This was followed by The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and somewhat later Diagnosis Murder. There were of course, a number of other films and television work, but these are certainly his most memorable work.

There are no scandals here—well they might be mentioned, but there’s no dwelling on them—and perhaps that is the secret to Van Dyke’s “Lucky Life”—a optimistic outlook that focuses on the good. This is the story of a kind, earnest, and talented man who found ways to spread his good-natured entertainment far and wide.

SML

Up Till Now: The Autobiography

Up Till Now: The Autobiography
William Shatner
Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 2008. 358 pgs. Biography

In this entertaining and engaging memoir Shatner recalls many events from his professional and personal life from his beginnings in Shakespearean theater to spokesman for Priceline. Shatner’s most famous roles have been as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, “old school” cop T.J. Hooker, and as Attorney Denny Craig on Boston Legal. During his notable and exuberant career, Shatner has never shrunk from risks or challenges and has undertaken a number stunts both on screen and off.

This memoir is broader than Shatner’s other two memoirs that focus on Star Trek, and it does deal with tender subjects such as the loss of his wife by accidental drowning. Despite this, this memoir gives a narrow and shallow view of William Shatner. This is a light read, frequently funny (a few groaners), and will likely be of interest to Trekkies and lovers of celebrity biographies.

SML

Troubled Times: Provo, Utah 1855-1856

Troubled Times: Provo, Utah 1855-1856
by D. Robert Carter
Provo City, 2015. 252 pgs. Nonfiction

This well-research and nicely written history of early Provo is the third volume of the author’s detailed history of Provo. The first was Founding Fort Utah, followed by From Fort to Village. Troubled Times chronicles the difficulties the early settlers encountered during the mid-1850s, including troubles with the Indians, grasshoppers destroying crops, and the ill-effects of the drought. Hunger and starvation threatened the lives of many pioneers along the Wasatch Front after crops failed. Herds of cattle died. One upbeat episode in all of this is the discovery of a miraculous, short-lived source of sugar that led to the creation of confections for several weeks in the summer of 1855. (What was this mysterious substance?).

It seems that Provo residents were not well thought of by their Mormon leaders in Salt Lake City. They were constantly admonished to build their city more: construct the first tabernacle (took them 17 years), build a wall around the city (to protect from Indians), improve the roads, build fences to keep the cattle under control, and construct outhouses (it was a problem). Carter explains how the Mormon reformation came to Provo and tells of the role that Provo played in the rescue of the Willie & Martin handcart companies, stranded and starving out in the Wyoming wilderness.

This history is meticulously researched and well documented in numerous footnotes to each chapter. Illustrated with 90 photos and drawings and featuring a useful index, this volume will stand with Carter’s others as a fine resource for Provo history for many years to come.

SML

Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques

Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques
by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith
McGraw Hill Education, 2014. 206 pgs. Nonfiction

A common occurrence when attempting to do genealogy is to run into a “brick wall”—that point at which you just can’t seem to extend the line or find any more information. Morgan & Smith have fashioned their guide around the brick wall concept. First, examine the wall in detail (every crack & irregularity gets examined). The techniques for dealing with the brick wall are clustered around the following ideas: Use Brute Force, Go Around the Wall, Talk to a Friend, Use Crowdsourcing, Apply Technological Solutions, Hire a Demolition Expert, and Rest up and Attack the Brick Wall Another Time. The final chapter instructs on putting all the techniques to work.

This is a welcome addition to the small number of excellent books available that provide guidance to the novice genealogist tackling their brick wall. Clearly written, with examples & illustrations, this volume can serve as a fine introduction to family history. I would recommend this book to anyone beginning their genealogy—whether they’ve come to their first brick wall, or have only just started down the research road.

SML

Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson

by Henry Bushkin

Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. 304 pgs. Biography

Johnny Carson was the king of late night TV from 1962 to 1992. A frequent question during those years was “did you see Carson last night?” Charming and funny, Johnny was the best. This biography picks up when Johnny hires Henry Bushkin to be his lawyer in 1970 and continues through the life of their working relationship. Bushkin was not just Johnny’s attorney, but also his tennis partner, business advisor, fixer, confidante, and best friend. In some ways he probably knew Johnny better than Johnny knew Johnny.

A bundle of contradictions, Johnny Carson was preeminently successful as a comedian and talk show host, but detested small talk with people and was remarkably unsuccessful in most all of his business ventures outside of the Tonight Show. Comfortable with an audience he hated social gatherings. He was demanding, inscrutable, and cruel. He was also extremely generous and caring. Carson was complex and Bushkin does a good job telling the story, explaining some of the mystery, and sharing some laughs along the way.

SML

Eating on the Wild Side

Eating on the Wild Side: the Missing Link to Optimum Health

by Jo Robinson

Little, Brown and Company, 2013. 416 pgs. Nonfiction

This book is not about dieting; nor is it a recipe book. The subject here is our fruits and vegetables: why certain varieties have become dominant in the marketplace, the nutritional consequences of industry and market influences, and how various varieties compare with one another with respect to both taste and nutrition.

Before your eyes glaze over (as mine often do in regard to this topic)—This surprisingly engaging and interesting. Packed with great information presented in an easy conversational style, this book is a great starting place for someone ready to improve their eating habits.

SML

Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral

Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral

by Mary Doria Russell

HarperCollins, 2015. 581 pgs. Fiction

Tombstone, Arizona. October 26, 1881. 5 cowboys. 4 lawmen. 30 seconds that changed everything. This is the story of the events leading up to those 30 seconds, the gunfight, and its aftermath. In 1881 Tombstone was a burgeoning frontier metropolis with three newspapers, a number of restaurants, two banks, four churches, a school, an opera house, a bowling alley, an ice cream parlor, 110 saloons, 14 gambling establishments, and a bunch of brothels. The mining town was on the rise and it was drawing men with political and financial ambitions.

An earlier chapter in this story--that of Doc & Wyatt becoming friends while in Dodge City is told in Russell's earlier novel, Doc. In Epitaph Russell details the sequence of events that led to the famous gunfight, but what she really does is show the character of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Russell reveals them in all their humanity--their values, feelings, desires, as well as their flaws and limitations. Vivid characters and authentic dialog make this a compelling western tale. A familiar story re-told with excellence, insight, and compassion.

SML

Work Simply: Embracing the Power of Your Personal Productivity Style

Work Simply:Embracing the Power of Your Personal Productivity Style

by Carson Tate
Penguin, 2015. 286 pgs. Nonfiction

Time management is a myth—this is one of the first declarations made by the author, Carson Tate. She should know—she’s an expert on productivity in the workplace. She lays out four different styles of personal productivity: Prioritizer, Visualizer, Planner, and Arranger. There is an assessment included by which you can determine your predominant productivity style. The bulk of the book reviews many tasks in the modern business world and how they might be accomplished most effectively: handling email, working with others, delegating tasks, running effective meetings, etc. Tate includes myriad tips and frequent references to software & apps that assist with specific tasks for each style.

The approach by productivity style is interesting and the tips and recommendations throughout this book would be useful to anyone feeling swamped with work or inundated with email. By discovering our own style and matching our approaches to that style, Tate demonstrates how each of us can increase our productivity.

SML

When I was a Child I Read Books

When I was a Child I Read Books
By Marilynne Robinson
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012. 224 page. Nonfiction

I was drawn to this book by it's cover and would have never guessed the depth & breadth of the book's content. This is a collection of essays such as "Freedom of Thought" and "Austerity and Ideology." This is certainly one of the most interesting, thought-provoking, and engaging books I have ever read. Beautifully written essays in which myriad important ideas are slipped in. Robinson is well-read and articulate. The depth and breadth of her thought is remarkable.

SML

Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made the Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic

Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made theMary Tyler Moore Show a Classic

By Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Simon & Schuster, 2013. 336 pages. Nonfiction

I grew up in the seventies and watched the Mary Tyler Moore show regularly. And loved it. While recently re-watching the series this new book was published and gave additional perspective on this award-winning sitcom. In the seventies I had no idea how ground-breaking this show was. Mary plays a single, independent, professional woman. This had never been seen on television before. Behind the scenes this show was also the first to employ a team of women writers. The show was entertaining and funny with an occasional serious edge to it.

Armstrong gives her readers a well-written, informative and entertaining story of how the Mary Tyler Moore show came to be, excelled, and influenced future television. Readers will enjoy the background information on the main actors and descriptions of the dynamics between the actors during the course of the show.

SML

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts

Just My Type:A Book About Fonts

By Simon Garfield

Gotham Books, 2011. 356 pages. Nonfiction

Until the advent of computers for the common man, most people had never given a moment’s thought to fonts. Now everyone has myriad fonts at their disposal: Century Gothic, Bookman Old Style, Helvetica, Comic Sans, Garamond, etc. This book is a terrific introduction and overview to font design, implications & consequences of font selections, and a bit of history of types. There are numerous historical vignettes and anecdotes. My favorite regards the unfortunate fate of the original Cobden-Sanderson fonts used to produce the beautiful books that issued from the Doves Press in the early 20^th century. The stories of successful and unsuccessful font selections permeate our culture.  Amy Winehouse, Barack Obama, The Beatles and the Beach Boys, American Airlines, IKEA, Vanity Fair & Tiger Woods all pepper the pages of Just My Type. Font designs are intellectual property and require licenses for their proper use. There is a deliciously ironic story about a problematic anti-piracy campaign by HADOPI, the French agency responsible for policing copyright infringements.

This book is well written, nicely illustrated, and surprisingly engaging. I found this book to be both useful and entertaining. One word of warning: if you do read this book, you may find that you begin seeing the typefonts instead of the words.

SML

Finding Your Roots: Easy-to-Do Genealogy and Family History

Finding YourRoots: Easy-to-Do Genealogy and Family History

By Janice Schultz

Huron Street Press, 2013. 230 pages. Nonfiction

This is a welcome and useful introduction to doing U.S. family history from the perspective of one who is both a librarian and a genealogist. The book tells the reader how to get started on family history and then focuses on the different record types: where to find them and how to use them. Each chapter introduces and focuses on a set of related records: The First Steps in Finding Records (much about U.S. census records here); Federal, State, and Local Government Records (includes wills & probates, land & deed records, tax records, and naturalization records); Military, Church, and Cemetery Records; and Printed and Internet Sources. Schultz includes a little bit on doing Native American and African American research in a chapter that introduces immigration records.

The text is illustrated with images of the wide variety of record types and each chapter is supplemented with a section listing a few internet resources. This book should be enough to get anyone started on their U.S. research. Once the records take them out of the country they will need to look for guidance beyond this little introduction.

SML

Steelheart

Steelheart

By Brandon Sanderson

Delacorte Press, 2013. 386 pages. Young Adult

The world has changed—and not for the better. In Sanderson’s dystopian world a handful of humans have acquired great powers and they use them to rule the world. They’re called Epics and the most powerful Epic of all is the invincible Steelheart. When David was 10 years old his father was killed by Steelheart. David watched him die and now, a few years later, he means to avenge his father’s death. But how do you kill someone who’s invincible? David has some theories.

The pace is quick, the writing engaging, and the characters likable. David repeatedly produces metaphors, often funny, but always awful.  A light, fun & easy read.

SML

Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time

Walkable City: How Downtown can save America, One Step at a Time

By Jeff Speck

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012. 312 pages.  Nonfiction

In Walkable City Speck lays out what it will take to make our cities walkable.  At the outset the author states that for people to really take to the streets with their feet their walks must be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting. He explains what he means by each of these qualities and demonstrates what how each these qualities affects the walkability of an urban environment. Then he lays out 10 steps to achieving walkability. The steps involve automobiles, parking, mixed use neighborhoods, public transportation, bicycles, sidewalks, and roads.

Speck illustrates his arguments with statistics, studies, and anecdotes. While some of the arguments seem a bit strained, overall the author’s proposals are compelling. There are quite a few counter-intuitive lessons taught in this book including more and bigger roads causes congestion, free parking is really expensive, and putting bicycles into the traffic makes streets safer. Interesting and informative.