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This book was surprisely quick and easy to read yet very thorough. Any church or small business would benefit from reading this book. It's model is similiar to great world class companies, but is unique with it's theological links. It also recognizes the problems that happen in any small company...even churches....! It recognizes too everyone's desire to work in a place and do things we are passionate about!...Worthwhile for the entire staff to read!

George Cladis has written a great book--the best I have found on team-building in the church. It is an easy read, very practical, filled with a lot of good ideas. I found his chapters on team covenants and on creating a visionary culture particularly helpful.

Cladis has learned a lot in his pastorates about teamwork--and teaches those principles well. He motivates me to want to build a strong team--not be a lone ranger in the pastorate. And he gives lots of ideas on how to do so.

What a breath of fresh air to see one with such an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit coming from a traditional mainline denomination. This book does more than just exhort you to form teams, it tells you how to create a culture of teams that will make your church more effective for the Kingdom of God. This one has definitely made my top-ten list!

In Leading the Team-Based Church, George Cladis weaved together principles from theology, ecclesiology, sociology, and business to create a rubric for applying a team-based model for doing ministry in the church. Cladis's thesis is that the historic hierarchical organizational model of top-down, leader-directed ministry is inconsistent with the nature of God, the New Testament pattern of church ministry, and the needs of a postmodern culture. The cornerstone of Cladis's paradigm is his premise that the persons of the Trinity exist in perichoresis, that is, as a team comprising perfect unity, fellowship, harmony, love, and purpose. The perichoretic Trinity thus becomes the exemplar for team-based ministry in the church. Part 1 explored the theological underpinnings of God as perichoresis and outlined nine characteristics of postmodern society. The seven chapters of part 2 examined the seven forms of leadership reflected in the attributes of God's perichoretic nature in juxtaposition with the characteristics of post-modernism and how these lend credence to team-based ministry in the church.

Review and Reaction
Cladis's interpretation of the Trinity as perichoresis forged the basis of his understanding of team-based ministry in the local church. While not appearing in the New Testament, perichoresis is a compound Greek word literally meaning "circle of dance" (4). To Cladis the Trinity is a perfect team. For him, the perichoretic image of the triune Godhead provides a helpful way of viewing the church and its organizational structure. Specifically, the church should work in perfect harmony, equality, and purpose, thus reflecting the image of God.
Cladis further asserted that the perichoretic model of the Godhead most accurately reflects the demands of a postmodern society for flatten hierarchical organizational structures that value individual giftedness, equality, and collaborative efforts. Cladis suggested that modernism promotes rugged individualism to the exclusion of community. Church structures that reflect a modernistic mindset are less inviting to postmodern people who value participation in decision making, inclusiveness in action, and personal fulfillment. Perichoretic team-based ministry, therefore, provides a more appealing model for postmodern people.
Cladis overreaches his thesis by insisting that team-based ministries are "the most theologically and culturally appropriate method for church leadership today" (17). His premise is specious at best and arrogant at worst. Such an assertion casts immediate aspersions upon centuries of church history. If one accepts Cladis at this point, then any form of church organization not based on teams is not just inefficient, but incongruent with the very nature of God.
One can make the point that scripture does not provide a definitive model for church organization. Allusions to church organizational patterns in scripture are more descriptive than prescriptive. Even the language of church leadership varies within the New Testament--pastor versus elder versus overseer. First century Christians initially adopted the Jewish synagogue model because it was the one most familiar to them, but later developed organizational models that more adequately met their evolving needs. The early church organized its ministry efforts around the needs of its constituency (such as the addition of an incipient deacon ministry in Acts 6:1-6). Their efforts were more pragmatic than theologically informed. They simply acted to meet the needs of the day.
Cladis makes a better point that a team-based ministry more effectively meets the needs of contemporary postmodern believers. The seven team attributes of covenanting, visioning, culture creating, collaborating, trusting, empowering, and learning, detailed in part 2, forms the book's core strengths. Cladis discussed each attribute biblically and then related each to his perichoretic model. Occasionally, he provided insights from the business world and fictionalized church settings to illustrate the efficacy of a particular attribute. Cladis's frequent references to his perichoresis model and to Rublev's icon of the Holy Trinity were distracting and thoroughly unhelpful. One draws the impression that Cladis is attempting to baptize the business model of teams into the language of the church--an unnecessary effort to spiritualize the secular to make it more appealing to the sacred. If a team-based model for ministry works, and does not violate scripture, then employ the best of what the business world has to offer for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Application
Cladis's seven characteristics of team-based ministry can fit well into today's church. Many are intuitively self-evident. The church exists in covenant with God and with one another. This covenant identity does not cease in staff meetings or in church council meetings. What healthy church does not want to have a unifying vision from God that creates a sense of purpose and provides meaning to its efforts? By in large, churches want to develop a cultural ethos reflecting it uniqueness as the people of God. Maturing church members want to contribute their gifts and talents toward a collaborative, trusting, empowering, and spiritually fulfilling mission. Many of Cladis's seven characteristics have an ethereal quality to them. They are better identified by the effect they achieve than the effort needed to achieve them. Nonetheless, they represent biblical ideals church leaders should strive to achieve in their ministry settings.
This reviewer has sought to apply these characteristics to a new preschool ministry team. The team of four mothers of preschool-aged children organized themselves around the mission to create a safe, secure, and satisfying nursery and preschool experience for children from birth through age three. The members have complementary skills and are highly motivated. The initial organizational meeting was unfocused because the members did not know how to work as a team. This pastor introduced the members to Cladis's seven characterizes for healthy teams. Some of the characteristics will take time to formulate, however the team was excited about the characteristics of vision, collaboration, empowerment, trust, and learning. The members embraced their vision of creating a top-notch preschool environment. They made a mutual commitment to work together to fulfill this vision. Only time will tell how well this new team can develop Cladis's characteristics.

Conclusion
Leading the Team-Based Church does what it needs to do. It provides a beneficial contemporary model for ministry leadership in a postmodern world. The old-style hierarchical pyramidal leadership model served the church well for more than one hundred years because it was how people were used to the world operating. It was sociologically consistent, fitting the prevailing worldview. The Medieval monarchical bishopric model worked a thousand years ago for the same reason--it reflected how people related to one another in a feudal society. Through the Renaissance, Reformation, and the Industrial Revolution, the way people viewed leadership changed. Each time this happened the church accommodated these sociological shifts and found the necessary theological support. Cladis does no differently. Sociological shifts notwithstanding, Cladis's seven attributes of team-based leadership are worthy characteristics for any church.

Finally a career guide that helps you navigate and integrate the resources of the internet in your career journey. Knox and Butzel don't just have a bibliography, they give you the URL right in the text. You can read this book in front of your computer monitor! Your surfing will take on new meaning as you link to other useful information.

The model "Finding Your True North" is the best I have seen. User friendly to career voyager and counselor alike,it integrates the best of the past and creates something new. The Spiritual Autobiography activity is a powerful career assessment tool. This is one of many useful exercises to help you put your plan together.

These two seasoned career professionals have woven a new garment, bringing career development process to life and clothing us with the best of the internet's career resources. Bravo!

Terence Lee, President, International Association of Career Management Profesionals, IACMP, Boston Chapter

This book offers an integrated approach to the human and spiritual development of the individual seeking to find meaningful work. The authors have made a convincing argument for the need to change the way we approach our work and the changing nature of the workplace. References are made to help the reader increase her understanding of the stages of self-actualization. Understanding the nine stages of career development provides yet another roadmap for assessing one's readiness to begin the journey toward finding fulfilling lifework.

A Beginners Guide to the Internet takes the reader through the first stages of increasing one's comfort level with the net. Even advanced users will find some interesting tips.

This book contains some fabulous self assessment exercises which are at the heart of discovering one's True North... the career and lifework objective through which the individual finds fulfillment. Over 150 websites are included with references for their best usage. You will learn quickly and easily how to search careers and jobs online and post a resume. It's literally a one-Stop shopping center resource with its companion website. Check it out, you will love it.

I have started to keep Life Work Transitions.Com close at hand. There's so much good stuff here that I keep going back for more; turning over in my head what I've read; and looking forward to sections that I have not gotten to - yet.

Whether you're in the midst of a transition or trying to make sense of the constantly changing world of work and how you fit in, this book has the breadth and the depth to help you tackle the job. I like the tie-in to the Web site; but I like even more the balanced perspective that the two authors bring to the table. The book is both high tech and high touch, which in this "fast company" world of ours, we all need. This is a keeper.

This book is the best, state of the art, tool that will guide you to find your life's work and how to create it. Deborah Knox is one of the rarest and finest career counselors today. She has translated her belief that we all have a purpose here into a functional map for realizing our dreams. This book is a rare opportunity to be guided by a master toward creating our personal vision.

He wrote few or no novels, but if you read Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine in the 1970s, you recognized a master at work. His stories are tight, compact jewels of plotting and wit, and the narrative voice always delights with its dry humor.

I've read another collection of Ritchie's stories, "The Adventures of Henry Turnbuckle," but this has more realistic, engaging, and concise stories, tales that range across the board from light humor to borderline Jim Thompson. The style is simple and straightforward, but the characters have little quirks that make them memorable. Certainly deserves to be in print again.

Ritchie's stories are spare (but describe everything)and macabre (but funny). His narrators are usually histrionic or extreme, but in a calm way, and arrogant, but likeable. Each plot sweeps along swiftly, but the journey is so enjoyable you actually want to slow down and savour the asides. As if all that weren't enough, Ritchie has a talent for the surprise ending, the little flick of that story that turns it completely over. Great and consistent skill is at work here, but some stories are standouts: "A Deadly Game of Cyanide" (hilarious on one page, chilling the next); "A Taste for Murder" (quite gruesome); and, as the previous reviewer mentioned, "The Killing Philosopher," with a terrific ending, one of the most compact, neatly stuffed and folded stories ever written.

This collection of Jack Ritchie's short stories is unfortunately out of print, but if you can find a copy I suggest you grab it. "The Killing Philosopher," which may be my favorite in the bunch, is the best use of a really condensed amount of prose I've encountered. It's less than three pages, and it's given me a kick each time I've read it. Not a weak story in the lot. If you like dark comedies or twisted mysteries, give Ritchie a look.

Just as everyone needs to learn to cross the street without getting hit by a car, everyone needs to learn to use the Internet safely - and this applies even if you think you are a technophobe. Linda Criddle explains that installing protective software is not enough. Antivirus, antispyware and firewall programs won't do you any good if you don't know how to protect your personal information and avoid exploitation; you can damage yourself more than any virus can. Criddle organizes her advice into 13 steps, and she provides helpful "think about it" and "find out more" boxes as well as real-life examples, images of Web pages, diagrams and sample forms. getAbstract recommends Criddle's advice if you blog, browse, send e-mail or instant messages, or play Internet games, either at home or at work - in other words, to just about anyone who'd rather be safe than sorry.

Linda Criddle has written the definitive parents' guide to Internet safety. As the executive at Microsoft who is responsible for idenitfying emerging online risks to children, she looks at the situation through the eyes of an expert and a parent--and then re-examines the landscape from the perspective of a potential predator, exposing hidden vulnerabilities that put us at risk for exploitation.

Criddle's book is comprehensive and specific. She alerts us to the ways that we are exposing our personal information to the general public, including instances in which parents inadvertently give away identifying information about their children. She is knowledgeable about the way predators use the Internet to identify potential victims and groom them, keeping in mind that online as in "real life" a predator is most likely to be someone known to a child.

"Look Both Ways" is almost overwhelming in its comprehensive scope. The book covers the latest developments in blogging, instant messaging, and online dating safety, as well as fraud scenarios including financial scams and phishing. Linda Criddle has written an essential guide that will help families develop skills and sensible limits that will ensure that parents and kids have positive Internet experiences. This book is an eye-opener and a vital addition to every parent's library.

This book offers a no-nonsense, simple to follow and understand, approach to protecting your family online. I have kids that loves browsing, playing games and searching for content online and I am always worried that they might expose themselves to risks and harm. The book helped me understand how to protect them without having to bar them from using online services... a must have for anyone who has a PC at home.

I was impressed by this common-sense approach to online safety. Through a lot of the problems out there involve kids and teens, the authors really drive home the point that everybody is at some risk and everybody can be safer if they use their heads. Then the book tells you how to do just that. A must for parents or anybody who uses the internet.

I find this to be a useful resource for the budding entrepreneur or business person looking to expand their marketing efforts.

I like the wide variety of resources that can help a business market products and services virtually anywhere.

This is one of the best resource books I have seen in a long time. I plan on using and recommending this guide to my clients in my marketing consulting business.

The Marketing Yellow Pages is the most useful book I've ever purchased. It gave me insight on resouces that I didn't know existed.

The table of contents and resource descriptions are excellent. I was able to find various types of resources and understand what each resource offered. It gave me insight on several inexpensive services that I'm using to market my business consulting services.

It's great to see someone put this much thought into helping small businesses succeed.

This book is a must have resource for anyone that sells products or services.

The Marketing Yellow Pages is a great resource! I'm an out of work technology guy and am starting a couple of businesses out of my home. I'm not a marketing guy so the book has helped me with a number of issues I knew I didn't know enough about ... more important it has pointed out marketing issues I didn't recognize. This is a great book.

"The Marketing Yellow Pages: A Guide to Online Marketing Resources" is exactly what the title promises. Organized into sections on Marketing, Business Information, Promotional Materials, Government Information, Direct Mail, Web Marketing Strategies, Website Promotions, Software, and others, it contains website listings and some basic information on each site. There does not appear to be anything in this book that you can't find yourself on the Internet by using one of the common search engines. However, you could easily save yourself several hours of time by buying the book and not sorting through pages and pages of hit results trying to find the ones that are valuable.

I have been a fan of Roland Larson's math textbooks, as they have always been very clear and the practice problems always make sense. I was recently stuck in some calculus courses which used the calculus textbook by James Stewart, and that book is a nightmare! Fortunately, my multivarible calc prof prefers Larson's book, which is what we use in class. Very good book; I recommend it much over Stewart's.

The publishers of this book emphasize the quality of the computer generated graphics accompanying the examples; I couldn't agree more. All concepts taught (which are quite clear by themselves) are beautifully illustrated by detailed pictures. I used this book in high school and loved it- so much so that I was inclined to take it to college for further reference. If you are looking for a great introductory calculus book, this is the one.

I was truly impressed by the quality of this book, and i use it instead of the standard book my university uses to teach the course (the book is by james stewart).

Excellent examples, really good physics applications, Good images (graphs/planes/spheres/etc), a really good book, it helped lower my learning curve, or maybe that is because the book my university assigns is just horrible.

One of the best parts of this text book is the beautiful array of supplementary figures and graphs. Many worked out examples provide the reader with a thorough knowlege of the concepts before diving deeper into theory and application. This text book starts at chapter 11 (the reader should have had at most 2 semesters of calculus)

Chapter 11 on vectors and geometry of space offer a solid foundation for understanding basic vector functions and operations (dot and cross product, projection and components, etc.), 3-D geometrical shapes (paraboloid, hyperboloids of 1 or 2 sheets, etc.), as well as applications for both, also cylindrical and spherical coordinates.

Chapter 12 on vector-valued functions initiates the idea of rate, velocity, and acceleration vectors and their relationship including vector differentiation, tangent and normal vectors, and arc length and curvature.

Chapter 13 does a wonderful job introducing functions of several variables, using limits, differentials, partial differentiation rules, gradients, max/minimization, and applications.

Chapter 14 on multiple integration is much easier to understand using this text than others. Lots of physics applications using area, volume, center of mass, moment of inertia, and change of variables.

Chapter 15 returns to vectors with topics such as curl (with physical interpretation), divergence, line and surface integrals, Green's thm, Stoke's thm, flux, and parametric surfaces.

Chapter 16 concludes the text by introducing differential equations. Basic concepts, separation of variables, exactness, homogenous equations, and power series solutions offer both as a learning tool and as somewhat of a refresher course.

Overall, the book is very well-written, from the introduction which illustrates the many advantages of calculus over algebra, the insight into careers using mathematics, to the appendices with proofs of theorems, basic differentian rules and answers to odd-numbered exercises (even exercises for the first 10 chapters), this book is a work of art for any math and/or science student.

I read this book in one sitting. Not because of it's page count, but because of the enjoyment I felt as I continued to read. This is a very gutsy approach to what is happening right now in our ever-changing world. As I neared the story's ending I found myself trying to read slower, to savor the pleasure of the realism. I give five stars to - "On-Line Dating: Intimate Conversations and Encounters". Ms. Crenshaw you did your thing!

Online Dating was a refreshing departure from the typical fare ones accustomed to from black women writers. Ethylene breaks it off proper and to the point. Online Dating was entertaining and opened my eyes to what sistas are doing online. I guess whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

Ethylene Crenshaw provides a humorous look at human interaction with her book Online Dating: Intimate Conversations and Encounters. Set in cyberspace, this book chronicles the dating and sexual experiences of one woman as she would explain it to her closest girlfriend. The author truly understands her characters and their motivations, and I found myself in the role of that girlfriend, alternately laughing or cringing at the stories that were being told. This is truly a remarkable look into the virtual dating trend.

This a is a terrific look into online dating. I can honestly say that I laughed out loud at this extremely well told story. Not many people could have told this story quite this way. Although there is some adult content, the stories told are well done and extremely entertaining. You went along with Lisa into her online chat and knew what she was feeling.

Ethylene Crenshaw is a wonderful story teller and I look forward to more from her soon

All instructional designers creating instructor led, blended, or e-learning should read this book and have plenty of post-its or flags on hand. I found many great new ideas that I can adapt and use in a variety of learning environments. This is a great reference book that those in ID should keep at arms length as they are designing.

Patti Shank has collected a treasure trove of interactive ideas for all types of online learning -- synchronous, asynchronous, instructor-led, and self-directed. Even experienced designers and developers are sure to find new and creative ideas for improving online programs. In fact, I came up with innovative ideas for my classroom training (particularly in the synchronous training chapter.) All you need is a little imagination to use these ideas to solve a wide range of learning challenges. When the examples are not proprietary, Patti provides links so you can see the ideas in action. For example, the book references two low-cost software programs to help assess learning (e.g., Hot Potatoes and Quiz Game Master.) A companion CD in the next edition of this book would be a great asset for helping visualize some of the ideas presented.

I suggest The Online Learning Idea Book be a part of your "toolkit" for designing any type of online learning program. You can also feel confident that the Patti's collection of ideas are based on solid performance improvement theory and will make a true impact on your learners.

Patti Shank has collected great ideas about online learning and teaching from all over the globe. If you are an online instructor or instructional designer looking for new ways to involve and engage your learners, you'll be inspired by this book!

This book takes an interesting approach to online learning. Rather than an author expounding on some specific learning methodology that's guaranteed to revolutionize your system and your learners, Patti Shank collects ideas from practitioners in the field including her own experiences. Most of the contributors provided more than one idea to the text, but there are still at least 30 different viewpoints represented. And, the contributors seem to come from a wide spectrum of (mostly U.S.) educators in both corporate training and higher education.

The book contains almost 100 ideas broken into 10 broad categories related to online learning. Sections like: Ideas for Making Collaboration Work, Ideas for Supporting Learners and Learning, Ideas for Synchronous Activities, etc. Each idea is presented succinctly in 1-4 pages outline style. And, each is detailed by what the idea is, why you would want to use it, how you might use it and who to contact for more information (if needed). Most ideas contain at least one screen shot showing the idea "in action".

As a software developer, I have spent the last 15 years on the "other side" of online learning: designing, building and operationally supporting a number of Learning Management Systems. So many of these ideas presented here were quite familiar to me. The rest ran the gamut from insightful to kind of campy. However, the format made for a fast and easy read. Well worth the time spent.

The book is probably best suited for educators and instructional designers looking to find ways to spruce up their offerings or increase the effectiveness of their material. All of the ideas are aimed at increasing the interactivity of online learning.

For someone interested in online learning and looking to see what kinds of tools and techniques are out there, this book is a great survey of current practice.

This is the biggest bargain available. To be able to read the various paths to success "mere mortals" took to become successful on the internet was extremely inspirational.
I have been quoting the book with regularity since reading. it is a most informative overview.

The online world is the world of DIY. There is simply no substitute for living and breathing it. The interviews in this book are with folks that have significant DIY experience.

You will make mistakes selling online because that is the nature of the beast (if you are not making mistakes you are not in the game), but you might make fewer of them if you read this book. Even if some of this stuff is old school for you, there are some gems here that are well worth the price of admission.

I am in the process of launching my third online business and this one is at the top of my must read list. I am highly recommending it to all my friends. It won't disappoint.

One of the reasons books exist is to pass along information--some of which you might learn on your own. But in such a complex proposal as online marketing, you're unlikely to pick up everything on your own, if for no other reason than the fact that each and every one of has a different approach to problem-solving.

In this book you an learn how highly successful online marketers get it done--without having to go through trial-and-error method and missing the unique wisdom that's offered herein.

Just looking at what the interviwees have accomplished is an education in itself. Go ahead: take a look at their online credentials ... and imagine each of them telling you how they accomplished what they did. That many-to-one advantage is exactly what you get in this book.
==Mike

I am honored to be included in this book. It provides an incredible wealth of information from those who have "been there" and "done that."

It is a must read for marketing professionals who need to have the knowledge and skills that will give them a competitive advantage in today's online world.

The book also provides an important education for business owners and executives who need to make informed decisions about strategies and associated activities they direct or the services they purchase related to online marketing.

These include:

-- Website design and development
-- Online advertising
-- Email marketing
-- Online retailing
-- Blog marketing
-- Corporate blogging
-- Search engine marketing
-- Internet PR
-- And much more

The advice given in this book can positively impact the bottom line of a business by helping decision-makers optimize their expenditures on Internet-related services and by helping them implement more effective online marketing campaigns.

Unfortunately, ignorance about online marketing ends up costing businesses a great deal, not only in dollars, but also in lost opportunities.

After reading this book, you will see there is no short cut to success; however, there are some tried and true strategies and tactics that can be applied to your business that can help lift you above your competitors.

Online Roots by Pamela Boyer Porter, and Amy Johnson Crow is the companion book to Genealogy 101 also published by the National Genealogical Society (NGS). This is a must have book. Like the 101 book this is packed full of more resources than you can even process in one sitting or read. The first chapters are a repeat of some basics like interviewing your oldest living relatives and record their stories and info. Then gather all documents and records around your home and immediate family. Then compile your tree and gather the vital documents.

Now enter the internet. The internet or web is a vast window into so many areas of research that can help your find ancestor's names and possibly their port of entry and country of origin for the emigrant ancestors. There are many chapters that help you flesh out the names and dates. This book reminds you that each of those names is a person with a life that deserves to be remembered. They had a job, family, successes and failures. So with chapters like Wading Deeper, Visiting the Courthouse, Finding clues to Military service and discovering Ancestors at work and worship, you find different avenues you never thought of to put flesh on the bones of your pedigree. Read the history of the area they are from and discover why they moved there or left. Read about the jobs or booms in the area and get a better understanding of the life your ancestor lived. Maybe you will find court papers from a trial or divorce. Maybe you will locate land deeds or bills of sale for items in a town. Each thing may give a clue to finding the next generation or even clarifying a mystery in the family lore.

This was definitely a great book to read through for a novice like myself to start planning, but I can see this book will also become a companion and reference book as I climb my own family tree. As I take each branch I will use this book to ensure I flesh out as many details as I can before skipping to the next. I think this tool will help ensure that I pass on a full, interesting and informative family history and not just a list of names and dates to my kin now and unborn.

I have to admit this book was a bit overwhelming for someone trying to get a handle on geneology, and just focusing on certain of his lineage without too many frills. This is not a criticism, however, since this book is supposed to be a reference book more than anything else, and the author is trying and succeeding in giving us as much information as she can. I did read it from cover to cover to get the lay of the land, and found it well-written, thorough, and careful in its exposition of the subject. It was recommended by the more general Geneology 101, and was a good follow-up. This book took 101 a step further in showing us how to take max advantage of the net and save some foot steps.

It was interesting to me that the author pursued so much detail about so much of her extended family, such as great-great uncles, and third cousins once-removed. I also was intrigued by her effort to get supporting information about the areas her forbears lived in, the geographical properties, the commerce going on there, the character and feel of the area, etc. It is more than I would want to go after, at least just starting; though it would be fun to have some of this background.

The biggest tips are to sign-up for a paid online service like ancestry.com, and to join a geneological society, even if only an online bulletin board set-up. Indeed, all roads seemed to end at ancestry.com as I found out. I would start out on a free website sited in the book, looking for something specific, and would be led to ancestor.com, with its notice of a 14-day free trial. Now that I've read Geneology 101 and Online Roots, I'll probably take advantage of that offer.

She also strongly recommended looking for work someone else has already done on your family tree. There are sites where you can get this, and again it looks like ancestry.com is the biggest. She also recommended free tutorial websites before getting started, and that might have been the best advice of all.

I believe I'm ready to start my journey and I'll update this review when I see how it goes.

This work is one of the first that seems to approach the use of the internet as a great tool, while still supporting and instructing standard research techniques. Easy to follow and loads of examples make this book a useful helper with my own family research.
The variety of online sites is enhanced with actual case studies and sample screens for beginners. I would recommend this book for a novice or experienced researcher.

Regular readers of my reviews (here and elsewhere) will know that I cast a chary eye on books that purport to introduce the reader to the miracle of "Internet genealogy." I've read and reviewed dozens of such titles from the viewpoint of a researcher of more than thirty years' experience (beginning in the days of spiral notebooks and 3x5 cards) who is also a thoroughly wired computer geek and a heavy user of the Internet. I have long maintained that online research is simply the (sometimes) more convenient continuance by other means of traditional, tried and true methods. There is no "royal road to genealogy," no universal database from which you can immediately download your entire lineage back to Adam. Most of the books I've seen fall into two categories: Introductions to traditional genealogy with a thin icing of information on genealogical software and Internet how-to, and "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Computers and the Internet"-type volumes that include specific genealogical applications as an afterthought. There are a few, like Elizabeth Powell Crowe's *Genealogy Online: Researching Your Roots* (1998), Matt Helm's *Genealogy Online for Dummies* (1998), and Pamela Hahn's *The Unofficial Guide to Online Genealogy* (2001), which actually are quite useful and are worth reading (though all three are inevitably becoming dated), but these are very much the exception. The rest are simply exercises in marketing.

Pam Porter is a Certified Genealogical Records Specialist, a very experienced author and lecturer who has edited the APG QUARTERLY and presently serves on the FGS Board of Trustees. Amy Crow, a Certified Genealogist, also is well-known as an author and speaker, has served on the boards of several national organizations, and chairs First Families of Ohio. (She also is the overall editor for this series.) And the acknowledgments section lists many other names that are immediately recognizable. Their stated target audience includes (1) those new to genealogy but seasoned computerists, (2) those experienced in family research but novices online, and (3) those new to both. In other words, almost everyone. But it's encouraging to note that the third paragraph includes the explicit warning, "No, it's not all online yet." Yes, field trips to courthouses and libraries and your local Family History Center are still necessary. But more and more information is indeed being made available online everyday, especially by government agencies for whom online public access is a great money-saver in terms of staff time. The authors point out, too, that much of what you'll find online, while not necessarily an answer to a specific relationship question, provides easily accessible contextual information -- county histories, details of migration patterns in previously unexplored states, the locations of railroad corporate archives, and similar data to help you to profitably focus your research. But "you won't be able to construct your entire family history on the Web." Planning your online research is not that different from planning a library or courthouse visit -- it's still a matter of defining goals, identifying which facts you need to uncover, finding the sources for them, analyzing the results, and recording and evaluating what you're learned - but now you're using search engines and "pathfinder" sites instead of (or in addition to) card catalogs and document indexes. When you do get ready to make a courthouse visit, the Web will assure you that you've identified the right one, and often will tell you whether they're likely to have the class of records you need, and for the right time period. Moreover, you can save on gas and stretch your research budget, and you can carry on your research on Sundays or in the middle of the night if you care to. Their recommended "Internet Research Log" is remarkably similar to the classic courthouse log we all use (or should). One of the best uses of the Internet, in my own experience, has been in locating other researchers with intersecting interests, something which was very time-consuming and very hit-or-miss in the old days. The chapters on "Finding People in the Modern Era" and "Sharing with Others" provide excellent guidance on carrying out such a quest as well as turning up those long-lost distant cousins your grandfather told you about. The U.S. census (and also, now, those in the UK) is largely available online these days -- the actual images, not just printed transcripts or extracts -- and much of that now is accompanied by searchable every-name indexes that far outstrip the old Soundex and Miracode files. Naturalization records and federal land purchase records are now coming rapidly online. So are local property records. And back runs of newspapers. And older military records and unit histories. And there's hardly a library anymore without an online-accessible catalog, which is a boon to Interlibrary Loan users. And yet, while outlining these exciting advances and interspersing the discussion with frequent screen shots from useful websites, the authors keep hammering on the important point: The essentials of research haven't really changed! You still have to think and analyze and evaluate! Although any book on such a volatile subject will begin to be out of date almost as soon as it's published, I have to say this is one of the best treatments I have seen.