---
product_id: 1652543
title: "Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History"
brand: "megan smolenyakwall to wall media"
price: "€ 18.38"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/1652543-who-do-you-think-you-are-the-essential-guide-to
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History

**Brand:** megan smolenyakwall to wall media
**Price:** € 18.38
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History by megan smolenyakwall to wall media
- **How much does it cost?** € 18.38 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ie](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/1652543-who-do-you-think-you-are-the-essential-guide-to)

## Best For

- megan smolenyakwall to wall media enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted megan smolenyakwall to wall media brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History

## Images

![Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71VMICtrabL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Great Beginners Book for Family Historians
  

*by M***S on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 17, 2023*

I have been doing my family history and genealogical research for over 7 years now and I wanted a basic primer book to review so I wouldn't miss anything.  This is a great starting point for novice genealogists.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Good, fun to read, beginning guide
  

*by R***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 24, 2010*

Although promoted as a "companion" to the popular TV series, this good and enjoyable guide to beginning genealogy really has little to do with the show, except for a color section in the middle covering each of the participants. Instead it's a nuts-and-bolts guide to 1) getting started on your family-history quest, and 2) the most commonly-used (and some not-so-common) records.Smolenyak writes enthusiastically and well. She is passionate about her subject and it shows.In some ways, the book suffers for the same reasons that the TV show suffers: it makes it look too easy. This is probably unavoidable in a beginning guide or a popular TV show since covering all the caveats might turn off the audience. That said, I wish there had been at least some emphasis on how one might go about developing skills, such as taking classes (which are often free or inexpensive), attending conferences, etc. Also lacking is any meaningful discussion of evaluation of and analysis of all of the various pieces of evidence one finds; obviously this can't be done thoroughly in a book like this, but it should at least be addressed.The author works for [...], the giant online genealogical service; although it is noted on the jacket blurb, in the interest of full disclosure she could have been a little more forthcoming about that relationship throughout the book when one of ancestry's features or databases takes center stage. Her recommendation of [...]'s member tree feature (as her first suggestion for software to use for your data) is ludicrous; I would be very surprised if that is her own database software of choice. (Save the comments: I'm a whole-world subscriber to ancestry.com and think it's a fabulous and essential resource.)What I especially like about this book, in addition to the writing, is its begin-at-the-beginning approach (start with yourself and work back); this may seem obvious, but it's not obvious to many beginners. There is a good section on home sources, talking to relatives, etc. The record examples and illustrations are great: generally from the famous or infamous (Chef Boyardee and Al Capone, to name a couple). Smolenyak's chapter about her search for President Obama's Irish ancestors is one of the best parts of the book because it illustrates difficult aspects to resolving a genealogical problem and, in this case, doesn't make it look easy.I recommend this book for anyone who wants to begin researching their family and to more experienced researchers who will probably find, as I did, some new (particularly online) resources.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A Great Genealogical Aid!
  

*by T***E on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 21, 2010*

"Who Do You Think You Are?""Who Do Think You Are?" The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History, A companion To The NBC SeriesBy Megan Smolenyak [2], Chief Genealogical ConsultantViking Penguin2009ISBN 978-0-670-02163-5When my preordered book arrived, it was probably one of the most anticipated books I had ordered in quite some time!Having been a fan of Megan's for a long time, I already knew it was going to be good.Megan takes us on a journey, in plain, simple language, and easy understanding, to find our ancestors.She fully explains the "tools of the trade" for someone who knows absolutely not one thing about genealogy, other than having a desire to trace their family history. But she does it in such a way that those of us who have been doing just such research for many years, finds it a pleasant recall and entertaining! Never is it boring, stuffy or redundant.She touches on each of the NBC series participants, without giving so much away that we are let down when we actually watch the appropriate episode. Instead, we find ourselves saying, "I'm so glad she didn't give too much away! What a great show!"In nine, easy-to-read chapters, Megan takes us through preparing for the search; using the Internet to assist us in our search; how to utilize the census records; using vital records [birth, marriage and death]; military records; performing research in other countries; and passing on our research through sharing.If you haven't purchased your copy of "Who Do You Think You Are?" yet, I highly encourage you to get one now. Even if you've been researching for a long time, you're going to find some great vital information that you either didn't know about, or you have forgotten about! And if you are new to the "genie" bug, then I can't think of a better book to help you get started!

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ie/products/1652543-who-do-you-think-you-are-the-essential-guide-to](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/1652543-who-do-you-think-you-are-the-essential-guide-to)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Ireland*
*Store origin: IE*
*Last updated: 2026-03-04*