First line: Cemeteries are usually viewed with reservation.

Summary: Filled with helpful tips on how to plan, research and preserve information that can be found at cemeteries. This book describes different symbols, types and information about gravestones and their meanings. It also walks the reader through websites and online tools that can help a novice or experienced genealogist on their journey of discovering their family history.

Highlights: I loved seeing the different types of stones and the symbols with their meanings. I never considered that the type could tell you about the finances or social status of my ancestor. All the hints and tips about ways to search for information were helpful. As I was reading, I would open a browser and try them out on my tree. I have a few illusive ancestors and I tried using the tips to discover more about them. I still have not found their death dates but I have learned other little tidbits about their lives. I hope to continue to find more with time.

Lowlights: There was a lot of information that I was familiar with so it was a little slow going through that but at no fault of the author. I like that they walk the reader through the process of signing up and searching.

FYI: Perfect for any genealogist.

A neat collection of cemeteries and guiding markers.

This book is a great tool to use for genealogy whether you are a beginning or an expert. There are no drawn out explanations about each topic. The author is very knowledgeable and gets straight to the point. The handouts and websites will come in handy. I've been an avid genealogist for quite awhile now and this book was a great refresher course for me.

As a professional archivist and researcher for a quarter of a century I have never come across a book that is so comprehensive about an aspect of genealogical research. A good alternate title for this would be "Life from the Grave". Literally there is nothing outside of this book left to say about researching a graveyard for genealogical information.

This is not a dry and pedantic read either. It is an easy read with a lot of great anecdotal examples and pictures that illustrate the specific aspects that Joy Neighbors has so well articulated.