RootsMagic was introduced early last year. Since then, it has become one of the most popular Windows genealogy programs of today. The program is written and supported by Bruce Buzbee. Bruce also has written a book on the finer points of the program's use. Who better to write about a program than the programmer who created it? I decided to find out this week.
Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic is a 264-page paperback that purports to include "everything you wanted to know about RootsMagic." The book starts with basic data entry and continues by describing advanced techniques, such as custom reports, citing sources, GEDCOM, creating user-defined facts, scanning images, and merging. The book also describes numerous time-saving shortcuts.
Perhaps the best description of this book's contents is in its chapter titles. The Table of Contents includes the following chapters:
Introduction
Getting Started
The Main Screen
Using Databases
Building the Family Tree
Editing People
Editing a Family
Facts and Events
Searching for Information
Notes - Telling Your Story
Sources - Proving It
Repositories - Where Is It?
Pictures, Sound and Video
Putting Your Family on Paper
Wallcharts and Timelines
Custom Reports
Publishing Your Family History
Sharing Data with Others
Merging Duplicate Records
Research Aids
Tools
Putting Your Family on the Web
LDS Support
RootsMagic Options
Quick Summary
RootsMagic does not have a user's manual, so it is easy to assume that this book is really that manual. To be sure, it does show how to use the many features of the program. However, users' manuals usually focus solely on the use of the keyboard and mouse to use the program. Buzbee's Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic is all of that and then some. For instance, the section of sources not only describes the method of recording sources but also includes a bit of coaching and explanation about why sources should be important to every genealogist. Likewise, the section on Repositories shed light on why recording the applicable repositories is important to genealogists. In short, this is the user's manual and more.
Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic is easy to read and is lavishly illustrated with screenshots showing the program in operation. The back of book index made it easy to find any information that I was looking for. As the title suggests, the book includes many ideas that can be very helpful when you are searching for ancestors, entering information, viewing and organizing your data, and publishing your family history either online or on paper.
Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic sells for $14.95 plus shipping and handling. However, if ordered at the same time as RootsMagic, the book adds only $10.00 to the total price.
To order Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic, go to http://www.rootsmagic.com/orders.htm
How many individual names can be supported in "Roots Magic"?
Posted by: Donna Wright | November 07, 2004 at 08:39 PM
How many individuals can be supported in
"Roots Magic"?
Posted by: Donna Wright | November 07, 2004 at 08:46 PM
From RootsMagic's web page http://www.rootsmagic.com/features.htm:
> Add unlimited people, facts/events, notes, sources, and more
Posted by: Paul R. Smith | November 09, 2004 at 08:20 AM
Dear Mr. Buzbee,
Purchased your book RootsMagic, Third Edition, some months back and no doubt due to my old fashion age as a WW2 Veteran, its going to take me a bit longer than the younger folk before I'm expecting to get to gripps with it. But sure I will eventually succeed.
Meanwhile,it will be most appreciated if you would please advise me whether Roots Magic has the facilities to import a coloured word document.
eg. I have several documents consisting of Boys and Girls names that appear in blue and pink which I find the two different colours
very convenient as a quick reference of identifying at a glance how many male and female to each family. Unfortunately, I seem to be having a problem in not being able to insert the text document into
my family information.
Your kind assistance in this matter would be much obliged as I'm hoping not to settle for Blck on white, which so far is happening .
Looking forward to an early solution.
Kind regards,
Ted THOMAS. anzaks@gmail.com New Zealand
Posted by: Ted THOMAS, | August 05, 2008 at 06:51 AM