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Show Book Reviews and Notices p p . ) . Flack's section is a miscellany called "Searching, Organizing, a n d Preserving the M a t e r i a l " (108 p p . ) . A useful a p p e n d i x contains library helps, a list of how-to-do-it books, a n d locations of vital records, plus a brief bibliography. Good writing is the best sermon the a u t h o r s preach (and p r a c t i c e ) . As the preface states: "the major portion of this book is concerned with the writing [activity]." T h e book is strongest when discussing " h o w to choose which stories to tell, how to write it, a n d then h o w to polish t h a t writing." T h e i r other suggestions range widely, touching such matters as finding source material at home and in the community, how to tape oral histories, problems of color photographs, locating birth and death certificates, the importance of historical contexts, h a n d l i n g dialect, a n d using h u m o r . T h e y include m a n y h a n d y checklists, questions, and forms. T h e autobiography section draws skillfully from autobiographies of Benjamin Franklin, Flelen Keller, and M a r k T w a i n to illustrate Dixon's perceptive points about writing creatively. I n fact, the writing ideas in this section alone are worth the modest price of the book. T h e family history section is also sprinkled with valuable ideas. But it is only half a loaf. Dixon discusses the "inverted p y r a m i d " a p p r o a c h (working back in time from the writer) b u t she fails to point out other widely-used frameworks, including the normal pyramid which starts with a g r a n d p a r e n t and broadens as it approaches the present. Additionally, she treats family history projects like a personal venture, when in fact m a n y families make it a family project complete with committees, funding, and shared research a n d writing (and tricky family politics!). This section could use m o r e examples, like Dixon inserted in Section O n e , from published family histories. A n eleven-page Section T h r e e on diaries? W h y not create a good-sized section called " C u r r e n t Records" a n d in 221 elude therein a c h a p t e r each on diarykeeping, scrapbooks, family p h o t o g r a p h s , a n d memorabilia? T h a t would leave Section F o u r smaller but more cohesive as a reference c h a p t e r on locating source materials. As is, the book's organization shows signs of haste. Section Four, for example, is not integrated well with the rest of the book, particularly with Section O n e where t h e would-be autobiogr a p h e r is led step-by-step to finish the task but is never pushed to consult the wide variety of i m p o r t a n t records listed in Section F o u r — a serious failing. While the wealth of good ideas in these last sections far outweighs shortcomings, a few problems are noteworthy. Some diaries are written for family m e m bers or the public, but Dixon asserts t h a t a diary "is not written for anyone else to read." Some m i g h t object w h e n she states t h a t a daily diary entry should not include m a n y activities except " t h e one t h a t impressed you most." Finally, the authors should discourage, not encourage, readers from using spiral notebooks a n d binders (pages easily rip o u t ) , felt tip ink on backs of p h o t o g r a p h s (bleed t h r o u g h ) , a n d ditto copies (high acid content causes quick deterioration of p a p e r ) . While guiding readers to excellent family, government, and church records, they fail to point out the value of records of business a n d labor, schools, fraternal societies, a n d loan agencies. T h e book is well printed b u t plainly covered. Footnotes a n d bibliography are included, but where is the index? If Kybig's a n d Marty's Your Family History can feature forty intriguing family photographs in seventy pages, c a n n o t Doubleday spice u p Preserving Your Past with a few? T h e bibliography might benefit by citing a style m a n u a l (Dixon suggests readers consult one) a n d some sample published family histories (like Wyatt Cooper's nationally popular Families). Small problems aside, this book is so loaded with practical information it needs to be in public a n d academic |
