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Genetic genealogy books

From ISOGG Wiki

The following is a selection of books on the subject of genetic genealogy, genetics and deep ancestry. This list is provided for information purposes only. Inclusion on this list does not imply endorsement by ISOGG.

  • Carolyn Abraham. The Juggler's Children: A Tale of Two Chromosomes that Solved a Family Mystery. Random House, Canada, 2013.
  • Emily Aulicino. Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond. Author House, 2013.
  • Magnus Bäckmark. Genvägar: praktisk handledning till DNA - jämförelse i släktforskning (in Swedish) (Shortcuts: a practical guide for DNA comparison in genealogy), Svenska, 2013.
  • Edward Ball. The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History Through DNA. Simon & Schuster, 2007, pp288.
  • Robin L Bennett. The Practical Guide to the Genetic Family History. Wiley-Liss, 1999.
  • Blaine Bettinger. The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy (second edition). Family Tree Books, 2019.
  • Blaine Bettinger and Debbie Parker Wayne Genetic Genealogy in Practice. US National Genealogical Society, to be published in the summer of 2016.
  • Katie Boyle and Colin Renfrew. Archaeogenetics: DNA and the Population Prehistory of Europe (Monograph Series). McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 2001.
  • Terrence Carmichael and Alexander Kuklin. How to DNA Test Our Family Relationships. DNA Press, 2000. Early (and still unique) book on adoptions, paternity and other relationship testing. Carmichael is a founder of GeneTree.
  • Raquel Cepeda. Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina, Atria Books, 2013.
  • L. Cavalli-Sforza et al. The History and Geography of Human Genes. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994. Dense but very comprehensive.
  • Luigi-Luca and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza. The Great Human Diasporas, translated from the Italian by Sarah Thorne. Reading, Mass. : Perseus Books, 1998. More readable than the Stanford professor’s other books.
  • Francis Collins. The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalised Medicine. Profile Books, 2010.
  • Libby Copeland. The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending How We Are. Harry N Abrams, 2020.
  • Barry Cunliffe. Britain Begins. Oxford University Press, 2012.
  • Kevin Davies. The $1,000 Genome: The Revolution in DNA Sequencing and the New Era of Personalized Medicine. Free Press, 2010.
  • Guido Deboeck. Flemish DNA and Ancestry; History of three families over five centuries using conventional and genetic genealogy. PUblished by the author, 2007.
  • David Dowell. NextGen Genealogy: The DNA Connection. ABC-Clio/Libraries Unlimited, November 2014.
  • Joel T. Dudley and Konrad J. Karczewski. Exploring Personal Genomics. Oxford University Press, March 2013.
  • Roberta Estes. DNA for Native American Genealogy. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2021.
  • Roberta Estes. The Complete Guide to Family Tree DNA: Y-DNA, Mitochondrial, and Autosomal and X-DNA. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2024
  • Michael A Fortun. Promising Genomics: Iceland and deCODE Genetics in a World of Speculation. University of California Press, 2008.
  • Tony Frudakis. Molecular Photofitting. Academic Press, 2007.
  • Clive Gamble. Timewalkers: The Prehistory of Global Colonization. Stroud: Sutton, 2003. Popular account of human prehistory by British anthropologist/archeologist. Article from American Scientist.
  • Peter B. Gray and Kermyt G. Anderson. Fatherhood: Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior. Harvard University Press, 2010, pp320.
  • Bill Griffeth. The Stranger in My Genes. New England Historic Genealogical Society, September 2016.
  • Barry G. Hall. Phylogenetic Trees Made Easy. 3rd edition. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts, 2007.
  • Stephen Harding, Mark Jobling and Turi King. Foreword by Michael Wood. Viking DNA: The Wirral and West Lancashire Project. Nottingham University Press, 2010.
  • Leeanne R Hay. NPE: A Story Guide for Unexpected DNA Discoveries. Booklocker, 2021.
  • Richard Hill. Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in my DNA. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012.
  • Richard Hill. Guide to DNA Testing: How to Identify Ancestors, Confirm Relationships, and Measure Ethnic Ancestry through DNA Testing, (ebook) Atrax LLC, 2014.
  • Mark Jobling. Edward Hollox, Matthew Hurles, Toomas Kivisild, and Chris Tyler-Smith. Human Evolutionary Genetics Garland Science, Taylor and Francis group. (Second Edition) 2014. Standard textbook by leading experts.
  • Martin Jones. Unlocking the Past: How Archaeologists Are Rewriting Human History with Ancient DNA. Arcade Publishing; Revised updated edition, 12 July 2016.
  • Steve Jones. Y: The Descent of Men. Abacaus, 2003, pp256.
  • Debbie Kennett. DNA and Social Networking: A Guide to Genealogy in the Twenty-First Century. The History Press, November 2011.
  • Debbie Kennett. The Surnames Handbook: A Guide to Family Name Research in the 21st Century. The History Press, October 2012.
  • Charles F. Kerchner Jr. Genetic Genealogy DNA Testing Dictionary. Self-published, 2004. Look-up source for esoteric terminology used.
  • Gabriel Ward Lasker. Surnames and Genetic Structure (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology). Cambridge University Press, 1985.
  • Sandra S Lee, Barbara A Koenig and Sarah S Richardson. Revisiting Race in a Genomic Age (Studies in Medical Anthropology). Rutgers University Press, 2008.
  • Carl P. Lipo, Michael J. O'Brien, Mark Collard and Stephen Shennan. Mapping our Ancestors: Phylogenetic Methods in Anthropology and Prehistory. Aldine Transaction, 2005.
  • J P Mallory. The Origins of the Irish. Thames and Hudson, 2013.
  • Jean Manco. Ancestral Journeys: The Peopling of Europe from the First Venturers to the Vikings. Thames and Hudson, 2013.
  • Jean Manco. Blood of the Celts. Thames and Hudson, 20216.
  • Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith and K. Ann Horsburgh DNA for Archaeologists. Left Coast Press, November 2012.
  • Alan McHughen. DNA Demystified: Unravelling the Double Helix. Oxford University Press, 2020. Also available via Oxford Scholarship Online.
  • Robin McKie. Face of Britain: How Our Genes Reveal the History of Britain. Simon & Schuster Ltd, 2007. The book to accompany the TV series.
  • Alondra Nelson. The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations and Reconciliation after the Genome. Beacon, 2016.
  • Steve Olson. Mapping Human History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Survey of major populations.
  • Stephen Oppenheimer. The Real Eve. Modern Man’s Journey out of Africa. Carroll & Graf, 2003. Champions the beachcomber route theory with much technical detail.
  • Stephen Oppenheimer. The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story. Constable, 2006.
  • Andelka Phillips. Buying Yourself on the Internet: Wrap Contracts and Personal Genomics. Edinburgh University Press, 2020. Also available as an [https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvnjbgvb e-book through a JSTOR subscription.
  • Israel Pickholtz. Endogamy: One Family, One People. Colonial Roots, 2015.
  • Chris Pomery. DNA and Family History: How Genetic Testing Can Advance Your Genealogical Research. Kew, Surrey: The National Archives, 2004. Toronto, Canada: Dundurn Group Ltd (2006).
  • Chris Pomery. Family History in the Genes: Trace Your DNA and Grow Your Family Tree. Kew, Surrey: The National Archives, 2007.
  • Svante Pääbo. Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes. Basic Books, New York, 2014.
  • George Redmonds, Turi King and David Hey. Surnames, DNA and Family History. Oxford University Press, September? 2011.
  • Alice Roberts. The Incredible Human Journey. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009. The book to accompany the TV series.
  • Alice Roberts. Evolution: The Human Story. Dorling Kindersley, September 2011.
  • John C G Rohl, Martin Warren and David Hunt. Purple Secret: Genes, Madness and the Royal Houses of Europe. Bantam Press, 1998.
  • Alan Savin. DNA for Family Historians. Maidenhead: Genetic Genealogy Guides, 2000. Slim paperback first published in 2000, now available also in German.
  • Thomas H. Shawker. Unlocking Your Genetic History: A Step-by-Step Guide to Discovering Your Family's Medical and Genetic Heritage (National Genealogical Society Guide, 6). Thomas Nelson, 2004. Guide to the difficult subject of family medical history and genetic diseases.
  • Megan Smolenyak and Ann Turner. Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree. Rodale Books, 2004. Recent tool for amateur genealogists by seminar speaker and DNA listserv moderator.
  • Diahan Southard. Your DNA Guide: The Book. Your DNA Guide, 2020.
  • Diahan Southard. Your DNA Guide the Workbook
  • Chris Stringer. The Origin of Our Species. Allen Lane, 2011, pp352.
  • Bryan Sykes. The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science that Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry. Bantam Press (hardback), 2001. Corgi (paperback). US edition: New York: Norton. Names the founders of Europe's major female haplogroups.
  • Bryan Sykes. Adam's Curse. A Future without Men. Bantam Press (hardback), 2003. Corgi (paperback). US edition: New York: W. W. Norton (2004). The Oxford professor's male sequel to The Seven Daughters of Eve.
  • Bryan Sykes. The Blood of the Isles. Bantam Press, 2006. Published in the US as Saxons, Vikings and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland. W W Norton, 2007.
  • Bryan Sykes. DNA USA: A Genetic Portrait of America. W W Norton, May 2012.
  • Linda Tagliaferro. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Decoding Your Genes. Alpha Books, 1999. Uses everyday language to explain the role genes play in shaping who we are.
  • Kim Tallbear. Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science. University Of Minnesota Press, September 2013.
  • David Vance. The Genealogist's Guide to Y-DNA Testing for Genetic Genealogy (second edition). Independently published, 2024.
  • Debbie Parker Wayne (ed). Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies. Cushing, Texas: Wayne Research, 2019
  • Spencer Wells. The Journey of Man. New York: Random House, 2004.
  • Spencer Wells. Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project. USA: National Geographic Society, 2006.
  • Spencer Wells. Pandora's Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization. Random House, USA, 2010. Allen Lane, GB, 2010.

See Also