1. Locating Lost Family Members & Friends by Kathleen W. Hinckley (Betterway Books). This book is essential for anyone looking to rekindle lost contacts. Hinckley, a specialist in 20th-century research and a private investigator, explains how and where to locate documents, how to deal with modern-day obstacles such as privacy acts and record destruction, and how to use resources such as the Internet to find people.

2. Cyndi's List: A Comprehensive List of 40,000 Genealogy Sites on the Internet by Cyndi Howells (Genealogical Publishing Co.). In this organized, cross-referenced index to genealogy and family history sites on the Internet, Cyndi Howells shows you how to gain access to 40,000 links to every conceivable genealogical resource on the Web. Howells is the creator of Cyndi's List <www.cyndislist.com>, the most popular collection of genealogy links.

3. The Genealogist's Companion & Sourcebook by Emily Croom (Betterway Books). This best-selling, basic how-to guide offers beginners the information they need to get started researching their family history. Croom shows readers how to get past common roadblocks in genealogical research, and to seek record sources they may not have realized were available for research.