Required Reading: Classic resources you shouldn't research without. 

Whether you're a family history newbie or seasoned genealogist, there's much to learn from The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking (Ancestry). The recently released third edition offers 20 in-depth chapters and eight appendices covering all the major sources you'll encounter, from censuses to vital records. Experts explain not only how to find records online and off, but how to use those sources, too. Each chapter has a comprehensive bibliography so you can take your genealogical education a step further. The Source is a book you'll consult over and over again, making it well worth the price.