According to a recent study by Yale University, published in the Journal Social Science and Medicine people who read books on a consistent and regular basis, experience a “20% reduction in the risk of mortality over the 12 years of follow-up compared to non-book readers.” The study followed 3,635 persons over age 50, and the “findings were remarkable.” Book readers were less likely to die and added years to their lives.
So just like a healthy diet and exercise, book reading is a “significant survival advantage.”
You knew there was a good reason to trace your hard-to-find ancestors!
Yet, Americans are not #1 when it comes to reading–are they #1 in genealogy research? Some years ago, genealogy and family history was considered the #1 hobby. I don’t know where it falls today. I do know that FamilySearch, the online genealogy program of the LDS Church now has more than 6 billion records already online with 1.5 million added each and every day! These are searchable records scanned from microfilm and microfiche, books, journals, and magazines.
My research time for client pedigrees is split between reading source records and histories–I want to know the reasons why and where to look for genealogy records. I also want to know the underlying legal basis for the records that include the genealogy details. Clerks who record the documents, assume that the user already knows the legalities. So little explanation is found in the records themselves.
And I plan to live as long as I can function in genealogy 24/7 (most of the time!) What about you? Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Stay tuned. Usable, highly usable genealogy information will be coming daily on this and other blogs accessible from my Home Page. Since I will be in Oregon until Saturday, I may miss a day or two until I gert back depending upon my computer access. And I brought my laptop with me. I don’t, yet, have a tablet. Do have a smart phone–just don’t know how to transmit blogs from it.