Finding Your Roots, Season 1 : the Official Companion to the PBS Series

Who are we, and where do we come from? The fundamental drive to answer these questions is at the heart of __Finding Your Roots__, the companion book to the PBS documentary series seen by 30 million people. As Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. shows us, the tools of cutting-edge genomics and deep genealogical research now allow us to learn more about our roots, looking further back in time than ever before. Gates's investigations take on the personal and genealogical histories of more than twenty luminaries, including United States Congressman John Lewis, actor Robert Downey Jr., CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, President of the "Becoming American Institute" Linda Chavez, and comedian Margaret Cho. Interwoven with their moving stories of immigration, assimilation, strife, and success, Gates provides practical information for amateur genealogists just beginning archival research on their own families' roots, and he details the advances in genetic research now available to the public. The result is an illuminating exploration of who we are, how we lost track of our roots, and how we can find them again. Who are we, and where do we come from? The fundamental drive to answer these questions is at the heart of Finding Your Roots, the companion book to the PBS documentary series seen by 30 million people. As Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. shows us, the tools of cutting-edge genomics and deep genealogical research now allow us to learn more about our roots, looking further back in time than ever before. Gates's investigations take on the personal and genealogical histories of more than twenty luminaries, including United States Congressman John Lewis, actor Robert Downey Jr., CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, President of the "Becoming American Institute" Linda Chavez, and comedian Margaret Cho. Interwoven with their moving stories of immigration, assimilation, strife, and success, Gates provides practical information for amateur genealogists just beginning archival research on their own families' roots, and he details the advances in genetic research now available to the public. The result is an illuminating exploration of who we are, how we lost track of our roots, and how we can find them again.

The Author Investigates The Geneological Histories Of Twenty-five Prominent Americans, Including Cory Booker, Martha Stewart, And Michelle Rodriguez. Foreword / By David Altshuler -- Genetic Gumbo : Branford Marsalis And Harry Connick Jr. -- The Long Arc Of Freedom : John Lewis And Cory Booker -- What's In A Name? : Barbara Walters And Geoffrey Canada -- Redemption : Kyra Sedgwick And Kevin Bacon -- The Children Of Abraham : Rick Warren, Angela Buchdahl, And Yasir Qadhi -- From The Old World To The New : Robert Downey Jr. And Maggie Gyllenhaal -- Shadows : Samuel L. Jackson, Condoleezza Rice, And Ruth Simmons -- Crossings : Margaret Cho, Sanjay Gupta, And Martha Stewart -- Neither Slave Nor Free : Wanda Sykes, John Legend, And Margarett Cooper -- In The Footsteps Of Conquistadors : Michelle Rodriguez, Linda Chavez, And Adrian Grenier. Henry Louis Gates Jr. ; Foreword By David Altshuler. Includes Index. Who are we, and where do we come from? The fundamental drive to answer these questions is at the heart of Finding Your Roots, the companion book to the hit PBS documentary series. As Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. shows us, the tools of cutting-edge genomics and deep genealogical research now allow us to learn more about our roots, looking further back in time than ever before The author investigates the genealogical histories of twenty-five prominent Americans, including Cory Booker, Martha Stewart, and Michelle Rodriguez