Finding Your Roots

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What to expect

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. Gates' investigations take on the personal and genealogical histories of more than twenty luminaries, including Congressman John Lewis, actor Robert Downey Jr., CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, former secretary of labor Linda Chavez, and comedian Margaret Cho. Interwoven with their moving stories of immigration, assimilation, strife, and success is practical information for amateur genealogists just beginning archival research on their own families' roots. Gates also 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.

Critics Review

  • “Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I headed? These are all fundamental
    questions to which every human being, regardless of race, gender, or
    background, wants answers. Professor Gates provides these answers to the
    people he profiles, but [Finding Your Roots] also encourage[s] viewers
    to explore their own family histories so they can know more about
    themselves.”

    Washington Examiner

  • “An accessible and engaging book, Finding Your Roots is a
    veritable how-to guide for readers to explore their own past. Henry
    Louis Gates Jr. brings a wealth of genealogical research expertise to
    his interviews, which are witty, knowledgeable, and touching…Throughout, Gates imbues the stories with a kind of intimacy
    that speaks to all of us in our personal journeys searching for our own
    histories. There’s nothing else quite like it.”

    Ira Berlin, University of Maryland

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