The Genealogical Society of Bergen County invites members and guests to attend their January 26, 2009 monthly meeting.    Monday, January 26, 2009 7-9 p.m. Ridgewood, NJ Public Library Auditorium No fee, light refreshments The evening's presenter is Bill Griffeth, the author of "By Faith Alone: One Family's Epic Journey Through 400 Years of American Protestantism," (just released in paperback), and other books.  He is a CNBC anchor for 17 years and currently is co-anchor of "Power Lunch" which airs weekdays from noon to 2 pm. His program is entitled, "There's a Witch in my Genes," which is about the author's genealogy and protestant research in England, New England and New York. Bill has also written three books to date. His most recent book, By Faith Alone: One Family's Epic Journey Through 400 Years of American Protestantism (Harmony), was published December, 2007. His other two books, Bill Griffeth’s Ten Steps to Financial Prosperity (Warner Books), which was published in 1994, and The Mutual Fund Masters (McGraw-Hill), published in 1995, were both Fortune Book Club main selections. Book Review by Jan Alpert: By Faith Alone by Bill Griffeth. Have you thought about writing your family h istory? With so much information, how does one begin to tell the story? Bill Griffeth, business anchor on CNBC, began his family research in 2003. He quickly became absorbed in the influence that religion had on several of his ancestors. Griffeth recently published his story, By Faith Alone (I SBN: 978-0-307-40747-4, Harmony Books, a Division of Random House, Inc., New York, New York, 2007). As genealogists, sometimes we become so bogged down in documenting the details that we bore other family members when we talk about our ancestors. Overcoming this tendency, Griffeth tells a story within a story. On one level he tells the family history of several of his ancestors. Wrapping around this history is the story of his quest to discover his f amily history and his journeys to many of the towns where his ancestors lived. Griffeth's ancestry includes Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Puritans from Great Yarmouth, Separatists who fled to Holland, a witch hanged in Salem, Massachusetts, and a circuit rider Methodist minister in New York and New Jersey. They all come together in Washington, Kansas, where Bill grew up. Like so many of us, when Griffeth began his research, he had no idea of his varied geographic, ethnic, and religious background. I was amazed at how much information he packed into approximately 250 pages. The book is not footnoted, but he has notes for each chapter that mention his major resources. In several instances he quotes from original documents. I share his Cornell line and descend from another witch hanged at Salem. In those two examples, I can say with assurance that he told the story rather well. Because Griffeth is a television personality, I believe he will encourage other business and professional people to begin their quest. I particularly recommend the book to family researchers who are just beginning. He finds the important vital records and family graves, but he also puts his ancestors in a historical context, determines how they made their living, and shows how religion influenced their migration to America. The GSBC website is:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njgsbc/ If you have any questions, please contact the GSBC Program Chair at Burgenlaenderin@aol.com  Get instant access to the latest & most popular FREE games while you browse with the Games Toolbar - Download Now!