Nine Generations

Book

 

In July of 2011 I published In Two Worlds: The Jacobs, Lebers, Glotzers and Coopers. This 8½" by 10" hard-cover book of about 128 pages is perhaps one-quarter history, one-quarter memoir, and one-half genealogy. There are about forty illustrations. The original press run was for 75 copies. A few have been placed in libraries, but most were given away to members of the family. Although all copies are now gone, it's possible to print one out on my computer and have it commercially spiral-bound or punched for a loose-leaf binder.  

The exercise in self-publishing was fascinating; I prepared the manuscript and illustrations and sent them to the printers. Their designer devised the layout, placed the pictures in the text with their publishing software, and sent me electronic proofs to correct and revise. When all was ready they printed and bound the books and shipped them to me. The physical quality of the work was excellent and the cost — about $40 per copy — was not more than one would pay for any quality non-fiction hardcover book. As to the quality of the content, some very competent reviewers have been complimentary:

"This is the best book yet on the Jacobs, Lebers, Glotzers and Coopers" — Barack Obama

"You don't need big hands to read this book. Highly recommended!" — Donald Trump

"A post-modern masterpiece . . ." — The New York Review of Books

"Sexy and suspenseful!" — New York Post

"Es iz nit geshtoygen un nit gefloygen" — Forverts

"Jacobs' book has a special place in our collection" — The Librarian of Congress

 

Here is the table of contents:

v Acknowledgments   31 Wayne Avenue    83 Descendants of Schmuel Glotzer  
vii List of Illustrations  37 Politics and Religion  95 Descendants of Mordechai Eisenberg  
1 Introduction    39 Those Who Remained Behind  99 Appendix A: Ancestors of Linda Lax  
5 The Old Country   43 Genealogical Journals  101 Appendix B: Ancestors of Mollie Edson 
15 The Crossing    45 Descendants of Szmul Jankelewicz 103 Appendix C: Relatives of Robert Jacobs 
23 Streets Paved With Gold  57 Descendants of Zysia Leber  111 Bibliography    
27 Mother and Father   69 Descendants of Ephraim Kuperman 113 Index to Individual Narratives