Go to www.ancestry.com and use the free section to see if you have any ancestors with a storied past -- almost everyone does. If you decide to subscribe (as little as $12.95 per month if you sign up for a year) you will have unlimited access to their database, which will also put you in touch with other far-flung relatives -- second and third cousins, for example -- and from there, you can trade family photos and share stories. If everyone in your family pitches in, it will lower the monthly subscription. Their site also features computer programs you can purchase like Family Tree Maker, which will allow you to actually compose your own book of your family history in chronological order, something that could be updated and passed down.