Wednesday, May 8, 2024
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Book Review

FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | May 6, 2024
Not Here: Why American Democracy is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself, by Rob Goodman, and Canada: Beyond Grudges, Grievances, and Disunity, by Donald J. Savoie, McGill-Queen’s University Press. Book covers courtesy Simon & Schuster Canada and McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | May 6, 2024
Not Here: Why American Democracy is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself, by Rob Goodman, and Canada: Beyond Grudges, Grievances, and Disunity, by Donald J. Savoie, McGill-Queen’s University Press. Book covers courtesy Simon & Schuster Canada and McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | May 6, 2024
An aerial view of the aftermath of wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta.,as seen in September 2016. Flickr photo by Jason Woodhead
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY | May 6, 2024
An aerial view of the aftermath of wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta.,as seen in September 2016. Flickr photo by Jason Woodhead
FeatureBY JOHN VAILLANT | May 6, 2024
Author John Vaillant: 'Anyone concerned about the future of our nation, and why a—quarter of a million—Canadians were forced to flee their homes due to wildfires last summer.' Book cover and photo courtesy Knopf Canada
FeatureBY JOHN VAILLANT | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY JOHN VAILLANT | May 6, 2024
Author John Vaillant: 'Anyone concerned about the future of our nation, and why a—quarter of a million—Canadians were forced to flee their homes due to wildfires last summer.' Book cover and photo courtesy Knopf Canada
FeatureBY ROB GOODMAN | May 6, 2024
Rob Goodman: 'Our future depends on our mental independence from America. We can’t effectively protect our own institutions—from parliamentary government to a remarkable openness to immigration—without understanding what makes them our own. We can’t aspire to anything meaningfully better until we are secure in our difference.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Simon & Schuster
FeatureBY ROB GOODMAN | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY ROB GOODMAN | May 6, 2024
Rob Goodman: 'Our future depends on our mental independence from America. We can’t effectively protect our own institutions—from parliamentary government to a remarkable openness to immigration—without understanding what makes them our own. We can’t aspire to anything meaningfully better until we are secure in our difference.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Simon & Schuster
FeatureBY BENJAMIN PERRIN | May 6, 2024
Benjamin Perrin on why his book is important: 'Indictment shares the first-hand stories of people whose lives have been devastated by the criminal justice system along with the latest research. It proposes a new transformative justice vision to help transform trauma rather than continue to transmit it.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Aevo UTP
FeatureBY BENJAMIN PERRIN | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY BENJAMIN PERRIN | May 6, 2024
Benjamin Perrin on why his book is important: 'Indictment shares the first-hand stories of people whose lives have been devastated by the criminal justice system along with the latest research. It proposes a new transformative justice vision to help transform trauma rather than continue to transmit it.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of Aevo UTP
FeatureBY ASTRA TAYLOR | May 6, 2024
Astra Taylor: 'How we understand and respond to insecurity is one of the most urgent questions of our moment, for nothing less than the future security of our species hangs in the balance. Insecurity can cut both ways, serving as a conduit to empathy, humility, and belonging—or it can spur defensive and destructive compulsions.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of House of Anansi Press Inc.
FeatureBY ASTRA TAYLOR | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY ASTRA TAYLOR | May 6, 2024
Astra Taylor: 'How we understand and respond to insecurity is one of the most urgent questions of our moment, for nothing less than the future security of our species hangs in the balance. Insecurity can cut both ways, serving as a conduit to empathy, humility, and belonging—or it can spur defensive and destructive compulsions.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of House of Anansi Press Inc.
FeatureBY DONALD SAVOIE | May 6, 2024
Donald J. Savoie on who should read this book: 'I wrote this book for all Canadians. I think that it is important for Canadians to take stock of what works, what does not, who benefits from the country’s national political institutions, who does not, and how collectively we can make them better.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY DONALD SAVOIE | May 6, 2024
FeatureBY DONALD SAVOIE | May 6, 2024
Donald J. Savoie on who should read this book: 'I wrote this book for all Canadians. I think that it is important for Canadians to take stock of what works, what does not, who benefits from the country’s national political institutions, who does not, and how collectively we can make them better.' Book cover and author photograph courtesy of McGill-Queen's University Press
FeatureBY IGNACIO COFONE | May 2, 2024
Ignacio Cofone, author of The Privacy Fallacy: Harm and Power in the Information Economy, writes 'privacy law is built on false behavioural assumptions that treat it, for the most part, like traditional two-party commercial exchanges.' Photograph courtesy of Cambridge University Press
FeatureBY IGNACIO COFONE | May 2, 2024
FeatureBY IGNACIO COFONE | May 2, 2024
Ignacio Cofone, author of The Privacy Fallacy: Harm and Power in the Information Economy, writes 'privacy law is built on false behavioural assumptions that treat it, for the most part, like traditional two-party commercial exchanges.' Photograph courtesy of Cambridge University Press
Who Owns Outer Space? draws attention to the many risks that are linked to the deployment of very large numbers of new satellites, and the growing rivalries among leading spacefaring nations and corporations, writes the Donner Prize Foundation. Image courtesy of Cambridge University Press
Who Owns Outer Space? draws attention to the many risks that are linked to the deployment of very large numbers of new satellites, and the growing rivalries among leading spacefaring nations and corporations, writes the Donner Prize Foundation. Image courtesy of Cambridge University Press
FeatureBY KENT ROACH | April 24, 2024
The uncertainty surrounding the full implementation of LaForme/Westmoreland Traore report is one reason why I agreed to write this book. New legislation to establish a new commission has the potential to be the most important law reform with respect to wrongful convictions in a generation, writes Kent Roach. Book cover courtesy of Simon & Schuster, 2023
FeatureBY KENT ROACH | April 24, 2024
FeatureBY KENT ROACH | April 24, 2024
The uncertainty surrounding the full implementation of LaForme/Westmoreland Traore report is one reason why I agreed to write this book. New legislation to establish a new commission has the potential to be the most important law reform with respect to wrongful convictions in a generation, writes Kent Roach. Book cover courtesy of Simon & Schuster, 2023
Pandemic Panic will be very relevant to policymakers in that it provides a critical analysis of past actions and their implications, offering lessons that can inform future crisis response and policy development, writes the Donner Prize Foundation. Book cover image courtesy of Optimum Publishing International
Pandemic Panic will be very relevant to policymakers in that it provides a critical analysis of past actions and their implications, offering lessons that can inform future crisis response and policy development, writes the Donner Prize Foundation. Book cover image courtesy of Optimum Publishing International
The Legal Singularity is important and timely book that will generate a meaningful conversation about AI and its role in the pursuit of justice, writes the Donner Prize Foundation. University of Toronto Press
The Legal Singularity is important and timely book that will generate a meaningful conversation about AI and its role in the pursuit of justice, writes the Donner Prize Foundation. University of Toronto Press
FeatureBY PAUL PARK | March 18, 2024
A statue of Ted Rogers Jr. in Toronto, who died in 2008, and built a cable television empire in Rogers Communications. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY PAUL PARK | March 18, 2024
FeatureBY PAUL PARK | March 18, 2024
A statue of Ted Rogers Jr. in Toronto, who died in 2008, and built a cable television empire in Rogers Communications. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | March 11, 2024
Martin Baron, former editor of The Washington Post, and author of Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | March 11, 2024
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | March 11, 2024
Martin Baron, former editor of The Washington Post, and author of Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY CHELSEA NASH | December 26, 2023
In his new book, The Paradox of Parliament (University of Toronto Press) Jonathan Malloy describes the catch-22 that Canada's Parliament contends with—that it is expected to serve two different contradictory purposes: represent all Canadians, while also governing decisively and with conviction. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY CHELSEA NASH | December 26, 2023
FeatureBY CHELSEA NASH | December 26, 2023
In his new book, The Paradox of Parliament (University of Toronto Press) Jonathan Malloy describes the catch-22 that Canada's Parliament contends with—that it is expected to serve two different contradictory purposes: represent all Canadians, while also governing decisively and with conviction. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY CHRISTINA LEADLAY | December 18, 2023
She Dared to Succeed: A Biography of the Honourable Marie-P. Charette-Poulin by Fred Langan, and published by the University of Ottawa Press, 2023. Photograph courtesy of the University of Ottawa Press
FeatureBY CHRISTINA LEADLAY | December 18, 2023
FeatureBY CHRISTINA LEADLAY | December 18, 2023
She Dared to Succeed: A Biography of the Honourable Marie-P. Charette-Poulin by Fred Langan, and published by the University of Ottawa Press, 2023. Photograph courtesy of the University of Ottawa Press
FeatureBY ABBAS RANA | December 18, 2023
Progressive Conservative John Diefenbaker, left, served as prime minister of Canada from 1957 to 1963, and Liberal Lester Pearson was Canada's prime minister from 1963 to 1968. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY ABBAS RANA | December 18, 2023
FeatureBY ABBAS RANA | December 18, 2023
Progressive Conservative John Diefenbaker, left, served as prime minister of Canada from 1957 to 1963, and Liberal Lester Pearson was Canada's prime minister from 1963 to 1968. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY MIKE LAPOINTE | November 6, 2023
Comedian and author Rick Mercer's new book The Road Years: A Memoir, Continued, which he wrote during the pandemic, covers everything from his early years to his work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Photograph courtesy of Michael Grajewski
FeatureBY MIKE LAPOINTE | November 6, 2023
FeatureBY MIKE LAPOINTE | November 6, 2023
Comedian and author Rick Mercer's new book The Road Years: A Memoir, Continued, which he wrote during the pandemic, covers everything from his early years to his work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Photograph courtesy of Michael Grajewski
Opinion | BY ARTHUR MILNES | October 23, 2023
John Diefenbaker was prime minister from 1957-1963, followed by Lester B. Pearson from 1963-1968. 'If Pearson walked with ease in the halls of power, Diefenbaker connected with the farmers and small-town merchants and others left outside the inner circle,' writes John Ibbitson in his new book. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Opinion | BY ARTHUR MILNES | October 23, 2023
Opinion | BY ARTHUR MILNES | October 23, 2023
John Diefenbaker was prime minister from 1957-1963, followed by Lester B. Pearson from 1963-1968. 'If Pearson walked with ease in the halls of power, Diefenbaker connected with the farmers and small-town merchants and others left outside the inner circle,' writes John Ibbitson in his new book. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Opinion | BY JIM CRESKEY | October 16, 2023
Keep Hope Alive: Essays for a War-Free World by Doug Roche, published 2023. Cover design by Khalid Yaqub
Opinion | BY JIM CRESKEY | October 16, 2023
Opinion | BY JIM CRESKEY | October 16, 2023
Keep Hope Alive: Essays for a War-Free World by Doug Roche, published 2023. Cover design by Khalid Yaqub
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | September 18, 2023
Roy MacGregor: 'There have, over that half-century of journalism, been blown jet engines, threatening weapons at Oka, a snowstorm on James Bay that forced us to take shelter for three days on a barren island, physical threats from unhappy athletes—and more fun than I ever should have imagined.' Photograph courtesy of Random House Canada/Fred Lum
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | September 18, 2023
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | September 18, 2023
Roy MacGregor: 'There have, over that half-century of journalism, been blown jet engines, threatening weapons at Oka, a snowstorm on James Bay that forced us to take shelter for three days on a barren island, physical threats from unhappy athletes—and more fun than I ever should have imagined.' Photograph courtesy of Random House Canada/Fred Lum
Former elected chief of the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw, Paddy Walkus: 'Our values and teachings are based on our sacred connection to our lands and waters, those traditional lands that we were forcibly removed from. Now we are rebuilding our people’s future upon those values and teachings and that sacred connection.' Handout photograph
Former elected chief of the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw, Paddy Walkus: 'Our values and teachings are based on our sacred connection to our lands and waters, those traditional lands that we were forcibly removed from. Now we are rebuilding our people’s future upon those values and teachings and that sacred connection.' Handout photograph
Kent Roach on why he wrote the book: 'I wanted to explore the history and challenges of public policing in Canada. My work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had made me realize that policing has failed Indigenous people through both over-policing and under protection.' Images courtesy of Delve Books
Kent Roach on why he wrote the book: 'I wanted to explore the history and challenges of public policing in Canada. My work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had made me realize that policing has failed Indigenous people through both over-policing and under protection.' Images courtesy of Delve Books
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | May 15, 2023
Former Senator Jack Austin says he hopes his book will serve as a 'reminder of the value of public service as a force for economic progress, social justice, and nation-building, and of the importance of fostering trust and an ability to negotiate differences among Canadians.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | May 15, 2023
FeatureBY KATE MALLOY | May 15, 2023
Former Senator Jack Austin says he hopes his book will serve as a 'reminder of the value of public service as a force for economic progress, social justice, and nation-building, and of the importance of fostering trust and an ability to negotiate differences among Canadians.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
FeatureBY STEPHEN POLOZ | May 10, 2023
Image courtesy of Allen Lane Canada
FeatureBY STEPHEN POLOZ | May 10, 2023
FeatureBY STEPHEN POLOZ | May 10, 2023
Image courtesy of Allen Lane Canada
FeatureBY NORMA DUNNING | May 8, 2023
Author Norma Dunning, on why she wrote Kinauvit?: What's Your Name? The Eskimo Disc System and a Daughter's Search fro her Grandmother: 'I wrote Kinauvit? to inform all of Canada and beyond. We, the Inuit, we are still here and we have always been more than a number.' Image courtesy of Douglas and McIntyre
FeatureBY NORMA DUNNING | May 8, 2023
FeatureBY NORMA DUNNING | May 8, 2023
Author Norma Dunning, on why she wrote Kinauvit?: What's Your Name? The Eskimo Disc System and a Daughter's Search fro her Grandmother: 'I wrote Kinauvit? to inform all of Canada and beyond. We, the Inuit, we are still here and we have always been more than a number.' Image courtesy of Douglas and McIntyre
Authors Stobo Sniderman, left, and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) on why they wrote the book: 'Valley of the Birdtail began as a story about the unfair and unequal education on Indian reserves. To tell that story, we found that we had to go back to the beginning, and the book became a story about Canada. In the end, we found a measure of hope.' Image courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers
Authors Stobo Sniderman, left, and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) on why they wrote the book: 'Valley of the Birdtail began as a story about the unfair and unequal education on Indian reserves. To tell that story, we found that we had to go back to the beginning, and the book became a story about Canada. In the end, we found a measure of hope.' Image courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers
FeatureBY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN | December 19, 2022
Journalist Elamin Abdelmahmoud says reception of Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces has continued to shape his understanding of identity and 'allow for a bit more space of self-forgiveness.' Kyla Zanardi photograph courtesy of McClelland & Stewart
FeatureBY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN | December 19, 2022
FeatureBY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN | December 19, 2022
Journalist Elamin Abdelmahmoud says reception of Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces has continued to shape his understanding of identity and 'allow for a bit more space of self-forgiveness.' Kyla Zanardi photograph courtesy of McClelland & Stewart
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | December 19, 2022
The Prime Minister's Office, in Ottawa. Donald Savoie argues that the modern-day government bureaucracy and line departments have made nobodies of MPs and flunkies of cabinet ministers, which only exacerbates public disenchantment with democracy. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | December 19, 2022
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | December 19, 2022
The Prime Minister's Office, in Ottawa. Donald Savoie argues that the modern-day government bureaucracy and line departments have made nobodies of MPs and flunkies of cabinet ministers, which only exacerbates public disenchantment with democracy. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY ALEX MARLAND | December 19, 2022
Then-NDP MP Peggy Nash, pictured in 2012 at a CPAC party in the West Block courtyard, with Peter Van Dusen, left, and then-Liberal MP John McCallum, right. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright
FeatureBY ALEX MARLAND | December 19, 2022
FeatureBY ALEX MARLAND | December 19, 2022
Then-NDP MP Peggy Nash, pictured in 2012 at a CPAC party in the West Block courtyard, with Peter Van Dusen, left, and then-Liberal MP John McCallum, right. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright
List | BY KATE MALLOY | December 19, 2022
List | BY KATE MALLOY | December 19, 2022
List | BY KATE MALLOY | December 19, 2022
FeatureBY ALEX MARLAND | December 19, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. Authors Bill Cross, Scott Pruysers, and Rob Currie-Wood tackle the core question: 'who, or what, is the political party in Canada?' The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY ALEX MARLAND | December 19, 2022
FeatureBY ALEX MARLAND | December 19, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. Authors Bill Cross, Scott Pruysers, and Rob Currie-Wood tackle the core question: 'who, or what, is the political party in Canada?' The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | September 7, 2022
Dale Eisler is a wise mind. In the first part of his career, he was an influential and widely respected journalist on the Prairies. In the second, he was an influential and widely respected public servant in the nation's capital. Images courtesy of Facebook and the University of Regina Press
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | September 7, 2022
FeatureBY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN | September 7, 2022
Dale Eisler is a wise mind. In the first part of his career, he was an influential and widely respected journalist on the Prairies. In the second, he was an influential and widely respected public servant in the nation's capital. Images courtesy of Facebook and the University of Regina Press
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | August 24, 2022
University of Toronto law professor Douglas Sanderson, left, and his former law student and ex-federal staffer Andrew Stobo Sniderman, right, are co-authors of the upcoming book, Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation. Photographs courtesy of HarperCollins
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | August 24, 2022
FeatureBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT | August 24, 2022
University of Toronto law professor Douglas Sanderson, left, and his former law student and ex-federal staffer Andrew Stobo Sniderman, right, are co-authors of the upcoming book, Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation. Photographs courtesy of HarperCollins
Opinion | BY DONALD SAVOIE | June 27, 2022
Prime ministers did not make government less of a political institution by centralizing more and more political power into their own hands and offices. Rather, they have made government operations even more political and, at the same time, eroded further the efficacy of government, writes Donald Savoie. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DONALD SAVOIE | June 27, 2022
Opinion | BY DONALD SAVOIE | June 27, 2022
Prime ministers did not make government less of a political institution by centralizing more and more political power into their own hands and offices. Rather, they have made government operations even more political and, at the same time, eroded further the efficacy of government, writes Donald Savoie. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
FeatureBY JIM CRESKEY | June 13, 2022
Charlie Angus' eighth book, the very readable Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower, belongs in the category of Canadian history that isn't taught in school but should be, writes Jim Creskey. Image courtesy of House of Anansi Press and The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
FeatureBY JIM CRESKEY | June 13, 2022
FeatureBY JIM CRESKEY | June 13, 2022
Charlie Angus' eighth book, the very readable Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower, belongs in the category of Canadian history that isn't taught in school but should be, writes Jim Creskey. Image courtesy of House of Anansi Press and The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
FeatureBY CAROL ANNE HILTON | May 30, 2022
Carol Anne Hilton: 'This book sets out to examine the significance of the Indigenous presence in today’s modern economy and within the emerging economy here in Canada and beyond.' Photographs courtesy of New Society Publishers
FeatureBY CAROL ANNE HILTON | May 30, 2022
FeatureBY CAROL ANNE HILTON | May 30, 2022
Carol Anne Hilton: 'This book sets out to examine the significance of the Indigenous presence in today’s modern economy and within the emerging economy here in Canada and beyond.' Photographs courtesy of New Society Publishers