Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Are there any books you would recommend as giving a bit of an insight into Canada, either in the way of its history or customs (or whatever)? So far I've only found Beauty Tips From Moose Jaw, which I enjoyed on the whole, but can anybody recommend anything else that might be useful or amusing (Canada-related)? I'm quite hoping that Bill Bryson can be persuaded to visit the place soon ;).

Thanks in advance.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

How about A guide to Canada from the Lonely planet range?

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

try 'a xenophobes guide to the canadians'

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Weeds of Canada & The Northern United States
Richard Dickinson & France Royer
ISBN: 0-88864-311-X

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

I enjoyed Canadian History for Dummies, another book by Will Ferguson. You can pick it up from Amazon.

Moving away from books, the CBC website has some good DVDs as well. 'Breaking Point' (about the Quebec neverendum) was excellent and I'm looking forward to Santa bringing me the new hockey documentary.

If you have a good internet connection you could probably spend the long CIC wait watching the archive section they have on cbc.ca.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

I found Culture Shock to be pretty good. For those interested in learning about Quebec, Sacre Blues by Taras Grescoe is quite illuminating.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Hi,

We found the best book for a general insight into Canada is "Living and Working in Canada" by Graeme Chesters and published by Survival Books.

SAW 04

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Hi, recommendations from a nerdy Canuck:

Popular

Why I Hate Canadians - Will Ferguson (he's written other books about Canada and Canadians but this is the best of them, IMO).

The Purity Cookbook - not sure who this is by. I mention it cos it seemed to be in many Canadian kitchens... very suburban, Canadian comfort food stuff... mmmmm, butter tarts....

More Meaty

The House of Difference, Cultural Politics and National Identity in Canada - Mackey

Concise History of Canada First Nations - Dickason/Calder

The Imaginary Indian - The Image of the Indian in Canadian Culture - Daniel Francis (One of my favs.)

Contact Zones - Aboriginal And Settler Women in Canada's Colonial Past - Pickles and Rutherdale (For the Fembot. I have it but, to be honest, I haven't read it yet... but the cover write up is interesting :D)

Saltwater City - History of The Chinese in Vancouver - Paul Yee (If I'm remembering correctly, you're heading to Vancouver...?)

Canada's Underbelly, Not Amusing:

A National Crime - The Canadian Government and the Residential School System - Milloy

Richer and Poorer - The Structure of Inequality in Canada - Allahar/Cote

Vulnerable Children - Willms

A Way of Life That Does Not Exist - Canada and the Extinguishment of the Innu - Samson (IMO, this should be required reading by all in Canada... especially 'proud' Canadians. This is Canada's Tibet.)

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

There's only one weed in Canada.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

OI

I am not a weed!!!!!!! :p

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

How to be a Canadian by Will and Ian Ferguson - absolutely hilarious, totally recommend this book!

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Nice collection!! I wanted the Why I Hate Canadians but can only find it for £22 at the moment...eeek!! Keeping an eye out tho :D

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

I wretch to mention him but Peter C. Newman's The Canadian Establishment is essential reading.

Please steal a copy rather than buying it.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

There is another book, published only a few months ago, called "What Canadians Think". It is, to be honest, a bit dull, as it is the product of a market research company and is mostly an analysis of opinion poll statistics. It does, however, throw an interesting light on how opinion on various issues differs ad mare usque ad mare.

Good bog book.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

'The Good Life' - Dorian Amos

English cartoonist heads to yukon with wife and mongrel dog in tow. Funny, scary and uplifting in turns. Only happened in the late 90's.

http://www.dorianamos.com/goodlife.html - link to his website with piccies.

Enjoy

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Ten years ago, a great book called Mondo Canuck by Gregg Pevere came out...everything you ever wanted to know about Canadian pop culture. Doubt it's available now, but if you ever run into a copy, totally worth it for the crash course in Trudeau, SCTV, Can Con, Hollywood North and why we make crap sitcoms.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Corner Gas is not crap.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

It certainly looks to be crap from the trailers. We've never got enough qualudes to want to face a whole episode.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

What he ^ said.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

I think you and I have a fairly similar taste in humour. CG is well funny, in my opinion.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

The current trailer is for an episode about pulling down a barn. It's a nice looking barn so I wonder why they want to pull it down. There aren't any jokes or potentially humorous situations in the trailer so I'm not motivated to watch the show; have you seen that episode and can you explain the joke(s)?

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

I did see that episode last night. The thing with CG is that it's not big-time, full-on funny. The humour is in the little sub-themes and asides. I can imagine that a trailer would not be able to convey that.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

That's rather what I thought. I think Jon Stewart has plundered the country of all the funny Canadians.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Excellent, I got replies, thank you!

I can't decide if you're hilarious or not so I'm going with "yes" for now :D.

Thanks- added that to the list (is it an actual "Dummies" book by the way?)

I'll look for that- not heard of it: was it written by an immigrant?

Sounds a bit scary! Will it shake me out of my comfortable denial ;)?

Excellent: never heard of that but will certainly look for it!

I wonder if I can get hold of this over here, because if we ever get to a stage where we can afford university fees (yeah, I know...), I'd love to take Anthropology at UBC (total pipe dream at this stage of course). I'd like to read the book in any case.

See above! Actually, I won't quote them all, but all of your recommendations look good: thanks for taking the time.

Ok, this guy Ferguson's starting to get on my tits now ;). Just kidding.

I'll do my best, but failing that I'll punch the person in the bookshop or something if you like?

Tumbleweed... :) Actually, that could be really interesting, and I guess it's better to find out now if, you know, it turns out that I probably wouldn't be able to play nicely with them.

Cool pictures, and what's not to like about a guy called Dorian?

I think I really want this now! (Um, Kids In The Hall was Canadian, right?) I'm going to see if Corner Gas is downloadable: I need to see this for myself.

Thanks everybody: you've bankrupted me but you made it seem like my idea ;). I can't do that Karma thing (that I don't really understand), possibly because I'm on FireFox, so I'll try again in the morning from work.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

That would be shooting, or punching, the messenger. Just don't give Newman any money as he's a apologist for some loathsome people. Loathsome Canadian people at that.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Ah, ok: second-hand only it is, then. Do I definitely want to read this book in that case?!

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

If you want a broad picture of Canada I don't think you can discount the rich, the few people Newman fawns over do own most of the country.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Chipping in another two cents worth,

Yes, the 'Dummies' book is a 'Dummies' book, down to the cartoons at the beginnings of chapters and everything. A bit of a tome, but I found it invaluable.

'How To Be A Canadian' was a bit too much clever humour and not enough 'stuff' for my liking. Worth buying just for the cover alone, though.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/i...459601?ie=UTF8

I too bought 'What Canadians Think' but boy, was that ever a dry read??! It's written by two opinion pollsters from Ipsos-Reid and unless you care who Canadians would turn to for advice about prescription drugs, it's probably wise to leave it until the bottom of the list.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. :) :) :beer:

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Pierre Berton, The Last Spike.

Actually any Pierre Berton. He's a Canadian icon and yet he's readable!

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

How true. I bought it at the airport, thinking it would keep me amused during a flight to the UK.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

You should be able to it's a standard intro to 'First Nations Studies' text (I've seen similar books uni book stores in the UK) but there are others - anything by Dickason, JR Miller or Arthur J Ray are reasonably sound. 'A Way of Life That Does Not Exist' (Samson) is readily available in the UK and very interesting/depressing.

Anthropology is great though it's a bit of a mind-do-er (I was gonna write mind-*****) . :D :eek:

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

Corner Gas? Well, I've been in Holland for over 2 years now, so I don't know that one. Like I said, Mondo Canuck is 10 years old, so it wouldn't have heard of it either.

The only Canucky thing here in Holland is the Trailer Park Boys.

They list it on Indigo but it's unavailable unless you want it used.

And yes, Kids in the Hall is Canadian!

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

My hubby bought me 'Canada - A Peoples History' volumes 1&2. Very good - based on the TV series of the same name. Informative and interesting to read - not dull and heavy going.

Also bought Lonely Planet guide to Canada and 2 seperate books on Alberta.

Re: Recommend a book about Canada?
 

^^^ Also think that's a good start. But this is more up to date.... "Sex in the Snow", Michael Adams.

http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Snow-Canad.../dp/0140261028