Early Fall Book Launches

Calling all readers! Here are two must-have reads for the fall from two of Canada’s top authors and speakers. These books will have you intrigued and fascinated.

We Know What You’re Thinking by John Wright and Darrell Bricker, release date August 25th, 2009.
“In We Know What You’re Thinking, Bricker and Wright of Ipsos Reid, the largest market research company in Canada, let us in on the insights they’ve gleaned from thousands of polls and the unlikeliest of characters they’ve encountered— including the retiree who still believes in Santa Claus, the childless person who vehemently complains about toy safety, and the woman who would rather take her dad to a movie premiere than George Clooney. Filled with fascinating insights about Canadians from every province and territory, in cities and towns, of every age, gender and economic standing—and peppered with fun graphs, factoids and quizzes—We Know What You’re Thinking is compulsive, must-have reading for all Canadians.”

Canada and Other Matters of Opinion by Rex Murphy, release date October 6th, 2009.
“Comments from Canada’s most opinionated man, Rex Murphy – a man seen, read, and listened to by millions of Canadians each week. Canada’s most distinctive commentator presents his fearless and thought-provoking views on a head-spinning range of subjects, from Dr. Johnson’s greatness to Bono’s gratingness, from doubts about Obama to utter belief in Don Cherry, from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s outstanding oeuvre to – well, Pamela Anderson. …You will be informed, infuriated perhaps, but always fascinated.

The World Needs Your Kid: How to Raise Children Who Care and Contribute by Marc & Craig Kielburger and Shelley Page, release date August 21st, 2009.
“Inside this guide to parenting is a profound philosophy that encourages children to become global citizens. Drawing on life lessons and success stories Marc and Craig Kielburger demonstrate how small actions make a difference in the life of a child and ultimately change the world.”

A Soldier First. Bullets, Bureaucrats and the Politics of War by General Rick Hillier, release date October 26, 2009.
In the summer of 2008, General Rick Hillier retired as Chief of the Defence staff of the Canadian Forces. You could almost hear the sigh of relief in Ottawa as Canada’s most popular, and most controversial, military leader since the second World War left a role in which he’d been as frank, unpredictable and resolutely apolitical as any of his predecessors. In Afghanistan, Canada faced its first combat losses since the Korean War, with every casualty becoming front page news. A country formerly ambivalent, or even angry, about its role in the conflict suddenly became gripped by the drama unfolding not only in a war zone halfway around the world but in unfriendly conference rooms in Ottawa. There, as everywhere, Hillier pulled no punches, demanding more funding, more troops and more appreciation for the women and men fighting a war on foreign soil. This hard-hitting, honest account of Hillier’s role—told in his own words—will be one of the most important books published in Canada this decade.

You Can’t Say That In Canada by Margaret Wente, release date October 9th, 2009.
Margaret Wente here weaves the story of her life through her observations of the current scene. Wente takes us from the newsroom (where she conveys just what it’s like to have a regular newspaper column) to the mailroom (describing how people react to what she writes). In the book’s eponymous chapter, she recounts the biggest uproars her columns have caused–from the piece that compared Newfoundland to a deadbeat brother-in-law to another that questioned the notion that First Nations cultures were once as advanced as European societies. Less controversial are her more personal articles, the ones that get put on fridge doors or pinned to bulletin boards. In these, she tries to make sense of life as a woman, a boomer/mid-lifer dealing with a husband, kids or aging parents. You Can’t say That in Canada also includes much previously unseen material, carefully crafted into an original, engaging narrative. Here is Margaret Wente at her very best, bringing her trademark candour, warmth and wit to a book with sure-fire appeal for both her existing fans and new readers alike.