Ed King by David Guterson. (Knopf, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Ed King

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

David Guterson joins me now. The bestselling author is in town as part of the Cherie Smith Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver Jewish Book Festival. He’s also just published his latest novel, Ed King. It’s described as a story of destiny, desire and destruction, reimagining Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex. We’ll get him to tell us more about this book. Mr. Guterson is the author of the novels East of the Mountains, The Other, Our Lady of the Forest, and Snow Falling on Cedars, which won the PEN/Faulkner Award. He’s also written a short story collection The Country Ahead of Us, the Country Behind, and Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense. He lives in Washington State, where Ed King is set. It’s published by Knopf. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, David Guterson; Good morning, Mr. Guterson.

Owning US Property the Canadian Way, 2nd Edition by AUTHOR. (PUBLISHER, 2011) Click to buy this book from: www.altrolaw.com

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

With the economy what it is, foreclosures in the United States and our dollar at times at par or over the American dollar, perhaps it’s a good time to buy property in America. Canadians are often known to leave the country for warmer climes in the winter, and this winter will be no exception. My guest now David A. Altro is an expert at cross-border real estate. He is the author of a new book, Owning US Property the Canadian Way, 2nd Edition. The subtitle of the book is ‘Protect Your Family with The Cross Border Trust and Other Strategies.’ Mr. Altro explains jargon like the short sale, how foreclosure sales work, as well he states the tax implications of buying property in the US, and under whose name the property should be placed. David Altro is the managing partner at Altro and Associates, a multi-jurisdictional law firm with offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota, Naples, and Phoenix. He’s been practicing law in both countries for well over 30 years now. You can get this book from www.altrolaw.com. He joins me from Montreal this day. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, David Altro; Good morning, Mr. Altro.

Come From the Shadows: The Long and Lonely Struggle for Peace in Afghanistan by Terry Glavin. (Douglas & McIntyre, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Come From the Shadows

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Terry Glavin joins me again. The award-winning journalist has a new book out now, Come From the Shadows: The Long and Lonely Struggle for Peace in Afghanistan. It’s a thought-provoking read about a place and a conflict we hear about a great deal, but perhaps don’t think about nearly as often as we should. In this book Mr. Glavin looks at Afghanistan and its people, but he also goes there and goes ‘outside the wire’ as it were and shows us a different sort of Afghanistan, one where its children are going to school, where women’s rights activists are speaking out, where rebuilding is happening. With Canada’s role in the region changing, and the American government also adjusting its role, even towards reconciliation with the Taliban, Terry Glavin warns us about what could happen. What I found particularly thoughtful was the author’s challenge and evisceration of the left’s knee-jerk reaction, that we should never have been there to begin with, that we should pull out immediately, and that it was never Canada’s place to be there. We’ll get him to tell us more of what’s in the book. Terry Glavin was last on for his book Waiting for the Macaws. He lectures at the University of Victoria, is the co-founder of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee, and he’s won many prizes for his work, including the 2009 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence. His blog is at http://transmontanus.blogspot.com. This book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program in Victoria, Terry Glavin; Good morning, Mr. Glavin.

Me & Lee: How I Came to Know, Love, and Lose Lee Harvey Oswald by Judyth Vary Baker. (Trine Day, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Me & Lee

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

It’s nearly fifty years now since the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This past week, Lee Harvey Oswald would have turned 72. His lover, Judyth Vary Baker, has been in Canada this week to do a series of interviews about Oswald, their relationship and the undercover plot that brought them together which resulted in the murder of Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, November 22nd 1963. Ms. Baker has written a book, Me & Lee: How I Came to Know, Love, and Lose Lee Harvey Oswald, and after its publication some time ago, she is finally talking about what’s in the book, and about Oswald, all in an effort to reconsider, and rehabilitate his place in history. We’ll get Ms. Baker to tell us about what Oswald was doing, how he got set up, and how he eventually met his own demise some days after the assassination at the hands of Jack Ruby. Since the assassination Judyth Vary Baker has lived a quiet life outside the public eye living overseas in the midst of death threats. She joins me from Montreal today. The book is available from www.meandlee.com, as well Amazon and Chapters are selling it on their websites. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Judyth Vary Baker; Good morning, Ms. Baker.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson. (Crown, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: In the Garden of Beasts

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

A marvellous book out now is In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin. It takes us to 1933 Germany. The Nazis have just come to power, and Adolf Hitler is completing his first full year as chancellor. The unlikely ambassador to Germany from the United States is a mild-mannered academic, William E. Dodd. He and his family move to Berlin, and it’s through them that we see Germany as it was. Hindsight is always 20/20, but in this book, which reads like a novel, we see life as it were as Hitler tightens his grip on power. We see the gathering storm as Jewish persecution mounts and attacks on Americans occur, as well we see the reaction from Dodd, the American State Department, and their contemporaries. We also see the charmed life lead by his daughter Martha, who is fascinated and entranced by the ‘New Germany,’ which leads to romance with figures within the Nazi regime. Erik Larson joins me from Toronto now. He is the award winning author of six books including the critically acclaimed and bestselling Isaac’s Storm, Thunderstruck and The Devil in the White City, which was a number one bestseller on the New York Times list. This book, published by Crown, is this week also number one on the Times list. The website for more is at www.eriklarsonbooks.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Erik Larsen; Good morning, Mr. Larsen.

Walking Home: The Life and Lessons of a City Builder by Ken Greenberg. (Random House, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Walking Home: The Life and Lessons of a City Builder

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

I’ve just started reading Ken Greenberg’s new book, Walking Home: The Life and Lessons of a City Builder. It promises to be an important and necessary book as it looks at our cities, how they’re built, how liveable they are now and in the very near future. Mr. Greenberg, principal of Greenberg Consultants, is an architect, urban designer, teacher, writer and former director of Urban Design and Architecture for the City of Toronto. In this highly readable book he tells his own story, where he grew up, where he’s lived and worked, and the ideals of good city planning he’s gleaned from those places. The post Second World War exodus to suburbia came at the expense of ideal urban living. We’re going back to it, thanks to rising cost of energy, and in how to go back the book is highly instructive. In 2010, Ken Greenberg was the recipient of the American Institute of Architects Thomas Jefferson Award for public design excellence. The website for more is at www.greenbergconsultants.com. The book is published by Random House. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program in Toronto, Ken Greenberg; Good morning, Mr. Greenberg.

Among the Truthers: A Journey into the Growing Conspiracist Underground of 9/11 Truthers, Birthers, Armageddonites, Vaccine Hysterics, Hollywood Know-Nothings and Internet Addicts by Jonathan Kay. (HarperCollins, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Among the Truthers

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Jonathan Kay is a managing editor and a columnist at the National Post. He has written a fascinating and highly readable book, Among the Truthers. Its subtitle says it all: ‘A Journey into the Growing Conspiracist Underground of 9/11 Truthers, Birthers, Armageddonites, Vaccine Hysterics, Hollywood Know-Nothings and Internet Addicts.’ Mr. Kay researches and interviews those in the world of conspiracy theorists. He examines their beliefs and thoughts, how they got to what they believe, and what it means to our society, our discourse and our politics. The book is published by HarperCollins. The website for more is at www.amongthetruthers.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jonathan Kay; Good morning, Mr. Kay.

The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century by Dr. Dickson Despommier. (Thomas Dunne Book, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Vertical Farm

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line. In Vancouver, this is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

Dr. Dickson Despommier joins me now. He is the author of a new book, a fascinating one, The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. It’s a provocative, yet thoughtful book showing us how we could have our own local food source, especially if we live in an urban centre. With food in short supply, the same with water and energy, Dr. Despommier thinks we should build up. Now, scientists, architects and people around the globe are getting hip to the idea that these specially designed buildings can grow not only food, thanks to hydroponics and aeroponics, but they can be sources of employment and because of their locations, they would also reduce dependence on fossil fuels in terms of getting the food to people. Dr. Dickson Despommier spent thirty eight years as a professor of microbiology and public health in environmental health sciences at Columbia University. He has won numerous awards, and he’s been featured in countless national and international media outlets, both print and broadcast. It’s a Thomas Dunne Book, which is an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. The website for more is www.verticalfarm.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Dickson Despommier; Good morning, Dr. Despommier.

Guinness World Records 2011 (Guinness Publishing, 2010). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Guinness World Records 2011

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

In Vancouver, I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

The 2011 edition of the Guinness World Records is out now. It is the worldwide authority in all matters of human and natural endeavour. Today, on the line from Toronto is the Head of Records Adjudication for North America for the Guinness World Records, Danny Girton Jr. He joins us to tell us more about what’s in this edition of the book, what feats he’s witnessed, and more. www.guinnessworldrecords.com is the website. A couple of years ago, we had on this program, Craig Glenday, the editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Danny Girton Jr.; Good morning, Mr. Girton.

Crawling from the Wreckage by Gwynne Dyer. (Random House, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Crawling from the Wreckage

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

In Vancouver, I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

Gwynne Dyer joins me again. He has just published a new book, a collection of columns from the last five years: Crawling from the Wreckage. His previous column collection covering the years 2001-2005 was called With Every Mistake. So perhaps he’s feeling some hope as to the state of the world. With this book, it’s a great way to look back at the last five years, politically and geopolitically with one of the English-language’s preeminent commentators. Gwynne Dyer is a columnist, whose column is syndicated in over 175 publications around the world. You can read him in Vancouver in the Georgia Straight. He is a broadcaster, filmmaker and lecturer. His website is at www.gwynnedyer.com. This past June, he was named an Officer to the Order of Canada. Crawling from the Wreckage is published by Random House. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, in Toronto this day, Gwynne Dyer; Good morning, Dr. Dyer.