Stories About the Storytellers: Publishing Alice Munro, Robertson Davies, Alistair MacLeod, Pierre Trudeau and Others by Douglas Gibson. (ECW Press, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Stories About the Storytellers

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of the more delightful books of this fall season is the eagerly anticipated Stories About Storytellers from Douglas Gibson. In this country he’s described as a ‘living legend,’ and a ‘publishing icon.’ For over forty years, he has edited and published thousands of Canada’s best books. He joined Macmillan of Canada in 1974 as editorial director, and then became its publisher in 1979. In 1986, he joined McClelland & Stewart as editor and the publisher of books under his own imprint, Douglas Gibson Books. In 1988, he became the Publisher at McClelland & Stewart. In 2004, he went back to concentrate on his imprint, and though he ‘retired’ in 2008 at the age of 65, he publishes under his imprint at M&S still. This book has some incredibly fascinating stories, as well provides a wonderful insight into the book trade. Stories About the Storytellers: Publishing Alice Munro, Robertson Davies, Alistair MacLeod, Pierre Trudeau and Others is published by ECW Press. And this fall, he’s embarking on a book tour across the country to promote this book and share some of the countless stories from his years of publishing. Mr. Gibson will be in Vancouver in October. Tuesday, 18 October 2011 he’ll be headlining an event at the Vancouver International Writers Festival; the next night he’ll be at Bolen Books in Victoria. Check out the website at www.douglasgibsonbooks.com for details on the book and this tour that that takes him across the country. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Toronto this day, Douglas Gibson; Good morning, Mr. Gibson.

On the Outside Looking Indian: How My Second Childhood Changed My Life by Rupinder Gill. (McClelland & Stewart, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: On the Outside Looking Indian

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

There’s a hilarious new book out, one that’s difficult to put down, and one that’s quite thoughtful too. It also has a hell of a title, On the Outside Looking Indian. Rupinder Gill is its author, who joins me now from here in Vancouver as she promotes it. It’s been compared to the comedy of Russell Peters in some parts, but what it has are the ruminations of someone trying to come to terms with her Indian heritage and that of the North American culture she grew up in, in Ontario and that which she saw on television. See, good Indian girls stayed home, cleaned and took care of their siblings, and didn’t sleep over at friends houses, go to Disneyland, or take piano or dance lessons. So at 30, Ms. Gill decided to do the things she missed out on growing up, and the journey is at once reflective as it is funny. It’s a great book. On the Outside Looking Indian: How My Second Childhood Changed My Life is highly relatable whether you’re Indian, or like me the son of immigrants, or if you were babysat by reruns of television sitcoms and dramas. It is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Rupinder Gill; Good morning, Ms. Gill.

Consumer Republic: Using Brands to Get What You Want, Make Corporations Behave, and Maybe Even Save the World by Bruce Philp. (McClelland & Stewart, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Consumer Republic

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at THECOMMENTARY.CA.

Perhaps we can save the world by going to the mall. You read Bruce Philp’s new book Consumer Republic: Using Brands to Get What You Want, Make Corporations Behave, and Maybe Even Save the World, and you get a convincing argument you can. Brands are the weapon we consumers wield. The corporations value their brands, spend much to create them and more money to protect them. We can use brands to our advantage, telling companies what we want, what we value, and what we want in this world. Bruce Philp joins me now. For 30 years or more he was in the advertising business. He co-wrote the bestselling The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded By Being a Rebel with a Cause. He has a couple of websites: www.brandcowboy.com, where you can read his blog, as well as www.brucephilp.com. He joins me from here in Vancouver this day. Consumer Republic is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Bruce Philp; Good morning, Mr. Philp.

Wearing the Green Beret: A Canadian with the Royal Marine Commandos by Jake Olafsen. (McClelland & Stewart, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Wearing the Green Beret

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at THECOMMENTARY.CA.

There’s a new book that I’ve just started, Wearing the Green Beret: A Canadian with the Royal Marine Commandos. It’s a frank account of Jake Olafsen’s decision to join the military, his training, and his service in Afghanistan. It’s a fine view into service, sacrifice, and the military, how this war is being conducted, patriotism, life and death. Jake Olafsen joins me now. He helped fight forest fires here in BC in 2003 as a member of the Canadian Army Reserve, and for four years he was a Royal Marine Commando, serving two tours in Afghanistan. He left the corps in 2009, and returned home to Vancouver Island where he’s in the international marine security industry. The book is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jake Olafsen; Good morning, Mr. Olafsen.

The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism by Tarek Fatah. (McClelland & Stewart, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Jew is Not My Enemy

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

There’s a fascinating, stimulating book out now that will I’m sure begin a necessary debate in this country and beyond. Its author, the journalist, political commentator and activist, Tarek Fatah joins me now. He is the founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, and a liberal Muslim. His new book is The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism. In some quarters, it’s perhaps incendiary, and we have the great chance to talk to Mr. Fatah about this book, and how he views the problems that fuel anti-Semitism in both the Islamic and Jewish faiths. Its research is staggering. The author looks at the anti-Jewish writings of the Hadith literature, as well as the interpretations of the Quran which perhaps fuel a view of the Jews. Tarek Fatah’s previous book Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State was shortlisted for the Donner Prize. He is a regular contributor on Toronto’s Newstalk 1010 Radio. The Jew is Not My Enemy is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Tarek Fatah; Good morning, Mr. Fatah.

Future Babble: Why Expert Predictions Fail—And Why We Believe Them Anyway by Dan Gardner. (McClelland & Stewart, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Future Babble

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Dan Gardner joins me again. He is the author of a new book, Future Babble: Why Expert Predictions Fail—And Why We Believe Them Anyway. I’m reading the book now, and it’s awfully thought-provoking and often surreal. We seem to want experts, in nearly every field to predict what’s going to happen in the future, whether it’s this weekend’s weather forecast, the economy in a year, the state of the world for our children. And with research on psychology, political science, and behavioural economics, more often than not the average expert as seen on television, as heard on the radio, as read in the newspaper or on the internet, is no more accurate than a flipped coin. Mr. Gardner was last on for his book Risk, which was a bestseller. Like that book, this one is a challenging, fascinating read. Dan Gardner is a senior writer and columnist at the Ottawa Citizen, as well he’s a popular public speaker, who holds degrees in law and history. The website for more is www.dangardner.ca. Future Babble is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Dan Gardner; Good morning, Mr. Gardner.

I Love Your Laugh: Finding the Light in My Screwball Life by Jessica Holmes. (McClelland & Stewart, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: I Love Your Laugh

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

The comedian, writer, and actress Jessica Holmes joins me now. She has just written a new book, I Love Your Laugh: Finding the Light in My Screwball Life. It’s described as a hilarious memoir, with witty observations on her eclectic upbringing, as well as the sharing of personal experiences about being a wife, daughter-in-law, and mother. Jessica Holmes has been nominated for several Canadian Comedy awards, as well as a Gemini Award for her work on television. She starred in her own comedy special, Holmes Alone, and the Holmes Show for CTV and the Comedy Network, as well she was a fixture on CBC’s Royal Canadian Air Farce. The book is published by McClelland & Stewart, and the website for more is www.jessicaholmes.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, from here in Vancouver this day, Jessica Holmes; Good morning, Ms. Holmes.

Ethical Oil: The Case for Canada’s Oil Sands by Ezra Levant. (McClelland & Stewart, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Ethical Oil

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Ezra Levant is a lightening rod in this country. He’s regarded as the ‘number one defender of freedom of speech,’ as well as one critic of his newest book, ‘a master of logical fallacy and half truth.’ The new book is called Ethical Oil: The Case for Canada’s Oil Sands. It’s a provocative book on a subject that needs necessary debate. He looks at our hypocrisy when it comes to our oil consumption, where we purchase it, and who benefits from it—despotic regimes, human rights violators, not to mention countries where environmental conditions after oil extraction are less than desirable. Mr. Levant suggests that since we can’t shake off our addiction to oil, why not use our oil sands? Even though Greenpeace and their ilk think otherwise. Ezra Levant is a lawyer, journalist and political activist. He was last on for his book Shakedown: How Our Government is Undermining Democracy in the Name of Human Rights, which was a bestseller. This book, Ethical Oil is published by McClelland & Stewart. His website is www.ezralevant.com. His is an inimitable voice in the discourse of this country. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Ezra Levant; Good morning, Mr. Levant.

Sanctuary Line by Jane Urquhart. (McClelland & Stewart, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Sanctuary Line

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

The acclaimed and bestselling author Jane Urquhart joins me now. She has just published a new novel, Sanctuary Line that has gotten great reviews. Set today, the book tells the story of a family, going back to the 19th century in Ireland and Ontario. The lead character in the novel is Liz Crane, an entomologist, who has moved back to the family farm to study the Monarch butterfly in a centre close by. The war in Afghanistan also hits close to home. Jane Urquhart has received the Governor General’s Award, the Trillium Book Award, as well as other honours and honorary doctorates, as well as the Order of Canada. She has written numerous books including a collection of short fiction, and four books of poetry. As well, she recently published a biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery for Penguin’s Extraordinary Canadians series. Sanctuary Line is her seventh novel following number one national bestsellers, A Map of Glass and The Stone Carvers. The book is published by McClelland & Stewart. Next month she’ll be appearing at least three times at the Vancouver Writers and Readers Festival, including a headlining event, An Intimate Evening with Jane Urquhart, 20 October 2010. Visit www.writersfest.bc.ca for more information and tickets. In Vancouver now, please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jane Urquhart; Good morning, Ms. Urquhart.

More Money Than Brains: Why School Sucks, College is Crap, and Idiots Think They’re Right by Laura Penny. (McClelland & Stewart, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: More Money Than Brains

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

A few years ago Laura Penny wrote one of the best books ever, Your Call Is Important to Us: The Truth About Bullshit. It was a timely treatise against the bullshit around us. She returns now with a new book, equally timely, lively, and fascinating. The book is called More Money Than Brains: Why School Sucks, College is Crap, and Idiots Think They’re Right. It looks at our popular culture in North America and how we seem to celebrate the loud-mouth ignoramuses in the media and politics, and how education is devalued. Laura Penny joins me now from Toronto. She has been described as one of the country’s funniest and most incisive social critics. The last book was a bestseller and critical hit. She has a PhD in Comparative Literature, an MA in Theory and Criticism, and a BA in Contemporary Studies and English. She’s a university instructor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, but lest you think she’s some sort of egghead, she’s hip to the cultural vernacular making this book a fascinating read. More Money Than Brains is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Laura Penny; Good morning, Dr. Penny.