Nation Maker—Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times by Richard Gwyn. (Random House, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Nation Maker

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

In 2007, Richard Gwyn published the first volume of his biography of Sir John A. Macdonald—John A. The Man Who Made Us. He was on this program in the fall of that year to discuss the book, as he is now to discuss the second volume, Nation Maker—Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times. It was published this past fall to great acclaim and many plaudits. The years covered in this book are 1867, the year of our Confederation, to 1891, the year of his death. The gift Mr. Gwyn has is he tells people stories well. He makes Macdonald’s life come alive on the page. The events of history are illustrated vividly and made understandable and accessible. The issues surrounding our founding, the scandals and controversies are parsed and analysed with the hindsight of time and the context of contemporary references. It is a wonderful read, and an absolutely important book. Richard Gwyn is an award winning author and political columnist. He wrote widely praised biographies of Pierre Trudeau and Joey Smallwood. And his book Nationalism Without Walls, one of my favourite books ever, was selected by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the 100 most important books about the country. www.richardjgwyn.ca is the website for more. Nation Maker is published by Random House. I’m very pleased to welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Richard Gwyn; Good morning, Mr. Gwyn.

When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada by Peter C. Newman. (Random House, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: When the Gods Changed

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of the season’s major releases is the new book from the journalist and author Peter C. Newman. It is called When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada. The book which has already inspired much discussion in the country’s political circles chronicles what Mr. Newman argues is the demise of the Liberal Party of Canada. He had set out to write a book documenting the ascent of Michael Ignatieff from academia abroad to the premiership, however that book’s focus shifted what with the party’s fortunes and the results of last May’s election. Still the book is very fine read, in that style that Canadians have come to expect in the over fifty year career of Peter C. Newman. The book is part a look at how the party came to be where it is today, part a narrative of Ignatieff’s life and career, plus this short foray into politics, as well we’re reminded of what the Liberal Party once was, what it accomplished in all those years that it dominated this country. The Grits were in power for seven of the last ten decades. Peter C. Newman is the legendary journalist who’s written over 30 books, 25 of which have sold over two and half million copies. He’s won every major prize, and he was the editor of the Toronto Star and Maclean’s. The book is published by Random House. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, in Vancouver this day, Peter Newman; Good morning, Mr. Newman.

The Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy by Chris Turner. (Random House Canada, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

Chris Turner joins me now. He’s written a new book, The Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy. We live in important times, critical times. We have mounting and multiple crises. There’s a financial crisis, energy crisis, food crisis, and climate crisis. So far, it seems we’ve looked at each in isolation. In this book, Mr. Turner suggests a new way of looking at things. We’ll get him to tell us about this book, where he takes us through the forthcoming industrial revolution, what’s involved with that for communities, government and businesses. We’ll talk about where around the world, there’s hope, where there are examples of sustainability success. Chris Turner is one of the country’s leading writers on sustainability and the cleantech industry. He was last on for his previous book, The Geography of Hope, which was a bestseller and a finalist for a number of awards. He’s won other awards for his writing, and has appeared in sundry publications. The book is published by Random House. The website for more is at www.thegeographyofhope.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Chris Turner; Good morning, Mr. Turner.

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.

For Your Tomorrow: The Way of An Unlikely Soldier by Melanie Murray. (Random House, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: For Your Tomorrow

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

An important book out now is For Your Tomorrow: The Way of An Unlikely Soldier. It’s remarkable on two scores. First, it gives us a view onto the men and women in harm’s way in Afghanistan. Some one hundred and forty soldiers have been killed in the conflict there, and this book sheds light on one of the fallen, revealing them to be much more than a statistic. Secondly, it’s wonderfully written. I’m in the midst of reading it now, and have been struck at its eloquence, its clarity and the evocative lyricism that is felt throughout. The author, Melanie Murray joins me now. She is a teacher of literature and composition at Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC. The soldier, Captain Jeff Francis was her nephew. He was a thirty-year old doctoral candidate, who just before September 11th, decided to join the armed forces. He was killed by an improvised explosive device on 04 July 2007 at the age of 36. He came from a comfortable family, and he was a new father, yet he enlisted, and Ms. Murray in this book, attempts to find out why he did. We see Captain Francis as he lived, and in the book we find out what his life and death meant. For Your Tomorrow is published by Random House. The website for more is at www.melaniemurray.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Vancouver this day, Melanie Murray; Good morning, Ms. Murray.

Selected: Why Some People Lead, Why Others Follow, and Why It Matters by Mark van Vugt and Anjana Ahuja. (Random House Canada, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Selected

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

The history and psychology of leadership is explained in a highly readable, highly recommended book, Selected: Why Some People Lead, Why Others Follow, and Why It Matters. One of its authors joins me now. Mark van Vugt, who joins me from Toronto now, co-wrote the book with Anjana Ahuja. What they’ve done here is take much scientific research, distilled it, added some fascinating anecdotes, and give us the reader, a great sweep through the last couple of million years to see who amongst us emerge as leaders, who are followers, and perhaps gives us a glimpse into where we’re headed. Mark van Vugt is a professor of psychology at the VU University of Amsterdam, and holds honorary positions at the universities of Oxford and Kent. His website for more is at www.professormarkvanvugt.com. Selected is published by Random House. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark van Vugt; Good morning, Professor van Vugt.

Your Voice in My Head by Emma Forrest. (Random House Canada, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Your Voice in My Head

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

I’m currently reading an astonishingly good book, Your Voice in My Head. It’s a memoir from the writer Emma Forrest who takes us through her life. On the surface it’s a sort of charmed existence—a talented young writer at 16 with a column in the Sunday Times, she wrote for the Guardian at 21, the same year she published her first novel Namedropper. Two more followed, Thin Skin and Cherries in the Snow, plus a life in the glare of pop culture photographers thanks to someone prominent she was dating at the time. But it all unravels as her quirks and eccentricities becomes damaging to her psyche. She recounts quite clearly her struggles with cutting and bulimia, the cruel relationships she finds herself in, as well as the effects of such crushing depression. And she’s just over 30 years old now. It’s wonderfully written, and Emma Forrest joins me now to talk about the book. Worked through in the book is her relationship with her psychiatrist, who saved her life. The relationship sort of begins after he dies, as she pieces together who he was, in a way paying tribute to all that he did to save her. www.emmaforrest.com is her website. She lives in Los Angeles, where she is a screenwriter. Your Voice in My Head is published by Random House. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Emma Forrest; Good morning, Ms. Forrest.

Northern Light: The Enduring Mystery of Tom Thomson and the Woman Who Loved Him by Roy MacGregor. (Random House, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Northern Light

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

One of the country’s finest writers joins me now. Roy MacGregor is on again to discuss his newest book: Northern Light: The Enduring Mystery of Tom Thomson and the Woman Who Loved Him. It’s an engrossing book, reading like a novel in parts about one of Canada’s iconic artists Tom Thomson. This tells Thomson’s story, namely it breaks down the mystery of his death. In July 1917, at the age of 39, Thomson’s swollen body was found in Canoe Lake in Ontario’s Algonquin Park. Since then there’s been fierce debate as to whether it was a murder, a suicide, or an accident. He was buried at the lake, and in 1956, his remains were exhumed and buried in Leith, Ontario, where it’s a major tourist draw today. In this book, MacGregor looks at Thomson’s relationship with one Winnifred Trainor, what sort of relationship it was and whether she was carrying his child. This book is such a fascinating read because it has everything, art, mystery, forensics, romance, a cover-up, maybe murder, suicide perhaps. Roy MacGregor is an award winning writer and a columnist for the Globe and Mail. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and his previous books have been bestsellers, as well as prize nominees, if not winners too. He was on last for his book Canadians: A Portrait of a Country and Its People, one of my favourite books of all time. He was also related to Winnie Trainor. Northern Light is published by Random House. From Toronto, this day, please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Roy MacGregor; Good morning, Mr. MacGregor.

The Bells by Richard Harvell. (Random House, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Bells

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

The Bells is a new novel from first time novelist Richard Harvell. It is a book about a celebrated opera singer who is born to a bell keeper in the Swiss Alps. As a boy, Moses Froben, is affected by the bells developing a gift for sound. He ends up meeting two travelling monks and then he meets Ulrich, a choirmaster, who then has Moses castrated, as he possess a remarkable voice. The book tells the story, takes us through loves, marriage, and the premiere of one of history’s most beloved operas. Richard Harvell is in Vancouver this day, and joins us to talk about his story, and this book, The Bells. He was born in New Hampshire, and studied at Dartmouth. He lives with his wife and son in Basel, Switzerland. The Bells is published by Random House. His website is at www.richardharvell.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Richard Harvell; Good morning, Mr. Harvell.

Fauna by Alissa York. (Random House, 2010) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Fauna

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

The author Alissa York joins me now. She’s crossing the country promoting her highly anticipated novel, Fauna. It is described as a contemporary human fable that looks at the heart of the animal world. We’ll get her to tell us more, including about some of the human characters depicted therein, who illuminate the setting and the animals they encounter. Her previous novels include Mercy and Effigy, which was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. Fauna is published by Random House. She lives in Toronto, but joins us from here in Vancouver this day. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Alissa York; Good morning, Ms. York.