Canada Books

that I am looking for her next book :)....what a great (yet) readable book !

When I opened 'Kiss the Sunset Pig' I was expecting a travel book, which it is ... and a great one at that. What I wasn't expecting was how much it would touch my soul. I sat, riveted, as I took a journey not only around the world, but across thoughts, hopes, dreams. Anyone who's ever questioned whether, with the whole world to choose from, they're living their lives in the best place or whether they've filled their lives to the very best of their ability, will find a resonating spirit in this book.
As Laurie Gough makes her way from Canada and across America she hopes not only to settle happily in California, but to find the coastal cave that she lived in for six nights, years ago. But the search is not so much for the cave itself, as for the more free-spirited (she believes) girl that lived there. As she drives, she recalls previous travels in the Greek islands, the Yukon, Jamaica, Sumatra, and Seoul, to name a few. These tales can't fail to inspire. Her bravery alone, traveling solo through often uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous, situations is humbling to say the least. But it's this bravery she feels has been lost and she hopes to rekindle by finding her cave.
Several times the author seemed to wander into places I thought only existed in my daydreams. Some were so uncanny they made me gasp. Since childhood I have wanted a glass-walled bedroom perched on the top of a house, entirely surrounded by trees. I clapped my hands in delighted envy when the author set up home in just such a room ... and in a Californian Redwood forest at that. These instances were some of the most poignant for me - the fact that daydreams can so easily be reality if you go out and make them so ... that really hit home.
The travel stories are touching, humourous, enchanting, and filled with travel's usual mix of discomfort, frustration, alarm, and achingly beautiful encounters. All are told with the author's clear natural gift for portraying the lightness and the depth in every situation.
So if the idea of sleeping in a coastal cave, inside a Californian Redwood, on a Mediterranean beach, or on the banks of the remote Yukon river lights something intangible inside, I wholeheartedly recommend you read 'Kiss the Sunset Pig' and let inspiration rain over you.

If you enjoyed Kite Strings of the Southern Cross, or even if you were not lucky enough to read it, Laurie Gough's second book offers the same magical combination of beautiful, descriptive travel writing and soul-searching that never comes across as self-involved or forced. Starting in Canada, Gough takes the reader along on her road trip to rediscover a special cave she once stayed in along the California coast - and how she has evolved since that memorable sojourn. Interspersed throughout the narrative are chapters on some of Gough's other international adventures to such exotic locales as Sumatra and Seoul, South Korea (a place that comes across as utterly unappealing).

Much of the beauty in Gough's writing comes not just from her memorable descriptions of the people, places, and things she encounters and learns from (especially those harrowing Indonesian bus and ferry rides and Marcia, her struggling car), but also from her brutal honesty about some of the low points she struggled through along the way. By the end of the book, the reader truly roots for Gough to find her cave so the journey can go full-circle.

Despite an unexpected outcome, Gough manages to discover the meaning and convey the depth of her experience in a way that never seems heavy-handed or cliched. This is a beautiful and inspiring piece of travel writing that offers many riches for fellow travelers, those who enjoy strong writing, and anyone who has ever considered his or her place and purpose in the universe.

Laurie Gough is an intrepid traveller with a youthful exuberance for adventure. I realize, though, that no matter what one's age, some people are born with wanderlust and have a need to travel the world. The interesting thing is, travellers always return home. That's what Gough does. She's been to thirty countries, hitchhiking thousands of miles by herself though fourteen of them. But she always returns to her hometown of Guelph, Ontario in Canada.

At the beginning of Kiss the Sunset Pig, Gough sets off for California from Guelph in a "blue, beat-up mini Ford Bronco" she calls Marcia. To help with driving and expenses, she picks up a travelling companion named Debbie, whom she has met through an ad and, before the trip begins, has only spoken to on the phone. Debbie gets dropped off in St. Louis, Missouri, at the home of a boyfriend she has never met face to face.

"Sometimes I think I'm still looking for an axis," Gough writes early on in her journey. After reading her book, I think the axis may be the wanderlust. It's who she is. For a person with wanderlust, there is no perfect place to live. A place may seem ideal, for a time, but really it's just a base at which to prepare oneself for the next adventure.

Reading about her encounters with strange and wonderful people is frightening at times (for the reader and for her), but I realize travelling with a companion or in a group, as I usually do, one is not open to the same exciting possibilities. Travelling solo, Gough finds herself talking to strangers more readily as she's more open and more herself. "That's the thing about travelling: it's like peeling away a layer of yourself, exposing yourself to the world so it can expose itself to you".

The structure of the book is an interesting one that works extremely well. (She did the same in her first book, Kite Strings of the Southern Cross, which I highly recommend.) Rather than write a book of travel stories in chronological order, Gough reflects on previous journeys as she drives across the United States in a car that needs lots of garage visits along the way.

One of those reflections is the Greek island of Naxos. There Gough created a temporary home under a small bamboo wind shelter on the beach. Her backpack went missing for a time and to ease her panic, she looked at the "dependable milky rock" of the moon. Gough realized things like that didn't matter "in the great scheme of the universe" (she had her passport and money), and I realize too, as a traveller, one needs to practice non-attachment. Gough describes Greece beautifully as a "land where myth and reality swirl around each other in a luminous haze." Yet she needed to move on, "to see the rest of the world."

One summer, Gough hitchhiked to the Yukon, 3,000 miles from Guelph. She says hitchhiking is "always a surprise study of human beings." Her travelling companion Kevin told her of his own world adventures. His advice was "You have no idea what's in store for you, but if you let yourself go along with the flow of the unknown and accept whatever happens, things seem to work out".

The "exotic detours" of which Gough writes don't all have happy endings. Her teaching job in Kashechewan in Canada's sub-Arctic ended after only three months with Gough defeated and exhausted by the chaos of a third-grade class. A trip to Jamaica with her sister ended quickly, as Gough likes to stay with locals while her sister prefers fancy hotels.

Gough is full of questions about where she belongs. Those questions don't at all detract from the book; they help us relate. After all, travel is about looking for oneself, and as travel-book readers, we get to reflect on similar questions.

On her trip to California, Gough plays Joni Mitchell's "California" that includes the phrase "kiss the sunset pig." She carries a tattered notebook called "Cave Journal" and would like to find that cave on the Pacific again, where she spent some time thirteen years previously. Along with her questions and her longing, Gough has a healthy sense of humour about her encounters along the way. She describes a town on the Great Plains called Grainfield as the "size of a bath mat."

At an earlier age, Gough described herself as "still on my way to everywhere." She has learned that travel can mean "hours, even days of despair, rain, heatwaves, snow, mosquitoes, late trains, no trains, followed by a single moment of dazzling elation. It was those single moments one tended to recall." Gough makes some realizations at the end of her California trip that I don't want to reveal here. But I would say, even though she is older and perhaps wiser, I still see her as on her way to everywhere.

Gough has married since the stories written about in her book and has a baby son. They divide their time between a farmhouse outside of Guelph, Ontario, and a Quebec village. Seventeen of her stories have been anthologised in various literary travel books, including Salon.com's Wanderlust: Real-Life Tales of Adventure and Romance and Sand in My Bra: Funny Women Write from the Road. She has written for the Los Angeles Times, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Outpost, Canadian Geographic and numerous literary journals.

by Mary Ann Moore
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Faye and Louise Parker's father abandoned the family when the girls were babies - an event that fuels their mother Maggie in all that she does. She sleeps with her boss Jerry, taunting and believing her power over him is part of her revenge at her husband. She ostracizes her widowed mother Ellen, and worst of all, Maggie lashes out at her girls, both physically and emotionally. In her mind, they can do nothing right, simply because they are John Parker's daughters.

But in reality, Faye and Louise are beautiful people, inside and out. Sixteen months apart, the sisters are smart and good-natured. Shy, introspective Faye and outspoken Louise are long accustomed to supporting and protecting one another, both against their mother and the world as a whole. Thankfully, they also have their grandmother Ellen - as befuddled by Maggie as they - to turn to.

This quietly moving story follows the Parker family over several decades, taking readers through Faye and Louise's childhood, adolescence and young adulthood; Maggie's self-inflicted, oblivious downward spiral; and Ellen's attempts at happiness with her new husband Bob. The sisters' childhood friend Raffie DiStasio quickly becomes close to Faye as the two mature, and although still young, the two dream of the life they will one day have together.

As Maggie's behavior grows more horrific, Faye and Louise plan their escape. But their triumph is short-lived as tragedy strikes, and nothing is again the same.

This novel - much in the style of Anne Tyler - is at once quiet and slow-moving as well as powerful and meaningful. Allen's skill at fleshing out her characters makes readers care and want the best for them. Also, her talent for introducing minor characters, then having them resurface in a main character's life in a big way makes for a more interesting and tightly-woven story.

This is a long book,but well worth the length in enjoyment. Louise and Faye are sisters ,long mistreated by their bitter,abusive mother,Maggie. After Maggie finally goes too far, they are rescued by their warm,loving grandmother,Ellen.The two of them embark upon a life of much deserved happiness until Faye meets with an unfortunate, tragic accident. Louise descends into a deep depression, that is only overcome by her relocating to England. There she successfully starts anew,away from her haunting memories.She becomes acquainted with Rachael,a wealthy girl with bipolar disorder, which is almost causing her to lose her life. Louise takes charge of her friend's life, encouraging her to make changes. The two of them turn out to be mutually beneficial to each other.Together they bring about positive events that change both of their lives. There are the male characters: Raffie,Faye's only true love; Nick,the lower-class englishman who helps save Rachael;Tim,the doctor who was able to bring Louise the love she was afraid to face. There are many other delightful people who add so much to the plot of this remarkable book. Even the peripheral ones have life and are real. Charlotte Vale Allen has a great talent to make all of her characters live. You know all of them personally and almost become a part of the story yourself.This is another unforgettable book by Charlotte Vale Allen. If you have never read any of her books this is a wonderful introduction,which will start an addiction to all of her books.

Maggie (the mother from hell) vents her anger, bitterness and rage at life on her two daughters, Faye and Louise. This is a great story on the power of sisterly love and overcoming an abusive childhood. I found the characters to be true to life and well rounded. This was a good read that I highly recommend. (Illusions is still my all time favorite of Vale Allen's books!) If you're new to her, be sure to read it.

It's always amazing how nasty the reviewers from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly can be. This book's characters are anything but bland. There's a remarkable cast of truly well-rounded characters, with the lives of each investigated thoroughly. At the heart of the story, Louise Parker is clever and determined, funny and lovable; shattered by the inexplicable death of her sister, she leaves her birthplace, Toronto, to start her life again in London. As always, Allen offers great insights into the whys of her characters, particularly the hateful Maggie, mother of Louise and the ill-fated Faye. Despite its length, this is a book that keeps the reader enthralled from start to finish, as we follow Maggie, her daughters, and her mother for a decade or so--their highs and lows, their joys and sorrows. Particularly wonderful is Allen's use of films as a consolation and soporfic for the tragically vulnerable Faye. There is always something cinematic (visual) about Allen's writing; she manages to create very vivid images for the reader--memorable scenes that stay with one long after the book is done. This is a must-read novel.

This is the best travel book about the London that I found. It has all necessary information that I was looking for without the tones of text and pictures. It gives you so good ideas about what you can or should see in one day that I decided just to follow the book. :)

Took 3 guides to London for our 2005 trip. This guide has the best pictures of the 3. Most of the information is very good. The walking tours are the best! It even tells you when to stop and eat.hmmmmm

The guide doesn't really cover all aspects if you are new to the culture and city. No real tips on staying out of trouble and the detailed city map is combersome. That aside, the book is well put together with wire spirals, the cover is a hard paper for good construction.

Before traveling to London, we purchased many travel books, but AAA's London guide was the only one we took with us. The book is filled with beautiful color photos, great descriptions, planned itineraries, and a fantastic detailed map. We are planning on traveling to Rome this summer and AAA's Rome guide is the only travel book we will be purchasing before we go.

My wife and I used this travel guide extensively while in London. It served as our bible, tour guide, and street map. It is laid out in a very clearly and the sprial binder makes it very easy to flip to any page. It is filled with clear, color pictures and maps. The guide is broken down into various regions throughout London, with each section highlighting Must See Attractions, and then At Your Leisure sites that are also in the area. It also has a very nice reference on how to see a region in one day. An Underground map is on the inside back cover, and a regional map of London on the front inside cover. Other nice features are sections called 'Finding Your Feet' - which provides great information for when you first arrive in London (either by plane, train, boat, etc..) and a 'Practicalities' seciton that talks about currency, clothes sizes,etc.

What really made this book stand out compared to other London travel guides was it included detailed street maps of these regions. Those proved invaluable for us once we started walking around the area. The book is compact, and fit inside my coat pocket comfortably.

This is a very nice introductionary book that justly exhaust various topics. Pros: Easy to read, and unoffensive to the readers' intelligence. Many examples, diagrams, summaries, and concatenations between the chapters are well done. Great examples. This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

I just finished my Communications class and used this book to give a presentation and write a paper on communication and how to do it right. I felt the book was very educational. It certainly taught me quite a bit, despite the fact that I couldn't really read it (I used it for research). It was on loan from my teacher, but I plan to buy this book for myself. Heck, I'll probably have my husband read it too!

When I started using this book in 1978, I could never have dreamed the impact it would have on my students. Now, as director of my own private school in another country it has become even more powerful as a tool to help teach English as well as communication skills in the native language. Through the excersises and discussions, students learn to communicate bi-lingually more effectively...much more effectively. In its 9th edition, it has become a standard, a classic and, for me and my students, a necessity.

This is the most user-friendly text for an introductory interpersonal communication class I've come across in my 10 year teaching career. The writing is as engaging as textbooks get, and the lay-out, graphics, and marginalia are first rate. Ron Adler and Neal Towne update this text frequently and it is full of references to current research if you wanted to explore any of the topics in more detail. Many of my students have told me that they would be keeping their copies rather than selling them back to the campus bookstore. One middle-aged woman had convinced her college-aged son to read it to help him better understand why he was having difficulties with personal and professional relationships. If you want a suppemental text to whatever you've been assigned, or if you just want an accessible introduction to the field of interpersonal communication, this is your book!

Florin Diacu's The Lost Millenium approaches the issues of revising chronology from an astronomy perspective. He shows how our present understanding of chronology doesn't line up with our knowledge of astronomy. He quite rightly shows that there are issues with Fomenko's reconstruction of Chronology. However what is perhaps most valuable about Fomenko is the mass of evidence showing that our existing chronology is unscientific. It would be good to see Florin Diacu concentrate more on that. If we examine the history of different texts we see that until the 'Revival of Letters' and the printing press, works like the Bible appear to have been practically non-existent as far as the historical record shows. People were not really familiar with the classics, bible, and church fathers till the era of printing. In English one can also refer to Edwin Johnson for more information. Wikipedia has links to his works, including The Pauline Epistles. In many ways the classics reflect the concerns of the renaissance, while the bible reflects the religious arguments of the different sides in the reformation era. (Just as the Book of Mormon shows a current understanding of 19th Century theological arguments in New York State.) The further one examines the subject the less clear it is what on really knows about the past prior to the age of publication. This book is important because it shows that there is solid evidence that our knowledge of the past is dubious.

A must read for anyone who wants an objective account on Fomenko's views. there are also brief accounts on Peter James and David Rohl. maybe in a second edition professor Diacu will venture into the minds of the German revisionists Uwe Topper, and Herbert Illig. so far they sound more convincing to me than Fomenko, although Fomenko's results for the almagest do destroy the main pillar of traditional chronology. Diacu speaks of the dark ages in the middle ages but never really gets into it. Herbert Illig for example proposed that 300 years should be taken out of the chronology, according to him the years between 600 AD and 900 AD. if anyone was convinces by Peter James Centuries of Darkness, he should be convinced by Illig. the proofs are very similar, and they were very convincing to me. in conclusion, Diacu has managed to summarize Fomenko in mere 200 pages and he did it in a fun way. there is still space for lets say 100 pages exploring the views of the German revisionists, this would give the reader more places were to choose from.

This book filled my winter holidays with joy! I always thought mathematicians cannot write, but Diacu proved me wrong. He succeeded to grip my attention from the beginning and kept me focused until I read the very last line. Now I am reading this book for the second time because I want to fix the ideas, and I find it as fresh and engaging as the first time. Diacu's quest to learn the truth, his enthusiasm and care for detail are worth noting. A read that made me think more intensly than I did in years.

Being an avid reader of history books, especially ancient history, I have always taken for granted that when a historian stated that an event occurred in a certain year in the distant past, that that year was correct - especially if conventionally accepted among historians - within, perhaps, a small margin of error. Before reading this book, I was not aware of the challenges that have been made in the past, and that are still being made today, to conventional historical chronology - challenges that propose to shorten recorded history by as much as one thousand years! The main reformist in this field these days is Anatoli Fomenko, a well-respected Russian mathematician on whose work most of this book is based. The author, also a mathematician, uses an unbiased and objective approach in analyzing Fomenko's theories and methods. He also discusses the traditionalists' reactions to Fomenko's results. Although it is easy to sense that history's timetables are not about to be overturned any time soon based solely on Fomenko's work, the author does suggest ways in which some traditional dates can be confirmed. Observing the scientific method at work is always interesting for me. This is a fascinating book. It is very well written in a clear and engaging style; and, for me, it was quite a page-turner.

"Tories" and "loyalists" have always been in the background of our independence story but largely nameless, faceless and forgotten. Flesh them out and "The Revolution" is a layered conflict where "Civil War" is difficult to square with the mythology it has become. Not all Americans were enamored with the break and many took up arms against their neighbors to prevent it. Why they did it, where they came from, how their story unfolded and the diaspora that followed are all facinating aspects of a journey most Americans simply know nothing about. This is well written, both statistical without being dry and anecdotal without a loss of perspective. This should be required reading for anyone with more than a passing interest of the Revolutionary era.

When I was a school boy on summer vacation I casually chatted with my stepgrandfather about the things I had learned over the year about the American revolution. And then I said I wondered if I had any ancestors who had participated in the conflict.

He looked me right in the eye and told me his family secret. His ancestors had participated. They had been Loyalists. Their home had been New York but like the overwhelming majority of Loyalists, they chose to Stay in the US after the war.

They may have been loyal to Britain simply because they had always seen themselves as part of Britain, but after the war they were hardly a King and Country lot. Most simply wanted to be left alone and live out their lives in peace.

This book, which I acquired soon after it was published is the story of this peticular group, seen through the eyes of select individuals, who were between fifteen and twenty percenty of the American population in the thirteen colonies. It tries to give insight into what was their mindset as well as give the reader their history. It certainly gives that for all their loyalty, Britain was hardly a caring or sharing host.

I cetainly disagree with the author's attempted portrayal of Thomas Hutchinson as an Imperial Statesman who was a participatting member of the British Empire. Thomas Hutchinson was a local politician who saw himself in Massachusetts in positions of authority in Massachussetts. He looked to Parliment for patronage to gain local power. In many ways he and men like him are no different from the Nabobs of India who went to men like Clive and made the deal that for British backing they would go forth to tax the locals dry and share the loot. Men like Ben Franklin, the 'Rebels', also looked to Parliment but for seats. Beyond this little disagreement I have with the author, this is a great book to read.

As a proud UEL member and student of the American Revolution, especially loyalists, this is my my favorite book to date.

I strongly recommend anyone that is not familiar with loyalists to read this book. It gives rich and detailed specific accounts of real people that are documented.

This book will go a long way in helping you understand Loyalists, what they were and what happened to them. It may even open your eyes to the plight of these heroic people who have been so lost to propoganda that it is sad.

We the People*

*the rights we want are only for those that think exactly like we do or you are exempt.

Moore's work does something extremely important for the student of early American history. He de-mythologizes the beginnings of the American Revolution, and sheds new light on the people that most Americans were taught to view as villains, those who remained loyal to King George III.

Moore not only describes the revolution from the perspective of those those that remained loyal to their King and country, he also details some of the less than democratic ways our forebears treated them.

I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in a more even handed study of the period than the highly propagandized version we usually get here.

For a good summertime read, books don't get much better than this. The plot keeps you guessing how things will turn out and the ending is truly a surprise. Particularly well-drawn are the wartime descriptions, especially the fire-bombing of Dresden.

Read Sole Survivor which we enjoyed immensely, trying to find other books by this author; none are available in the US library system as far as we can tell.

If you are tired of the mundane and looking for fresh and stimulating reading, then this is the one! From past and present day Australia to a European mystery set against WW2, the story within a story will keep you entertained and spell bound.

This would have to be one of the best books I've ever read. Gut-wretching, compelling and impossible to put down. I paticularly liked the characters of Cecilia Ortelli and Friedrich Eigenwill. It was to good to see the Second World War through a German pair of eyes and realise that the Oberstleutnant was not a bad man but, in fact, a very decent man caught up in an impossible situation. I found the detailed description of the bombing of Dresden extremely distressing and it showed that, truly, there are no 'winners' in any war. This book is a must read - Derek Hansen is brilliant!!

This is a lovely book with lots of interesting facts about Canada. Living overseas this is my favorite book in my daughter's library. When she is older we plan to use this to teach her lots of things about Canada. This is a perfect shower gift to a Canadian mom living outside of Canada.

"M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet" is a marvellous find. Whether you are a geography buff, full of Canadian pride, or someone who just loves to look at beautiful things, this is the book for you!

Mike Ulmer's rhyme scheme is a pleasure to read silently or aloud. His choices for each letter are fitting for Canada and represent all regions and citizens. The thing I liked most about his choices is that they are unpredictable, unlike a lot of other books of this genre.

Paired up with Melanie Rose's awe-inspiring illustrations, Ulmer's writing cannot go wrong. Rose captures Canada's positive aspects in warm colours, soft lines, and heart-warming depictions.

Lastly, the side captions outlining additional information on the featured item or offering a second feature is a great way to educate readers while keeping the same light-hearted tone.

This book is an all-around winner in my mind.

This is a great book for all children, but especially for children living in other countries. It gives young children insight into Canada at their level. It is especially beneficial to Canadian children of servicemen living abroad or in my case my grandson who lives in the United States but has one Canadian parent. It introduces him to his dual heritage. I definetely recommend this book to all.

Some of the letters in Ulmer and Rose's A-B-C of Canada are ones you'd expect: "T" is for Toronto, "Q" is for Quebec, and, of course, given the title, "M" is for Maple. While those few are expected, some of what Ulmer and Rose chose to exhibit for this distinctly Canadian A-B-C shows a delicate and wonderful understanding of both the child and adult audience of this book.

From Banting and Best, who gave the world Insulin, to Anne of Green Gables, to Terry Fox, and to - of all things - the Zipper, there are at least 26 nuggets of Canadian Heritage and History here that are presented in an accessible format for kids and adults alike.

Moreover, each page is not just the rhyming quartet for each letter - there is also a sidebar with a few paragraphs or so on the topic, or on other letter related topics. (E, which is for "Eh?" also contains a little write-up in the sidebar on Edmonton, for example. G stands both for Grain and the Governor General.)

The illustrations are beautiful - seeing the artistry of Terry Fox literally stopped me in my tracks. I remember seeing him run by when I was young, and the picture was a perfect capture of that moment.

The perfect Canadian kids book gift, for those relatives overseas, or for those who've been in Canada all their lives, "M is for Maple" has real information, lyrical rhymes, and great artistry. It belongs on any Canadian Youth's shelf, and has certainly found a place on my nephew's.

'Nathan

This is an excellent book about how specific corporations, individuals and both European and African rulers have plundered Africa for profit and the accumulation of private fortunes on the backs of millions of Africans who have been slaughtered over the centuries. Some of the individuals have passed into the history books, but some of the corporations and individuals are still very much in the news today and the world still waits for their atonement. Madelaine Drohan has provided a very courageous addition to the literature in the area by in-the-field research in some of the most dangerous places in Africa and written in most detailed and compelling manner.

What happens when multinational corporations decide that the use of armed force is really business? When companies line up with warlords and armies to make a profit? When corporate interests dictate war or peace? Madelaine Drohan's meticulously researched and impressively wrfitten expose, Making A Killing, shows just what happens in a world of multinational power, drawing important connections between corporate armed forces and history and providing food for thought for corporations, policy makers and national leaders alike -- the result is an intriguing, eye-opening discussion.

Drohan cover a number of specifc cases of corporations using violence to further their interests - dedicating a chapter to each case. She makes no effort to be a comprehensive compendium of all the ills perpetrated by corporations, instead choosing to focus on a few prime examples in detail where her experiences as a journalist can bring some perspective to each case.

My own particular interest is around the role of Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc. in Sudan. The chapter on Talisman was solid and insightful, with Drohan drawing from her own experiences in Sudan and interviews with key players, as well as the volumes of research and reports available.

The book is a telling study of the irresponsible extremes corporations can go to in their simple-minded focus on profit as the only goal.

Resource control is the core of Madelaine Drohan's book. Where the image of empire was once faceless armies, religious zealots or expanding trade, modern conditions have changed this view. Instead of governments launching empires, suit-clad businessmen now decide where the action lies. Decisions to exploit resource areas are not made in ministry offices, but in corporate boardrooms. Businessmen, "and they are almost always men", choose locations, make investments, recruit workers and begin operations. Until there is unrest. Then they call in governments to support their enterprise. If governments cannot or will not respond, the entrepreneur's answer is the "private army". Mercenary professional military men act as "security" teams, policemen or replacement armies. And they are accountable to no-one but the firm that has hired them.

Drohan's account begins with the rule of Cecil Rhodes "who stands head and shoulders above" the ranks of those applying military solutions to "corporate problems". Rhodes built an immense resource empire in Southern Africa. He also set the standard for controlling workers as firmly as he did markets. By the expedient of raising a battalion of "pioneers" to deal with reluctant African peoples and recalcitrant workers, Rhodes expanded his holdings to an unprecedented degree. Attributing his goals to the furtherance of the British Empire, he also ensured the continuation of profits to his own pocket. Belgium's king Leopold followed Rhodes' example by keeping the Congo as a personal fief. The Belgian government was simply shunted aside on imperial affairs for decades. The rape of the Congo is a glaring example of imperialism run rampant, yet it set the stage for what followed.

Drohan's narrative is dominated by personalities. Like a gaggle of rapacious ravens, men prominent in resource enterprise descended on Africa after Rhodes. Some of these were British, some Canadian, but others arose from among Africa's own peoples. These last were flexing political and economic muscle as former colonies became independent. These new nations, with their artificial boundaries laid down irrespective of tribal or ethnic limits, became caught up in internal regional disputes. Resource firms played off these rivalries to their advantage where possible. If contests for power became too heated, the companies had the option to withdraw or find ways of protecting their investments. Protection was provided by "security forces" available for hire. Among the most notorious of these was the South African firm, Executive Outcomes. Staffed by disaffected South African soldiers, it offered services directly or through hidden subsidiaries. Executive Outcomes emerges frequently, if often vaguely, as Drohan valiantly tries to unravel the machinations the firm and its customers perpetrated as gold, diamonds and other resources were sought and exploited. Legality is an elusive term in these activities.

These are not distant and unrelated events. We tend to cling to the image of investment benefiting all - the theme of "globalisation". Drohan demonstrates how firms, pursuing resource wealth in Africa, have followed the Rhodes formula for success. Whether hiring private armies or simply requesting local government forces to act in their interests, resource firms are steadfastly ignoring the impact on local people and their economy. Of all Drohan's examples, the most glaring is the Talisman Energy story. Her chapter on this operation is at once the worst and the best example in the book. Talisman, a latecomer to Africa, seems to have learned nothing from previous resource history in the region. As Drohan describes it, Jim Buckee, Talisman's head, followed a sinuous path trying to keep his firm active in the resource field. With one eye open to profits and the other closed to government activities done in the name of "security" for his operations, Buckee brought his firm close to disaster. On the other hand, the case demonstrated the power of the public in bringing such firms to judgment. Various large stockholders, chastened at the thought of supporting a firm blind to the impact of its operations, withdrew investment. It's a fine example of what individuals can achieve in acting collectively.

Drohan's book is a much needed exposure of business morals left unscrutinised. In her final chapter, "Perfectly Legal, Perfectly Immoral", she shows the path to justice for people under oppressive regimes shored up by rapacious businesses is long and difficult. Yet, if readers pay attention, she shows how they can be effective in making change. With a federal election looming, it would benefit electors to read this book and reflect on its message. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I loved this book! I'm an adult, but even so I raced through this story. Maya is a wonderful, spunky character, who's warm, funny, and very real. I would follow her through a thousand more adventures. The writing is vivid and beautiful, full of metaphors and colorful descriptions. I'm looking forward to Anjali Banerjee's next book!

I've been dying to read this book based on the reveiws.. When I saw it in the library, you can imagine that I grabbed it of the shelf ! Usually, I get too excited about books, and they turn out to be dissappointing.. But this was definetly worth it !! I love Maya's character and the whole plot that follows. I saw Ganesh in a new way, due to the way he talked to Maya and by his hungry actions, which was also very interesting ! Being Indian myself, I could relate to this book very well. This book was not only funny, but it gives a good lesson near the end.. This has to be my favorite book of all time !

Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. Born in India and raised in Manitoba, Maya struggles to find her identity as the only brown-skinned kid in school. When her beautiful cousin, Pinky, arrives from India bearing a statue of the god Ganesh and proceeds to steal the boy Maya wants, Maya prays to Ganesh to remove all of her obstacles-with unintended consequences. A unique story with a dream-like quality that shows a young girl embracing her culture and learning about herself.

A respected literary figure once proposed the question, "Why must all the good things belong to the past?" With her debut novel, Maya Running, author Anjali Banerjee places that somber notion squarely where it belongs - at the end of the emotional queue alongside disheartened, dispirited and despondent.

Although published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House created to appeal to children and young adults, Maya Running has a great deal to offer those of us not in Generation Y. Baby boomers (like me) and Gen Xers (like my grown children) can find pleasure and profit in this charming novel. Think The Color Purple by Alice Walker or The Bluest Eyes by Tony Morrison then add a touch of sweet and dash of late twentieth century savvy, and you get the story of Maya Mukherjee, a Canadian born girl of Indian descent searching for her identity.

From first page to last, I was enchanted with Ms. Banerjee's original and unique narrative voice, the delectable unification of teenage humor, hope, awe and envy. Her characters are clearly drawn and the relationships effectively established. When I read the book, Maya's challenges and successes strolled pleasantly beside me, unhurried and unforced, a testament to Ms. Banerjee's workmanlike pacing of story, plot and dialogue.

All good things do not have to belong to the past. Maya Running reminds old folks that no matter how packaged or marketed, there's still plenty of simple joy in the here and now. Remember the last time your rode in a limousine with the windows down?

William Schroder
Author of Cousins of Color
www.cousinsofcolor.com