About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
Faced with yet another minority government, Canadians clearly cannot decide who we want as a leader. In Who We Are: A Citizen's Manifesto, Rudyard Griffiths injects a welcomed passion into the future of Canadian politics and what it means to be Canadian. He explains the notion of a national identity at a time when Canadian nationalism and unity are a government priority, following the Harper government's creation of a sub-ministerial cabinet portfolio with the title Canadian Identity.
Clearly and thoughtfully, Griffiths addresses global warming, immigration and an aging population, and argues that the "Canada lite" model leads to a dead end: irrelevancy on the world stage and divisive strife at home. He reminds us of who we are, what we've accomplished and why a loyalty beyond the local and personal is essential for Canada's survival.
Awards
- , Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
Editorial Reviews
"In his new book Who We Are...Rudyard Griffiths challenges Canadians to rediscover the founding principals of Canadian nationhood and revitalize our sense of citizenship."
— Financial Post
"Who We Are's diagnosis of the postnational predicament is compelling, refreshing and highly relevant...While Who We Are doesn't present all the answers, it does us an enormous service by opening up the debate. Taking on myths might seem very un-Canadian, but in writing this book, Griffiths distinguishes himself as one of the very best Canadians of his generation."
— Globe & Mail
"A genuine cri de coeur...for a new and better Canada written by one of the brightest stars of the rising generation."
— J.L. Granatstein
"[Griffiths] book melds logical clarity with truly excellent prose."
— Inside Queen's Park
"A must-read for every Canadian concerned about where we are headed as a nation."
— Rick Mercer
"Who We Are: A Citizen's Manifesto isn't only about who we are but also about who, in Griffiths' opinion, we ought to be."
— National Post
"In this provocative work, Griffiths argues that at this critical juncture Canadians need to rediscover our country's founding principles -- robust civic values and social solidarity -- so that we can create a movement of passionate citizenship, one which will keep us accountable not just to our neighbourhoods and cities, but to our country."
— Argyle Magazine
"Who We Are is a bold and sometimes provocative book: while rejecting crude nationalism, Griffiths insists that multicultural Canada in a complicated, often volatile world is best served by a more robust idea of citizenship and a stronger allegiance to its traditions and institutions...it is...the starting point of a conversation that we can only ignore at our peril."
— The Walrus
"An eloquent and hard-headed argument for reinventing a shared vision of what it means to be Canadian."
— Margaret Wente
