Reviews

The Gift of Thanks: The Roots, Persistence and Paradoxical Meanings of a Social Ritual

Why do English speakers say “thank you” incessantly, and why are we obsessed with teaching our children such social niceties? These questions prompted acclaimed cultural historian Margaret Visser to meditate on the history and significance ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: Science, Technology & Environment

Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear

By Dan Gardner

Reading Dan Gardner’s new book produces two fascinating yet frustrating results: the simultaneous undermining of one’s fears about the many perceived dangers in modern life, and the awareness of one’s condition as a human being, ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: Science, Technology & Environment

A Killing Art: The Untold Story of Tae Kwon Do

By Alex Gillis

In the world of martial arts, tae kwon do is often derided for having more bark than bite – due to its clubs’ high membership fees, the sport has earned the unfortunate epithet “take my ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: Sports, Health & Self-help

Robertson Davies: A Portrait in Mosaic

By Val Ross

Oral biographies are a comparatively recent genre. The first one I recall that reached an exalted level of excellence was Edie: An American Biography by Jean Stein and George Plimpton. The first Canadian one to ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: Memoir & Biography

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art

By Don Thompson

Why would someone spend $12-million on an enormous stuffed shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde? When American billionaire collector Steve Cohen purchased that piece by British artist Damien Hirst in 2004, economics professor and ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: Art, Music & Pop Culture

Khubilai Khan’s Lost Fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada

By James P. Delgado

In 1274 and 1281, having subjugated China, the Mongols launched massive seaborne attacks on the Japanese islands. Both attempts failed, in part because of sudden storms that wrecked the fleets. Although the storms were probably ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: History

Soldiers Made Me Look Good: A Life in the Shadow of War

By Lewis MacKenzie

Following some 15 years on the heels of his bestselling Peacekeeper: The Road to Sarajevo comes Major-General (retired) Lewis MacKenzie’s newest book, Soldiers Made Me Look Good. The earlier book chronicled MacKenzie’s military career, culminating ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: History

Pathologies

By Susan Olding

Pathologies is an apt title for Kingston, Ontario-based writer Susan Olding’s first book, a collection of personal essays. In each of the 15 pieces, she dissects moments from her own life in the manner of ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: Criticism & Essays

The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

By Daniel Levitin

Daniel Levitin’s new book follows closely on the heels of his surprise bestseller This Is Your Brain on Music, an entertaining overview of the emerging field of music cognition. While that book contained plenty of ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: Science, Technology & Environment

Race to the Polar Sea: The Heroic Adventures of Elisha Kent Kane

By Ken McGoogan

With the imminent opening of the Northwest Passage due to climate change, information about Canada’s North is becoming more and more valuable. Enter the journals, sketches, and published books of American explorer Elisha Kent Kane, ... Read More »

September 29, 2008 | Filed under: History

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