Fire and Ice
I first read this book during the 2004 Presidential Election in the United States. At the time there was a lot of talk about Democrats fleeing to the the Dominion where it would be a “nicer” version of America. It opened my eyes, and any American thinking about life in the snowy north might give it a read too and discover the differences.
Adams, Michael. 2003. Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values. Penguin Books. ISBN 0143014234.
What I liked about this book: I think the things that I liked most about this book were the humour (it’s pretty funny) and the hope for the future that it inspired. Too often we are bombarded by the media about how Canada is becoming more and more like the United States. This book shows, rather sharply, that this is not the case. It also has good background information on the historical differences between our two nations; “Life, Liberty and Happiness” as opposed to “Peace, Order and Good Government”. Very entertaining.
What I disliked about this book: While it was informative, and funny, there were times when it read like a sociology textbook. I suppose that is to be expected when covering a topic like sociology, but there were sections in it where I found myself mumbling “blah blah blah” and then fell promptly asleep. But I struggled through and it was worth the read.
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