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Man at the Airport: How social media saved my life - one Syrian's story
By Hassan Al Kontar. 2021
When civil war broke out in his home country in 2011, Hassan Al Kontar was a young Syrian living and…
working in the UAE. After a series of setbacks, he was arrested in 2017 and deported in 2018. Unable to obtain a visa for any other country, he became trapped in the arrivals zone at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Exiled by war and trapped by geopolitics, Al Kontar used social media and humour to tell his story to the world, becoming an international celebrity and ultimately finding refuge in Canada.Man at the Airport explores what it means to be a Syrian, an "illegal" and a refugee. More broadly, it examines the power of social media to amplify individual voices and facilitate political dissent.Return: Why We Go Back to Where We Come From
By Kamal Al-Solaylee. 2021
Drawing on extensive reporting from around the world and astute political analysis, Return: Why We Go Back to Where We…
Come From illuminates a personal quest. Kamal Al-Solaylee, author of the bestselling and award-winning Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes and Brown: What Being Brown in the World Today Means (for Everyone), yearns to return to his homeland of Yemen, now wracked by war, starvation and daily violence, to reconnect with his family. Yemen, as well as Egypt, another childhood home, call to him, even though he ran away from them in his youth and found peace and prosperity on the calm shores of Toronto. In Return, Al-Solaylee interviews dozens of people who have chosen to or long to return to their homelands, from the Basques to the Irish to the Taiwanese. The author does make a return of sorts himself, to the Middle East, visiting Israel and the West Bank as well as Egypt to meet up with his sisters. His Arabic stilted and his mannerisms foreign, Al-Solaylee finds that the English language and Western customs are now his only cultural currency.Return is a chronicle of love and loss, of global reach and personal desires. It sets the narrative of going home against geopolitical forces that are likely to shape the rest of this century and beyond. It’s a book for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to return to their roots.The Two Michaels: Innocent Canadian Captives and High Stakes Espionage in the US-China Cyber War
By Fen Hampson, Mike Blanchfield. 2021
“The Two Michaels is a timely and highly-readable book – a gripping human drama that also tells a bigger story…
about the fast-changing world of international diplomacy, superpower rivalry, and the struggle to secure the Internet.” – MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, former US Secretary of State Landing in Vancouver on a flight from Hong Kong on December 2018, Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested by Canadian authorities with an American extradition warrant. The US Department of Justice accused Meng of fraud and bypassing sanctions against Iran. Nine days later, in an act of retaliation, China arrested two Canadians—Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur, and Michael Kovrig, a peace advocate—charging them with spying. Imprisoned and interrogated, the Two Michaels became hostages in a tense showdown between China and the United States over not only the Meng extradition but whether East or West will control the future of the internet. In this timely and essential book, journalist Mike Blanchfield and international affairs expert Fen Hampson combine groundbreaking original reporting and keen analysis to tell this gripping and ongoing story of cyber espionage, life-and-death diplomacy, and global superpowers in conflict. “The compelling, tragic story of the Two Michaels exposes the dark side of the new China and why the world must not forget them. This book describes in powerful detail the events that led to their arrest and imprisonment. It also puts the struggle to free them in the wider geopolitical context of the new Cold War between China and the West.” – WILLIAM BROWDER, founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, political activist, and author of The New York Times bestseller Red Notice “The Two Michaels reads like a gripping spy novel, but it’s a true story. This is a chilling and convincing analysis of how two innocent Canadians became pawns of a bullying state that refuses to follow the rules essential for smaller countries like Canada.” –JOHN ENGLISH, OC FRSC, biographer of Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Lester B. Pearson, and former Liberal member of parliament “The Two Michaels is a fast-paced and compelling narrative of China’s imprisonment of two Canadian visitors in retaliation for Canada’s earlier arrest of a Chinese executive facing extradition on US criminal charges. Through this dramatic story, the authors illuminate how China uses its economic strength, cyber-attack capabilities, and security assets to bully other nations. It’s a cautionary tale about geopolitical conflict.” –MICHAEL CHERTOFF, former US Homeland Security SecretaryThe Naked Don't Fear the Water: An Underground Journey with Afghan Refugees
By Matthieu Aikins. 2022
A NYTBR Editor’s Choice “This is a book of radical empathy, crossing many borders – not just borders that separate…
nations, but also borders of form, borders of meaning, and borders of possibility. It is powerful and humane and deserves to find a wide, wandering readership.” — Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit WestIn this extraordinary book, an acclaimed young war reporter chronicles a dangerous journey on the smuggler’s road to Europe, accompanying his friend, an Afghan refugee, in search of a better future.In 2016, a young Afghan driver and translator named Omar makes the heart-wrenching choice to flee his war-torn country, saying goodbye to Laila, the love of his life, without knowing when they might be reunited again. He is one of millions of refugees who leave their homes that year.Matthieu Aikins, a journalist living in Kabul, decides to follow his friend. In order to do so, he must leave his own passport and identity behind to go underground on the refugee trail with Omar. Their odyssey across land and sea from Afghanistan to Europe brings them face to face with the people at heart of the migration crisis: smugglers, cops, activists, and the men, women and children fleeing war in search of a better life. As setbacks and dangers mount for the two friends, Matthieu is also drawn into the escape plans of Omar’s entire family, including Maryam, the matriarch who has fought ferociously for her children’s survival. Harrowing yet hopeful, this exceptional work brings into sharp focus one of the most contentious issues of our times. The Naked Don’t Fear the Water is a tale of love and friendship across borders, and an inquiry into our shared journey in a divided world.Still Hopeful: Lessons from a Lifetime of Activism
By Maude Barlow. 2022
From her days in second wave feminist activism to her battle against the precursor to NAFTA to her indefatigable fight…
for social justice and water rights for all, Maude shares her stories and her expertise to inspire us and show us how we can do it too.Spin Doctors: How Media and Politicians Misdiagnosed the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Nora Loreto. 2021
The Black Friend: On Being A Better White Person
By Frederick Joseph. 2020
The instant New York Times bestseller!Writing from the perspective of a friend, Frederick Joseph offers candid reflections on his own…
experiences with racism and conversations with prominent artists and activists about theirs—creating an essential read for white people who are committed anti-racists and those newly come to the cause of racial justice.“We don’t see color.” “I didn’t know Black people liked Star Wars!” “What hood are you from?” For Frederick Joseph, life as a transfer student in a largely white high school was full of wince-worthy moments that he often simply let go. As he grew older, however, he saw these as missed opportunities not only to stand up for himself, but to spread awareness to those white people who didn’t see the negative impact they were having. Speaking directly to the reader, The Black Friend calls up race-related anecdotes from the author’s past, weaving in his thoughts on why they were hurtful and how he might handle things differently now. Each chapter features the voice of at least one artist or activist, including Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give; April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite; Jemele Hill, sports journalist and podcast host; and eleven others. Touching on everything from cultural appropriation to power dynamics, “reverse racism” to white privilege, microaggressions to the tragic results of overt racism, this book serves as conversation starter, tool kit, and invaluable window into the life of a former “token Black kid” who now presents himself as the friend many readers need. Backmatter includes an encyclopedia of racism, providing details on relevant historical events, terminology, and more.Murder on the Inside: The True Story of the Deadly Riot at Kingston Penitentiary
By Catherine Fogarty. 2021
Shortlisted for The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book “You have taken our civil rights—we want our human…
rights.” On April 14, 1971, a handful of prisoners attacked the guards at Kingston Penitentiary and seized control, making headlines around the world. For four intense days, the prisoners held the guards hostage while their leaders negotiated with a citizens’ committee of journalists and lawyers, drawing attention to the dehumanizing realities of their incarceration, including overcrowding, harsh punishment and extreme isolation. But when another group of convicts turned their pent-up rage towards some of the weakest prisoners, tensions inside the old stone walls erupted, with tragic consequences. As heavily armed soldiers prepared to regain control of the prison through a full military assault, the inmates were finally forced to surrender. Murder on the Inside tells the harrowing story of a prison in crisis against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in the history of human rights. Occurring just months before the uprising at Attica Prison, the Kingston riot has remained largely undocumented, and few have known the details—yet the tense drama chronicled here is more relevant today than ever. A gripping account of the standoff and the efforts for justice and reform it inspired, Murder on the Inside is essential reading for our times. Includes 24 pages of photographs.Moeurs: De la gauche cannibale à la droite vandale
By Alain Deneault. 2022
Ce nouvel essai d’Alain Deneault poursuit les réflexions entamées dans La médiocratie quant aux effets délétères qu’ont la technocratie capitaliste…
et l’individualisme sur le débat public. L’auteur nous invite à rompre avec la dynamique des querelles identitaires où chacun se rapporte à sa conscience comme à un bâton dont on se sert pour frapper autrui. Il déplore la dégradation en clichés de catégories pourtant importantes – privilège, racisme systémique, censure, fascisme – tout en portant un regard critique sur une droite conservatrice qui défend bec et ongles la liberté d’expression pour les seuls discours qui lui conviennent.Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower
By Charlie Angus. 2022
Pour souligner le 100e anniversaire de la naissance de René Lévesque, cette anthologie de textes, abondamment illustrée, réunit des chroniques,…
entrevues et discours de René Lévesque qui témoignent du regard qu'il portait sur son siècle et la place du Québec dans le mondeThe butler: a witness to history
By Wil Haygood. 2013
Washington Post writer chronicles the life of African American butler Eugene Allen (1919-2010) who served in the White House for…
eight presidential administrations, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Discusses the making of the 2013 movie starring Forest Whitaker. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2013True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change
By Jody Wilson-Raybould. 2022
NATIONAL BESTSELLERFrom the #1 bestselling author of 'Indian' in the Cabinet, a groundbreaking and accessible roadmap to advancing true reconciliation…
across Canada.There is one question Canadians have asked Jody Wilson-Raybould more than any other: What can I do to help advance reconciliation? It is clear that people from all over the country want to take concrete and tangible action that will make real change. We just need to know how to get started. This book provides that next step. For Wilson-Raybould, what individuals and organizations need to do to advance true reconciliation is self-evident, accessible, and achievable. True Reconciliation is broken down into three core practices—Learn, Understand, and Act—that can be applied by individuals, communities, organizations, and governments. The practices are based not only on the historical and contemporary experience of Indigenous peoples in their relentless efforts to effect transformative change and decolonization, but also on the deep understanding and expertise about what has been effective in the past, what we are doing right, and wrong, today, and what our collective future requires. Fundamental to a shared way of thinking is an understanding of the Indigenous experience throughout the story of Canada. In a manner that reflects how work is done in the Big House, True Reconciliation features an “oral” history of these lands, told through Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices from our past and present. The ultimate and attainable goal of True Reconciliation is to break down the silos we’ve created that prevent meaningful change, to be empowered to increasingly act as “inbetweeners,” and to take full advantage of this moment in our history to positively transform the country into a place we can all be proud of.Whose right is it?: the second amendment and the fight over guns (Whose Right Is It? Ser.)
By Hana Bajramovic. 2020
Lawyer discusses the Second Amendment, the rise of the NRA, and how money, power, and race have long dictated our…
ability to own guns. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2020Unequal: a story of America
By Marc Favreau, Michael Eric Dyson. 2022
"Interconnected stories present a picture of racial inequality in America, showing systemic discrimination in all areas of society and showing…
the unbroken line of Black resistance to this inequality." -- Provided by publisherHow democracies die
By Steven Levitsky. 2018
"The authors examine the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America. Related to this, they discuss applications to early…
twenty-first century politics in America and strategies for avoiding a societal descent into authoritarianism." -- Provided by NLSStrength in numbers: how polls work and why we need them
By G. Elliott Morris. 2022
"Public opinion polling is the ultimate democratic process; it gives every person an equal voice in letting elected leaders know…
what they need and want. But in the eyes of the public, polls today are tarnished. Recent election forecasts have routinely missed the mark and media coverage of polls has focused solely on their ability to predict winners and losers. Polls deserve better. In Strength in Numbers, data journalist G. Elliott Morris argues that the larger purpose of political polls is to improve democracy, not just predict elections. Whether used by interest groups, the press, or politicians, polling serves as a pipeline from the governed to the government, giving citizens influence they would otherwise lack. No one who believes in democracy can afford to give up on polls; they should commit, instead, to understanding them better. In a vibrant history of polling, Morris takes readers from the first semblance of data-gathering in the ancient world through to the development of modern-day scientific polling. He explains how the internet and "big data" have solved many challenges in polling-and created others. He covers the rise of polling aggregation and methods of election forecasting, reveals how data can be distorted and misrepresented, and demystifies the real uncertainty of polling. Candidly acknowledging where polls have gone wrong in the past, Morris charts a path for the industry's future where it can truly work for the people. Persuasively argued and deeply researched, Strength in Numbers is an essential guide to understanding and embracing one of the most important and overlooked democratic institutions in the United States." -- Provided by publisherWorth the fighting for: A Memoir
By John McCain. 2002
Political recollections of former Vietnam POW and Arizona senator John McCain. McCain talks candidly about his political career, his understanding…
of American values, and the role models that have guided himThe making of America: the substance and meaning of the Constitution
By W. Cleon Skousen. 1985
For many years in the United States there has been a gradual drifting away from the Founding Fathers original success…
formula. This has resulted in some of their most unique contributions for a free and prosperous society becoming lost or misunderstood. Therefore, there has been a need to review the history and development of the making of America in order to recapture the brilliant precepts which made Americans the first free people in modern times. The Making of America provides a wealth of material on the Founding Father s intentions when drafting the American Constitution. It is one of the most thorough compilations of statements by the Framers relating to constitutional interpretation. It addresses the Constitution clause by clause and provides resources on the Founder s intent of each clause. The National Center for Constitutional Studies, a nonprofit educational foundation, was created in order to revive and popularize those original American concepts in all of their initial brilliance and vitality. The very fact that many of them are becoming obscure and misunderstood simply emphasizes the urgency and importance of the task. The study for The Making of America actually extended over a period of more than forty years, but an organized effort to present this information in a published text has been a concerted endeavor of nearly fourteen years. It will be observed that many new insights are provided in the writings of the Founders for the solution of serious economic and political problems plaguing the world today. It is felt that a study of The Making of America can be of lasting value to all who have a serious concern for the general welfare of not only America but all mankind.Sweet corn and sushi: the story of Iowa and Yamanashi
By Lori Erickson, Will Thomson, Yasuo Ohdera, Shinji Yoda. 2004
In 1959 the prefecture of Yamanashi, Japan, was devastated by two typhoons. Richard Thomas, an Iowan who served in the…
U. S. military in Japan after World War II, helped organize an "Iowa Hog Lift" that sent 35 pigs to Yamanashi. That act led to America's first sister-state relationship with Japan. For kindergarten-grade 3. 2004. NOTE: the print edition included a translation of the story into Japanese. For grades K-3