Reconciling History: A Story of Canada by Jody Wilson-Raybould - Non-fiction

This event was a powerful hour of conversation with The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould. The moderator posed the questions from the audience as well as questions she presented to the former Attorney General of Canada. 

Ms. Wilson-Raybould, in a conversational style and in a story format, answered the questions. It was a way of sharing her views and interpretations of being Canadian. As an audience member, I found it to be an inspiring session for gaining new knowledge and a profound appreciation of different perspectives.

Book Synopsis:

From the #1 national bestselling author of 'Indian' in the Cabinet and True Reconciliation, a truly unique history of our land—powerful, devastating, remarkable—as told through the voices of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

The totem pole forms the foundation for this unique and important oral history of Canada. Its goal is both toweringly ambitious and beautifully direct: To tell the story of this country in a way that prompts readers to look from different angles, to see its dimensions, curves, and cuts. To know that history has an arc, just as the totem pole rises, but to realize that it is also in the details that important meanings are to be found along the way. To recognize that the story of the past is always there to be retold and recast, and must be conveyed to generations to come. In the act of re-telling, meaning is found, and strength is built.

When it comes to telling the history of Canada, and in particular the history of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, we need to accept that how our history has traditionally been told has not been a common or shared enterprise. In many ways, it has been an exclusive and siloed one. Among the countless peoples and groups that make up this vast country, the voices and experiences of a few have too often dominated those of many others.

Reconciling History shares voices that have seldom been heard, and in this ground-breaking book, they are telling and re-telling history from their perspectives. Born out of the oral history in True Reconciliation, and complemented throughout with stunning photography and art, Reconciling History takes this approach to telling our collective story to an entirely different level.

Source:https://alumni.utoronto.ca/events/jody-wilson-raybould-reconciling-history-story-canada

Author Presentation: Climate Hope: Stories of Action in an Age of Global Crisis by David Geselbracht - Non-fiction

Climate Hope, written by journalist and author David Geselbracht, outlines his extensive research, interviews with experts, and reporting on the various initiatives and efforts by individuals worldwide who are tackling climate change issues. It gives readers hope that, with determination, climate change can be addressed. 

Geselbracht discovered, through extensive research, interviews with experts, and on-the-ground reporting across Canada and many countries, that there are important ways to address climate change. 

 

The author takes the reader to the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow and to giant heating ducts below the city of Copenhagen to illustrate the remarkable efforts being made to confront climate change issues.  

Climate Hope illustrates the stories of hope that various individuals worldwide are focused on resolving climate change issues with purpose and possibility.  It is incumbent on each individual to actively participate in defusing climate change.  

The image on the right shows David Geselbracht reading some of the hopeful stories about individuals making a difference by addressing climate change issues.

This presentation was held on October 31, 2024, at the North York Public Library, in Toronto, Ontario. It was an excellent presentation. 

Source:

https://douglas-mcintyre.com/products/9781771624268?srsltid=AfmBOoqmsTH9r_jvuMxirE5DYoCnXR_BKUEDWvbhvFNuJE2Ux2gnrc0u

Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos

Shades of Mercy: A Porter Beck Mystery.  This novel is set in the desert of Nevada.  Sheriff Porter Beck has returned home and has joined the local Sheriff's office. He is part of a twelve-person department that covers a large area.  It is usually very quiet.  But it has changed lately; one of his childhood friends met his death through the use of strong illegal opioids. 

And another childhood friend—now a very successful rancher—is targeted by a military drone. Beck discovers that this military drone was hacked and commandeered by an unknown source. The hacker is apparently local—local enough to call out Beck by name—and that means they are Beck's problem.

Beck's investigation leads him to Mercy Vaughn, the one known hacker in the area. The problem is that she's a teenager, locked up with no computer access at the secure juvenile detention center. But there's something about Mercy that doesn't sit quite right with Beck. But when Mercy disappears, Beck understands that she's in danger and time is running out for all of them.

 

Source: A significant portion of this review is taken from the Indigo website at the following link:

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/shades-of-mercy-a-porter-beck-mystery/9781250848093.html

The Natural Beauty of our Canadian Fall Season

The Fall Season brings in the beauty of nature in Canada. Before the trees shed their leaves, we witness the stunningly beautiful change of colours of the leaves, which I observe and enjoy during my walks in my favourite park, David Balfour Park, Toronto. Below are a sample of photographs:

         

                           

The Art of the Printed Word: Celebrating Italian Printmaking Heritage: Show-and-Tell Session

For the International Week of Italian Language in the World 2024, I was invited by Paolo Granata,
Associate Professor in Book & Media Studies, University of Toronto, to attend a talk on a captivating journey through the centuries-old history of Italian printmaking.

This talk was held on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, 496 Huron St., Toronto. It focused on the evolution of typography from the pioneering work of Aldo Manuzio, the inventor of the Italic type, to the masterful creations of Italian printmaker Alberto Tallone.

Professor Paolo Granata presented the evolution of typography from the pioneering work of Aldo

Manuzio, the inventor of the Italic type, to the masterful creations of Alberto Tallone, whom Pablo Neruda was hailed as the “hero of the book”.

Prof. Granata’s lecture was followed by a unique show-and-tell presentation by Enrico and Elisa Tallone, son and granddaughter of Alberto Tallone, who continue to honour the legacy of legendary printers and typographers like Aldo Manuzio and Giambattista Bodoni.

Attendees explored the world of typography, its beauty and anatomy, and the historical significance of type in shaping the modern book and the Italian language. Samples and artifacts were displayed for the attendees to review, absorb, and touch. It was an interesting experience, and I gained new knowledge. Two pictures of samples are included as shown above and below. 

Author Talk:The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World : An extraordinary New Journey through History's Greatest Treasures by Bettany Hughes

Award-winning historian, author and broadcaster Bettany Hughes discussed her new book, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: An Extraordinary New Journey Through History's Greatest Treasures.

Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Time: 7 p.m. 

Location: Toronto Public Library, Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, 789 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario.

As described by the Toronto Public Library, Salon Series:

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER • From the award-winning historian and broadcaster comes an immersive, awe-inspiring tour of the ancient sites that kindle our imagination and afford us a glimpse into our shared history.

“This fascinating book is brimming with stories of people and places, all told with Bettany’s natural sense of wonder and adventure.” —Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times bestselling author of The World

For millennia, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have been known for their aesthetic sublimity, ingenious engineering, and sheer, audacious magnitude: The Great Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse at Alexandria. 

Echoing downtime, each of these persists in our imagination as an emblem of the glory of antiquity, but beneath the familiar images is a surprising, revelatory history. 

Guiding us through it is historian Bettany Hughes, who has travelled to each site to uncover the latest archaeological discoveries and bring these monuments and the distinct cultures that built them back to breathtaking life. Spellbinding, richly illustrated and full of insight, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a journey into the indomitable ambition and creativity of the human spirit.

Personal Commentary: This session was moderated by Nalah Ayed of the CBC Media Centre.  It was an excellent presentation. 

The Age of Insecurity by Astra Taylor - Non-fiction

The Age of Insecurity by Astra Taylor

Source: CBC Books · Posted: Aug 20, 2023 | Last Updated: October 19, 2023

https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-age-of-insecurity-by-astra-taylor-1.6897488

A genre-bending book that explores insecurity

These days, everyone feels insecure. We are financially stressed and emotionally overwhelmed. The status quo isn't working for anyone, even those who appear to have it all. What is going on?

In this urgent cultural diagnosis, author and activist Astra Taylor exposes how seemingly disparate crises—rising inequality and declining mental health, the ecological emergency, and the threat of authoritarianism—originate from a social order built on insecurity. From home ownership and education to the wellness industry and policing, many of the institutions and systems that promise to make us more secure actually undermine us.

Mixing social critique, memoir, history, political analysis, and philosophy, this genre-bending book rethinks both insecurity and security from the ground up. By facing our existential insecurity and embracing our vulnerability, Taylor argues, we can begin to develop more caring, inclusive, and sustainable forms of security to help us better weather the challenges ahead. The Age of Insecurity will transform how you understand yourself and society—while illuminating a path toward meaningful change. 

Personal Commentary: The Age of Insecurity enables the reader to comprehend the philosophical and natural understanding of a sense of insecurity in today’s world.