Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values [Paperback]

Michael Adams (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 27, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0143014234 | ISBN-13: 978-0143014232

Canadians have long defined themselves as "not Americans." They cherish their differences from the United States, but as their powerful neighbour grows ever more dominant on the world stage, can they hope to hold on to their national identity? In Fire and Ice, Michael Adams challenges the myth of inevitability that has led us to believe our Canadian way of life is doomed to extinction. Drawing upon a decade of never-before released pulse-taking from both sides of the border, Adams reveals that Canada and the United States are not coming together, but are diverging in significant ways.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A persuasive and arresting antidote to the popular wisdom du jour . . . -- Toronto Star

Adams makes a powerful argument that Canadians and Americans are motivated by very different value systems . . . -- The Daily News

If timing is everything, Toronto pollster Michael Adams clocks in perfectly with his latest book. -- Winnipeg Free Press

[Adams'] findings are startling. -- The Globe and Mail

From the Publisher

The bestselling author of 'Sex in the Snow' examines the fascinating relationship - and profound differences - between Canadians and Americans.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Group (Canada) (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143014234
• ISBN-13: 978-0143014232
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,242,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 54 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Little More Snow Melt Needed May 13, 2004

By John G. Hilliard

Format:Paperback

I bought this book because I am an American who just moved to Canada and you can not go into a book shop without having this book prominently displayed. It is everywhere so I figured "when in Rome" and picked up a copy. The book is the detail of the authors studies of the American and Canadian cultures and if they are becoming more similar or growing apart. The author lets the reader know up front two very important things, first that the book is meant for a Canadian audience and secondly that the author is a full time professional sociological researcher.

For the first important point, that the book is meant for a Canadian audience, if you are a thin skinned American then I would not suggest you reading this book. It is not that the author takes any nasty cheap shots at Americans. It is just that he does not sugar coat the differences when they are more negative toward the American side. I could not argue with any of his comments, it was just that he was exposing some of the rather unsightly bits about the US and at times that can be uncomfortable for an American.

The second point I felt was important was that the author is not an author by trade, but basically a researcher. This meant that this book was one of the most difficult to read and unnecessarily dense books I have read in a long time. If the author could have said a sentence in five words he used 25 and used a fair number a words that the common reader has never heard of. If you buy the book keep going through the painful first chapter, the road gets better after about 40 pages but the book is never a walk in the park.

With these criticisms aside I did find parts of the book interesting. It would be good for an American to read these types of books to detail out the differences between the two countries and maybe to show them that all things American are not always the best. It is just that this book is so unfriendly to the reader that I do not think this is the vehicle for wide appeal.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating April 30, 2004

By Anne Terry

Format:Paperback

What do you get when the co-founder of a political polling company steps back, looks at the numbers, and decides to write a book? You get a fascinating and sometimes counter-intuitive look at the evolution of current "American Values". Mr. Adams' premise is that even before 9/11, Americans were moving further away from a society of Idealism and Fulfillment, and towards Exclusion and Survival.

This is not a ponderous volume of statistics, but a quirky, quick read, that leaves one with a lot to think about.

This book was obviously aimed at the Canadian reader, and I hope he releases a updated version for the American audience when the 2004 figures have been compiled. But you can just skip over some of the Canada-specific references, and the long suffering pose of submission but inherent superiority to the U.S.. It IS enlightening to see the U.S. through Canadian eyes.

There are some interesting insights to George W's presidency, the debate over same sex marriages, and a discussion of the regional differences in the U.S., and implications for the future.

I was surprised to learn that Canada has more in common with New England than New England has in common with the Deep South. And that the cultural trends among young people are very divergent from the 60+ crowd, and not always in the direction I expected.

Not a perfect book. But worth reading.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, but ultimately unsatisfying December 18, 2003

By Dave Chiu

Format:Hardcover

Having lived half my life in Canada, several years in the United States, and the remainder overseas, I feel uniquely positioned to comment on this book. Regardless of whether Adams' methodology is sound - and various reviewers have argued on both sides - his overall hypothesis "feels" right.

Especially in the earlier sections, where he paints with broad strokes, the arguments ring mostly true and his storytelling is compelling, save for a few instances where a natural bias towards presenting Canada as some sort of perfect postmodern utopia leaks through. While every author is entitled to a personal viewpoint, it's mildly discomfiting to see in a book that is, for all intents and purposes, the product of a quantitative polling company.

But my biggest issue with Fire and Ice comes in its later pages, when Adams pulls down into a more micro level of analysis. At this level, many of his conclusions feel forced, as though he felt pressure to interpolate stories from data best used to illustrate the big picture. The net result is a book that seems to slip from captivating theory into stereotyping.

The compelling hypothesis makes for a fast, fun read, but it's ultimately unsatisfying. Try it in concert with a more personal, qualitative look at our two cultures, such as "The Border" by James Laxer.