Customer Reviews

So, You Want to Be Canadian: All About the Most Fascinating People in the World and the Magical Place They Call Home

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this book. I just got it and have read it twice. It is a delightful romp that at times uncovers some rare tidbits (or is that Tim Bits?) of these underrated people. I particularly enjoyed the comparison between Anne Murray's song 'Snowbird' and the Snowbird aerobatic flying team. This work is a must-have for all Canadians, but I would recommend it for all nationalities. Mmmm....beaver tail.

The authors of So, You Want To Be Canadian (it should by all rights have an "eh" at the end of that sentence) have hit on all the essential topics in their humourous attempt to explain Canada to the rest of the world. Maybe it is not much more than beer, hockey, and beavers that make us so special but maybe that is more than enough if some combination of those three things make a people set up universal healthcare, be very polite to one another, and wear toques. After a long time in the United States, this book was a sweet little breath of cooling Arctic air and a chance to laugh at and with my homeland. A few mistakes pop up here and there but for such a slight book it provides a number of laughs and that is a good thing, eh.

I laughed, I cried, I changed my name to Wilfred Laurier.

A smart, dazzling corker of a book, and a much needed contribution to 49th parallel solidarity. Savor, in particular, the passages on music and hockey. At times I missed the sober skepticism of Sorensen's earlier writings, but I now know the expectation was misguided. This book is a long awaited gift to Sorensen's fans: best to just be thankful for it. On balance, a winning effort. Maple syrup anyone?

This delightful little book, SO YOU WANT TO BE A CANADIAN', by Kerry Coburn &Rob Sorenson, contains many interesting facts about Canada. It is written with a light touch, and obvious warmth, sincerity, and a great deal of humour. (Notice I, an American born in Brooklyn, NY, use the extra "U" in humour, as I do in all words which give the writer a choice. One reason for this is that my mom was born in Canada, and my dad spent his first nine years there. (Talk about feeling 'sympatico' with Mr. Spock of 'Star Trek'! My mom even attended "Baron Byng" high schook....which [...] reports as having been attended by many famous people...including William Shattner!) Montreal, Quebec! Yayyy! I've visited relatives there all my life, and now not only have relatives in Montreal, but in Ottowa and Vancouver, BC, too! So, obviously, I feel very warmly towards Canada....and do wish to move there if and when I can!

Obviously, I am quite interested in what this book...and others like it..have to say!

In one of the early pages of the book, (right after the "Excerpt" given on Amazon, in fact), there is a page entitled, "The Plot to Keep Canada Small", wherein two maps of North America are shown. The one on top shows Canada shrunk to about one-third it's size, reminding me of Queen Victoria wearing her tiny crown! This purports to be Canada as shown on US issued classroom maps -- but I (who graduated from the New York City school system), at least have never seen it depicted so! Underneath this is a more realistic map, showing Canada as I, (and I hazard to guess most others), have seen it -- fully one-third LARGER in area than the US, (I suspect Canada is even larger in area than this.) HOWEVER, ONE PROBLEM THAT HAS BOTHERED ME FOR YEARS IS NOT DISCUSSED HERE, EVEN IN JEST. And that is, most people will say things like: "She was born in Sacramento, California, and he was born in Canada." WHERE in Canada, is rarely, if ever discussed! As Canada IS a LARGER country than the US in area, surely statements like, "He was born in Canada", are nebulous, at best. Canada has cities, towns, villages....and Provinces! Surely a more distinctive notation of where someone was born, or is visiting, or is living in, should be in general parlance? This issue is not directly discussed in this book....but the title of the page, "The Plot To Keep Canada Small," does encompass it, (this surely is part of this plot!), and brings it to my mind....

This book will NOT tell you how to immigrate to Canada....but it will tell you about many cultural icons of Canada, of Canadian sports, holidays, history, (of both the 'pop' and general varieties), slang, famous people -- including Canadian-born "hotties", both male and female), national holidays, inventions, legends (urban and otherwise), national and provincial symbols, (it's fascinating to me, a native New Yorker, that the BEAVER is both the national animal of Canada, and the state animal of New York!), national foods, drinks, famous movies and TVshows set in, and filmed or taped in, Canada, etc. The illustrations by S. BRITT are equally as delightful as the text, and draw the reader into the spirit of this book so well! In sum, it a fact-filled, fun-filled, 95 page love letter to Canada... and a very, very enjoyable book to read, and re-read!

The reason I only give it four stars is this: I have always been one to go against ALL stereotypes, and this book -- lovingly and carefully written as it is -- steps dangerously close to picturing stereotyped Canadians. I am sure MOST people reading this book will realize that NOT ALL Canadians are alike -- that SOME don't even like hockey, or beer -- or indeed, any alchol at all, for religious or health reasons. And that many Canadians, (despite the OFFICIAL "fairness" idea), which still regards the British Monarch as monarch of Canada, as well), privately do not like the British Monachy at all? Beaver tail, and beaver stew may indeed be favourite foods of MANY Candians...but certainly not all. Vegetarians and people, (Jews and non-Jews alike), who choose to eat only Kosher meat, will definitely NOT partake of this national dish. Etc., etc. Just as all Americans, (or Norwegians, or Chinese, Mexicans, or Russians....or people of any other nationality!), are not all alike, Canadians, too, are all individuals! Maybe this is a thing so obvious, as not to be necessary to comment upon -- but when I see, on page 72, a picture of a happy, dressed-for-cold-weather outside Canadian, a bit smile on his face, with a case of Beer in each hand, and the caption, "Q: What do Canadians do when they're not drinking beer? A: They drink whisky!" underneath, I begin to lose the big smile on my face. Maybe some will think I'm being picky here, and perhaps spoiling the fun spirit of this book. This is not my intention -- but I do hate stereotypes....even good stereotypes. It's fascinating -- and horrifying -- for me to recount that, when my mother came to the USA in the 1940s, people asked her if all they had in Canada was ice and Inuit people, (called "Eskimos", then). Then -- IN THE 1970S OR 1980S -- I read a letter to the editor of "Seventeen", or "Mademoiselle" magazine, (forget which), wherein the writer, (a recent immig4ant from Canada to the USA), wondered why all her new classmates seemed to think that Canada was all ice, that there were mainly Inuit people livint there....and that her dad went 5o work by dog-sled! So -- while reading "So You Want To Become A Canadian" -- despite all the great stuff in this slim, happy little book, I still wish the authors had said something like..."RARELY will you find a Canadian who doesn't like hockey...or even the mona4chy -- but, being, mostly, proud individualists, many Canadians actually do not like one, or both of these things."

This book is also slightly out of date. The mention of the late Peter Jennings as "a reason, since 1965, for American women to turn on the news", brought a lump to my throat. Also, it is stated that the Queen's picture is on all currency. Oh, that it was now...! It used to be that the Queen was on all currency...but now, various historical Canadians have taken her place on most, if not all Canadian currency,,,,

That said, this slim little book is bound to put a smile on anyone's lips...whether they want to become a Canadian, already are a Canadian, or have absolutely no intention of ever becoming a Canadian. It's humourous, easily read, with charming illustrations, and much real knowledge, besides. There IS much that is different in Canada, from what's in the USA -- from my own relatives kidding me about the way I always say, "soda", to encompass all carbonated drinks, whereas they say "ginger ale", to encompass all carbonated drinks, to more serious issues, like the fact that Canadians ALL get a Medicare Card when they are born, whereas Americans only get one when they turn 65, or are handicapped. I'm sure there are other differences, serious and not-so-serious. It is the not-so-serious differences that are so happily discussed in 'SO YOU WANT TO BECOME A CANADIAN'. It's a "must" introduction to Canadian culture, and tells not only cultural facts, but "fun" history facts, as well. From the description, (and illustration), of the famous "Ookpic" toy, (an adorable stuffed toy, made of sealskin, which was put out of production by those who made it, to help the ennvironment), to "The Story of the Mounties", (condensed onto one page), to a four-page list of "Things Invented In Canada", (which reminded me somehow of Star Trek's Ensign Chekov, saying that EVERYTHING was 'invented by a little old lady in Moscow'....yet these facts all seem qui5e true...and why shouldn't the rest of the world know them?, to the various ways 'eh?' is used, (WHY no-one, including the authors of this book will write the word as it is pronounced....which is NOT 'eh?', but 'ay'?....is totally beyond me!), to the English, and French, lyrics to "O Canada!", this book has it all! Buy yourself a copy, and learn a lot..,and all the while, find yourself with a big smile on your face! CI : ) <Mountie Smilie!

I have to say that I absolutely loved this book! Not only is it very funny, its also informative for Americans who know little/nothing about Canada and gives a humorous sterotypical view of Canada. I have to say that if you were canadian you might find this funnier than americans because you know all the stereotypes and understand things like Poutine (fries with cheese), toques(hats) and the word "eh". There is many cute little diagrams throughout the book, and would be a perfect gift for an american friend, or give a canadian living in united states a good laugh. Definately worth buying!

Go out and buy a copy, now! I'm getting everyone a copy for Christmas. It is a very witty and charming book. I especially liked learning about the mysteries of "eh". This book helped me understand why Canadians are so fascinated with hockey. The delightful illustrations add to the fun.

Nice little book to get familiar with Canada and some of its culture. Is a perfect first approach to motivate your interest and then move to perhaps "more serious" books.

The text is OK and funny most of the time, but in my opinion it's worth a blog post or webpage, not a book. It lacks deepness and more "meat", being just a collection of short sentences mixed with lots of ilustrations.

A great mix of fun and facts. A great read for everyone but a must for all Canadians who think they know themselves...this book shows we have so much more to be proud of. A lot of great surprises.

If you're looking for a humorous quick read this book will suffice. However, its not going to make you go "yep that's me" or "I recognize that" as much as others of the genre might