Allan Gregg in Conversation

January 23 2009: Niall Ferguson

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

Niall Ferguson is one of Britain's most renowned economic historians, a professor at both Oxford and Harvard Universities. He is also a bestselling author and his latest book couldn't be more timely. It's called The Ascent of Money: a Financial History of the World.

January 17 2009: Antonia Juhasz

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Antonia Juhasz takes a critical look at how the American oil industry became so dominant globally and how to rein it in. She is a leading American oil industry, international trade and finance policy expert and her book is called The Tyranny of Oil.

January 9 2009: Gabor Mate

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

According to Dr. Gabor Mate, it's a difficult struggle for hard core drug addicts to kick their habit because their brains are impaired. In a new book, he looks at the common roots of addictive behaviours and what can be done about them. It's called In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction.

January 2 2009: Katherine Ashenburg

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 2 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

Ashenburg takes an amusing look at changing norms of personal hygiene through the ages in her book The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History.

December 26 2008: George Anthony

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:00:00 EST

Brian Linehan -- the Canadian talk show host died in 2004. And now, George Anthony has written a revealing biography about his old friend and colleague. It's called Starring Brian Linehan.

December 19 2008: Paul Martin

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:00:00 EST

He was Canada's prime minister for two years -- the Right Honourable Paul Martin. In a new memoir, he writes about his life in and out of politics. It's called Hell or High Water.

December 12 2008: Christopher Plummer

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:00:00 EST

He's one of our greatest living actors -- Christopher Plummer. At the age of seventy-nine, Plummer's career is still in full swing and now he's written a memoir. It's called In Spite of Myself.

November 28 2008: Andre Pratte

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST

In the wake of the federal election, Andre Pratte warns that Quebeckers are drifting away from the rest of the country. Pratte is the editorial page editor of La Presse. He has just come out with a new collection of essays by prominent francophones about Quebec's future. It's called Reconquering Canada: Quebec Federalists Speak up for Change.

November 28 2008: Richard Florida

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST

Richard Florida contends that the so-called "creative class" is key to a city's success. Florida is head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. His new book is called Who's Your City? How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life.

November 21 2008: Major-General Lewis MacKenzie

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST

Major-General Lewis MacKenzie has retired from the Armed Forces, but he continues to speak his mind as a commentator on military affairs. In a new memoir, MacKenzie takes aim at his critics and looks at the role of Canada's military, past and present. It's called Soldiers Made Me Look Good: A Life in the Shadow of War.

November 14 2008: Ted Rogers

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST

Ted Rogers is a legendary entrepreneur. In his new autobiography, he explains how he built Rogers Communications into one of the largest companies in Canadian history. It's called Relentless.

November 7 2008: Margaret Atwood

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 7 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST

Margaret Atwood is one of Canada's leading activists on a wide range of environmental and cultural issues. Atwood delivered this year's Massey Lectures, which have been collected in a new book called Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth.

October 10 2008: Simon Winchester

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Simon Winchester tells the remarkable story of the brilliant but eccentric Cambridge professor Joseph Needham. It's called The Man Who Loved China.

October 31 2008: Charlotte Gray

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

She's been called the most important woman in Canadian history -- Nellie McClung. Charlotte Gray has written a biography about this extraordinary Canadian. It's called Nellie McClung.

October 31 2008: James Orbinski

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

Canada's Dr. James Orbinski has witnessed some of the most horrific events of our time. In a new memoir, he recounts those experiences and how they changed him. It's called An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action in the Twenty-First Century.

October 24 2008: Salman Rushdie

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

Salman Rushdie has been knighted by the Queen and for the second time, his novel Midnight's Children has won the Best of Booker Award. His latest novel is called The Enchantress of Florence.

October 17 2008: Eric Margolis

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

Author and syndicated columnist Eric Margolis has long been a critic of American foreign policy and of Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan. His new book is called American Raj: Liberation or Domination?

October 10 2008: Christopher Shulgan

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Christopher Shulgan tells the story of the Soviet diplomat who brought then-prime minister Trudeau and Gorbachev together and helped change the course of history. It's called The Soviet Ambassador.

October 3 2008: Devra Davis

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 22:00:00 EST

A scientist and public health expert, Devra Davis is head of the Centre for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh. In a provocative new book she argues that we have been too focused on treating cancer, while ignoring its environmental causes. It is called The Secret History of the War on Cancer.

September 26 2008: Mel Hurtig

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:00:00 EST

The publisher, political activist and author argues we are no longer the people we think we are. He has combed world statistics to see how Canada really measures up and has published his important, astonishing, and truly appalling findings in The Truth about Canada.

June 13 2008: Paul Collier

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Oxford University economist and government adviser Paul Collier calls for dramatic changes to improve conditions for the world's poorest countries. The Bottom Billion is the winner of this year's Lionel Gelber Prize for the best book on international affairs.

May 30 2008: Anna Porter

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:00:00 EST

Rezso Kasztner saved thousands of his fellow Jews by bargaining for their lives with the Nazis. But after the Second World War he was vilified. Author Anna Porter recounts the dramatic story in her book, Kasztner's Train: The True Story of Rezso Kasztner, Unknown Hero of the Holocaust.

June 6 2008: Dee Dee Myers

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST

She was White House Press Secretary to former President Bill Clinton, the first woman ever to hold the position. In a new book, she writes about those years and argues it's time for women to have their rightful share of power. The book is called Why Women Should Rule the World.

May 23 2008: Samantha Power

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 23 May 2008 22:00:00 EST

Samantha Power is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, human rights expert and Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership at Harvard University. In a new book, Power tells the life story of a United Nations envoy killed in Iraq. It's called Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World.

May 16 2008: Tom Hayden

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:00:00 EST

Tom Hayden was one of the 'Chicago Seven' arrested at the 1968 Democratic National Convention and later put on trial. Forty years later, he is still an activist. His latest book is called Writings for a Democratic Society: The Tom Hayden Reader.

April 4 2008: Erna Paris

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 4 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST

Journalist Erna Paris traces the difficult birth of the International Criminal Court and America opposition to the independent body. It's called The Sun Climbs Slow: Justice in the Age of Imperial America.

April 25 2008: Diane Francis

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Diane Francis profiles seventy-five of Canada's richest people. Francis is editor-at-large of the National Post and her book is called Who Owns Canada Now: Old Money, New Money and the Future of Canadian Business.

April 18 2008: Ronald Wright

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST

The collapse of Easter Island, the fall of the Roman Empire. We've made too much progress to end up as they did. But historian Ronald Wright sees similarities between our own society and doomed civilizations of the past. His book is called A Short History of Progress.

May 9 2008: Garth Turner

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 9 May 2008 22:00:00 EST

Over the past several years there's been a huge real estate boom. But the boom is over and now the question is -- will we see a bust? Garth Turner is a financial commentator and Member of Parliament. His new book is called "Greater Fool: The Troubled Future of Real Estate".

April 18 2008: Thomas Cahill

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST

The Middle Ages -- it's often depicted as an era of fear and ignorance -- the tyranny of kings over long suffering peasants. However, in a new book, historian Thomas Cahill tells a different story. It's called Mysteries of the Middle Ages: And the Beginning of the Modern World.

April 11 2008: Pico Iyer

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST

With turmoil in Tibet as China prepares to host the Olympic games, the world's focus is on Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Journalist Pico Iyer has known him personally for more than thirty years and now he's written a book about him called The Open Road: the Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

March 28 2008: Sherry Cooper

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST

According to Sherry Cooper, "boomers will redefine retirement just as they have redefined middle age." Cooper is chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. Her new book is called The New Retirement: How It Will Change Our Future.

March 14 2008: Alan Weisman

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST

What if we were to suddenly disappear from Earth -- all of us humans? What would happen to our planet? What sort of imprint would we leave behind? Science writer Alan Weisman tackles these questions in his bestseller The World Without Us.

March 7 2008: Steven Pinker

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 7 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST

What makes us curse and what does it say about us? Steven Pinker explores this and other linguistic mysteries in his new book. Pinker is a world-renowned cognitive scientist at Harvard University. His book is called The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature.

March 21 2008: Simon Blackburn

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST

Simon Blackburn is one of the world's most eminent philosophers. Time magazine hailed his bestseller, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy, as "the one book every smart person should read to understand, and even enjoy, the key questions of philosophy."

March 21 2008: Roger Martin

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:00:00 EST

What do successful leaders have in common and what can we all learn from their success? In a new book, Roger Martin claims it's not what they do, but how they think. His book is called The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking.

February 29 2008: Irshad Manji

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST

She's been called Osama bin Laden's worst nightmare. Journalist, feminist, Muslim activist -- Irshad Manji is world renowned as an outspoken advocate for Islamic reform. Manji is the author of The Trouble with Islam Today and now she's come out with a new DVD, Faith Without Fear.

February 15 2008: Yann Martel

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST

Canada's Yann Martel shot to international fame with his novel Life of Pi. He won the prestigious Booker Prize and his novel went on to sell six-million copies worldwide. Now Martel has come out with a special illustrated edition of Life of Pi.

February 22 2008: Jan Wong

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST

China in the early 1970's -- it's the height of the Cultural Revolution. Journalist Jan Wong, then a student and a Maoist, travels from Canada to study at Beijing University. Her book about that time is called "Beijing Confidential: A Tale of Comrades Lost and Found".

February 15 2008: Kevin Patterson

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST

We're bombarded by media coverage of the Canadian forces in Afghanistan, but rarely do we hear from the soldiers themselves. Until now that is. Kevin Patterson's new book is called Outside the Wire: The War in Afghanistan in the Words of Its Participants.

February 8 2008: Maude Barlow

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 8 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST

While global warming grabs the headlines, there's another environmental disaster unfolding -- the world is running out of fresh water. Political activist Maude Barlow addresses these and other issues in her new book "Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water".

February 1 2008: John Spong

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 1 Feb 2008 22:00:00 EST

To some he's a visionary who wants to reform Christianity. To others he's a heretic, out to destroy the Church. John Spong's latest book is called "Jesus for the Non-Religious".

January 25 2008: Jeffrey Simpson

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST

Forget about Canada's 2012 Kyoto targets and force industrial polluters to pay a carbon tax. These are a few of the controversial proposals put forward in a new book by Jeffrey Simpson called "Hot Air: Meeting Canada's Climate Change Challenge".

January 11 2008: Brian Wansink

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST

What makes us overindulge when we're not even hungry? Food psychologist Brian Wansink is a professor of Marketing and Nutritional Science at Cornell University. His book is called "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think".

January 18 2008: Naomi Klein

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST

Nine-eleven. the Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina. According to Naomi Klein, these and other crises have been exploited by neo-conservatives to impose radical free-market policies on unwitting citizens. Her provocative new book is called "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism".

January 4 2008: Chaviva Hosek

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 4 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST

How do microbes change the world? How do our genes make us healthy and sick? What makes people happy? Just a few of the big questions that the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research is trying to answer. Chaviva Hosek is president and CEO of the institute.

January 4 2008: Rudyard Griffiths

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 4 Jan 2008 22:00:00 EST

Does Canadian history matter? Are we a nation of too many identities? Some of the country's leading thinkers face off on these and other issues in a new book of essays, "Great Questions of Canada". The editor is Rudyard Griffiths, who is also the co-editor of a book of essays called "American Power: Potential and Limits in the Twenty-First Century".

December 21 2007: Steve Paikin

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST

It's been called a revolution in hockey - the re-invention of the game since the National Hockey League 2004-05 lockout. Steve Paikin explores the sweeping changes and their impact in his new book "The New Game: How Hockey Saved Itself".

December 14 2007: Jean Chretien

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST

Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien sits down with Allan Gregg for a wide-ranging interview. They discuss Chretien's new memoir, "My Years as Prime Minister", his views on the state of politics in Canada and his recent heart surgery.

December 7 2007: John Mighton

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 7 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST

Why are so many children struggling in school? Why is mathematics so often their most difficult subject? According to John Mighton, it's not that they lack ability. In his new book, he argues that all children have the potential to succeed. The book is called "The End of Ignorance".

December 7 2007: Siobhan Roberts

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 7 Dec 2007 22:00:00 EST

He's the world-famous mathematical genius that most us have never heard of - Canada's Donald Coxeter. In a new biography, Siobhan Roberts recounts his amazing career. It's called "King of Infinite Space: Donald Coxeter, the Man Who Saved Geometry".

November 30 2007: Norman Doidge

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:00:00 EST

Norman Doidge is a psychiatrist and medical researcher. In his new book he explores the remarkable powers of the brain to regenerate itself. It's called "The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science".

November 23 2007: Bret Hart

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:00:00 EST

Bret Hart has retired from wrestling, but he still has a lot to say. His no-holds-barred memoir is called, "Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling".

October 26 2007: Richard Dawkins

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:00:00 EST

He's been called the world's most famous atheist - Richard Dawkins. The evolutionary biologist has touched off a storm of controversy with his bestseller "The God Delusion". In it he argues that a belief in God is irrational and religion is divisive and dangerous.

November 9 2007: Gwynne Dyer

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 9 Nov 2007 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, journalist and historian Gwynne Dyer has some surprising predictions about what will likely happen in the Middle East after the Americans leave. It's called "The Mess They Made: The Middle East After Iraq".

November 2 2007: Seymour Schulich

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 2 Nov 2007 22:00:00 EST

He's a self-made billionaire and one of Canada's greatest philanthropists - Seymour Schulich. Now, at the age of sixty-seven, he distills a lifetime of experience in his new book. It's called "Get Smarter: Life and Business Lessons".

November 2 2007: Andrea Mandel-Campbell

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 2 Nov 2007 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Andrea Mandel-Campbell argues that the beer industry and other Canadian businesses are being left in the dust by savvy global competitors. The book is called "Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson".

November 16 2007: Walter Isaacson

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:00:00 EST

In a new biography, Walter Isaacson argues that Albert Einstein's brilliance stemmed from his imagination and rebellious personality. His book is based on Einstein's newly released personal letters. It's called "Einstein: His Life and Universe".

October 19 2007: Richard Gwyn

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:00:00 EST

Veteran political writer Richard Gwyn has written the first in a two-volume biography on Canada's first Prime Minister called "John A: The Man Who Made Us".

October 26 2007: Tom Perrotta

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:00:00 EST

Tom Perrotta is back with another novel that's headed for the big screen. "The Abstinence Teacher" is a story about sex and evangelism in a suburban community.

October 12 2007: Andrew Cohen

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:00:00 EST

It's part of our national identity - how we define ourselves - we're Canadians, not Americans. Journalist Andrew Cohen argues we're not as different as many of us like to think in his new book "The Unfinished Canadian: The People We Are".

October 5 2007: David Shannon

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 5 Oct 2007 22:00:00 EST

David Shannon is a lawyer and a tireless advocate for the rights of the disabled. Now he has written a book about how to remove the barriers faced by those with disabilities. It's called "Six Degrees of Dignity".

October 5 2007: Severn Cullis-Suzuki

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 5 Oct 2007 22:00:00 EST

In a new book of essays, Severn Cullis-Suzuki and other young people explain what motivated them to take action to change the world. It's called "Notes from Canada's Young Activists".

September 28 2007: Gore Vidal

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:00:00 EST

Gore Vidal-literary lion, political gadfly, raconteur and friend of the famous. Now at the age of 81, Vidal looks back on his remarkable life in the second volume of his memoirs. The book is called "Point to Point Navigation".

September 21 2007: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:00:00 EST

In town for the North American premiere of director Jonathan Demme's "Jimmy Carter Man from Plains" at the Toronto International Film Festival, the former American president and his wife Rosalynn met with Allan Gregg for a candid pre-screening Q and A.

June 15 2007: Alexandre Trudeau

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 22:00:00 EST

In 1960, Pierre Trudeau, then a labour lawyer, travelled to China with journalist Jacques Hebert. Their book about that adventure became a Canadian classic. Now, in a new edition of "Two Innocents in Red China", Alexandre Trudeau retraces his father's footsteps and offers his own perspective on the book.

May 25 2007: Lawrence Wright

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 25 May 2007 22:00:00 EST

Lawrence Wright has written a groundbreaking book, based on five years of research and more than six-hundred interviews about the history and motivation of Al-Qaeda and the continuing terrorist threat today. The book is called "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9-11".

May 18 2007: Conrad Black

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 18 May 2007 22:00:00 EST

Nixon is the subject of a new biography by Lord Black. The former media baron, now in the middle of his own legal battle, has just published a hefty tome about the embattled former president. It is called "The Invincible Quest: The Life of Richard Milhous Nixon".

May 4 2007: Ishmael Beah

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 4 May 2007 22:00:00 EST

Ishmael Beah was forced into the army after civil war broke out in Sierre Leone. He recounts those horrifying experiences and his path to a new life in his book "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Child Soldier".

December 17 2006: Monica Ali

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST

Monica Ali's bestselling novel "Brick Lane" caused quite a stir. It's about a Bangladeshi woman who comes to Britain and enters into an arranged marriage. Ali's most recent novel is called "Alentejo Blue".

March 26 2007: Don Tapscott

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST

According to management guru Don Tapscott, virtual communities such as YouTube, MySpace and Wikipedia are part of a profound societal shift that will change the way we do business and much more. His bestseller is called "Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything".

March 18 2007: Steven Levitt

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 23:00:00 EST

"Freakonomics" -- the runaway bestseller comes up with some surprising conclusions about everything from the crime rate to dealing with real estate agents to raising successful kids. Its author, Steven Levitt, is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago.

March 18 2007: Vincent Lam

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 23:00:00 EST

He's Canada's latest literary sensation. Vincent Lam won this year's prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize for his collection of short stories about young medical students. It's called "Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures".

March 11 2007: Mary Gordon

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:00:00 EST

It's a deceptively simple yet brilliant idea -- 'The Roots of Empathy' -- teaching children emotional intelligence by bringing babies into the classroom. The program's founder, Mary Gordon, has written a new book -- "Roots of Empathy: Changing the World, Child by Child".

March 11 2007: George Thomson

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:00:00 EST

Is it time to change the way Ontario voters elect their provincial government? The Citizens' Assembly was launched by Premier McGuinty about a year ago to consider that very question. Former judge George Thomson is chair of the Assembly.

March 4 2007: Michael Decter

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 4 Mar 2007 23:00:00 EST

How do you get the best possible care in a health system that can be confusing and even frightening? In a new book, "Navigating Canada's Health Care", Michael Decter offers practical advice on how to get better, faster and safer care for you and your family.

February 25 2007: Allan Gotlieb

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:00:00 EST

He was one of Canada's most influential ambassadors ever. Allan Gotlieb gained unprecedented access to the inner circles of power during his years in Washington in the Reagan era, all documented in his new book "The Washington Diaries: 1981 - 1989".

February 18 2007: Andrew Weil

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:00:00 EST

We're all going to die -- that's inevitable. But according to Dr. Andrew Weil, there's a lot we can do to stay healthy as we age. In his new book, Dr. Weil shares his secrets for living better longer. It's called "Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being".

February 18 2007: Deepak Chopra

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:00:00 EST

It's the ultimate question: what happens when we die? Is there life after death? Deepak Chopra is a spiritual guru to millions. In his new book, he builds his case for the afterlife. The book is called "Life After Death: The Burden of Proof".

February 11 2007: Lawrence Hill

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 23:15:00 EST

It's called the "Book of Negroes" -- an actual historical record of thousands of blacks who fled American slavery for Nova Scotia. In his new novel, Lawrence Hill recounts this chapter in black history through the story of one woman and her personal journey. It's called "The Book of Negroes".

February 4 2007: Alvin Toffler

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 4 Feb 2007 23:00:00 EST

"Future Shock". "The Third Wave". They established Alvin Toffler as one of the world's most influential futurists. In his new book, Toffler once again takes us back to the future. It's called Revolutionary Wealth".

February 4 2007: Carol Off

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 4 Feb 2007 23:00:00 EST

Before you bite into that chocolate bar or dig into that box of chocolates, consider this -- it may well have been produced by child slave labour. Journalist and author Carol Off's new book is an expose of the international cocoa trade. It's called "Bitter Chocolate".

January 28 2007: Anita Rau Badami

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:00:00 EST

She moved to Canada from India in the early 1990s and took the literary world by storm. Now she's back with a new novel. It tells the story of three women over a span of fifty years. It's called "Can You Hear the Nightbird Call?".

January 28 2007: Bill Bryson

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:00:00 EST

Bill Bryson -- bestselling author and humourist. He's known for his travel writing and now he's written a light-hearted memoir about his boyhood in 1950s Iowa called "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid".

January 21 2007: Richard Ford

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 23:00:00 EST

Richard Ford is renowned for his detailed, nuanced chronicles of Middle America in the twentieth century. His novel's "The Sportswriter" and its sequel "Independence Day" chart the life of Frank Bascombe who returns in Ford's latest novel "The Lay of the Land".

January 21 2007: Charlotte Gray

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 23:00:00 EST

Alexander Graham Bell - celebrated inventor of the telephone. Bell is a larger-than-life figure, but in a new biography, "Reluctant Genius", Charlotte Gray portrays him as all too human, brilliant but eccentric.

January 14 2007: George Monbiot

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:00:00 EST

In a new book, Monbiot argues that we have to take drastic action to have even a chance of preventing runaway global warming. His book is called "Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning".

January 7 2007: John English

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 7 Jan 2007 23:00:00 EST

Pierre Elliott Trudeau fascinates us still. A new biography reveals more intimate details than ever before about his personal life. It's the first in a two-volume biography by John English. The book is called "Citizen of the World".

December 17 2006: Stephen Brunt

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST

Bobby Orr -- the greatest defenceman in hockey history and one of the greatest players ever. Sportswriter Stephen Brunt has written a new biography about the life and times of this revered player called "Searching for Bobby Orr".

December 10 2006: Gay Talese

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST

Gay Talese--legendary reporter and writer, pioneer of the New Journalism. In his latest book, Talese turns the focus on himself. It's called "A Writer's Life".

December 3 2006: Margaret Somerville

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 3 Dec 2006 23:00:00 EST

From same sex marriage to stem cell research, Margaret Somerville is no stranger to controversy. In her new book she tackles these and other hot-button issues. It's called "The Ethical Imagination: Journeys of the Human Spirit".

November 26 2006: Hugh Segal

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 23:00:00 EST

In a new book, Hugh Segal gives an insider's account of how the Tories, led by Stephen Harper, came to power for the first time in more than a decade. His book is called "The Long Road Back: The Conservative Journey, 1993-2006".

November 19 2006: Thomas Homer-Dixon

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 023

Global warming, the energy shortage, international terrorism; with all the urgent problems confronting us in the twenty-first century, are we be facing the breakdown of our civilization? In a new book, "The Upside of Down", Thomas Homer-Dixon sets out to answer that question.

November 12 2006: Margaret MacMillan

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:00:00 EST

In 1972, Richard Nixon became the first American president to go to China. In a new book, historian Margaret MacMillan tells the dramatic story of how that fateful event came to be. It is called "Nixon in China: The Week That Changed the World".

November 5 2006: Martin Gilbert

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 5 Nov 2006 23:00:00 EST

Sir Martin Gilbert, Churchill's official biographer looks back on the legendary British leader's political career spanning more than half a century. It's called "The Will of the People: Winston Churchill and Parliamentary Democracy".

October 29 2006: Eddie Goldenberg

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 29 Feb 2006 23:00:00 EST

Eddie Goldenberg was Chretien's confidant and aide and served ten years as senior policy advisor to the former Prime Minister. In his new book "The Way It Works: Inside Ottawa", Goldenberg takes us behind the scenes during the Chretien years.

October 22 2006: Marla Shapiro

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:00:00 EST

Dr. Marla Shapiro went from doctor to patient after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Her new book gives an insider's account of the disease and treatments. It's called "Life in the Balance: My Journey with Breast Cancer".

October 15 2006: Noah Richler

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 23:00:00 EST

It's one of our favourite national past-times; searching for the Canadian identity. In a thought-provoking new book, "This is My Country, What's Yours? A Literary Atlas of Canada" journalist and broadcaster Noah Richler looks to Canadian authors for answers.

October 8 2006: Peter Carey

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 8 Oct 2006 23:00:00 EST

Peter Carey's latest novel takes us inside the high-flying world of modern art - a world of fakes and frauds, hype and hoaxes. It's called, "Theft: A Love Story".

October 8 2006: Michael Gurian

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 8 Oct 2006 23:00:00 EST

Educator Michael Gurian was one of the first to look at how boys and girls learn differently. His latest book is called, "The Minds of Boys: Saving our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life".

October 1 2006: Adrienne Clarkson

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Sun, 1 Oct 2006 23:00:00 EST

In a candid new memoir, "Heart Matters", the former Governor General looks back on her turbulent personal life and some of the controversies she faced during her years in the public eye.

March 13 2009: Ron Suskind

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ron Suskind claims the Bush White House deliberately misled America about the case for war in Iraq, and he looks at how his country can regain its moral authority. It's called The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism.

May 8 2009: Tony Burman

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 8 May 2009 22:00:00 EST

It is already broadcast in more than one hundred countries -- the English-language service of Al Jazeera. And now the international news network is hoping to start broadcasting in Canada. Tony Burman is former editor-in-chief of CBC News and now managing director of Al Jazeera English.

April 10 2009: David Hackett Fischer

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:00:00 EST

Four centuries ago, he founded Quebec City -- explorer Samuel de Champlain. Now this giant of Canadian history has been brought to life by David Hackett Fischer. His book is called Champlain's Dream: the Visionary Adventurer Who Made a New World in Canada.

May 29 2009: Lawrence Freedman

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, historian Lawrence Freedman looks at three decades of American foreign policy in the Middle East. A Choice of Enemies is the winner of this year's Lionel Gelber Award for best book on international affairs.

April 3 2009: Susan Pinker

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 3 Apr 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a provocative new book, Susan Pinker argues that the gender gap has more to do with biological differences, than with discrimination. Pinker is a psychologist and columnist for the Globe and Mail. Her book is called The Sexual Paradox: Extreme Men, Gifted Women and the Real Gender Gap.

May 15 2009: Sylvia Bashevkin

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Sylvia Bashevkin looks at why women's progress in politics seems stalled in this country. She is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Her book is called Women, Power, Politics: the Hidden Story of Canada's Unfinished Democracy.

May 15 2009: Barbara Annis

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:00:00 EST

Barbara Annis has spent years as a corporate consultant on gender concerns. In a new book, she looks at how brain science can help men and women understand each other better in the workplace. It's called Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business.

April 24 2009: Michael Ignatieff

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a new memoir, Michael Ignatieff writes about his mother's side of the family stretching back to Confederation, and how they influenced him. It's called True Patriot Love: Four Generations in Search of Canada.

May 22 2009: Dan Hill

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:00:00 EST

Best-known for his smash hit Sometimes When We Touch, Dan Hill has also written and produced songs for stars like Celine Dion and Britney Spears. Yet for all his fame and fortune, there was one critic whose approval he yearned to win -- his father, civil rights activist Dan Hill the third. In a new memoir, Hill writes about their troubled relationship. It's called I Am My Father's Son: A Memoir of Love and Forgiveness.

April 17 2009: Don Tapscott

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:00:00 EST

Today's young people can't imagine life without the internet and their cellphones. But they use the technology in a very different way from their parents. In a new book, Don Tapscott explains how they are transforming every institution of modern life. It's called Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World.

June 12 2009: Wayson Choy

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST

Wayson Choy has cheated death not once, but twice, and lived to write about it. In his latest book, he recounts his brushes with death and how they changed him. It's called Not Yet: A Memoir of Living and Almost Dying.

March 20 2009: Ronald Wright

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a provocative new book, Ronald Wright contends that right from its start as a frontier society, America has used militarism and religious extremism to expand and prosper. His book is called What is America? A Short History of the New World Order.

January 30 2009: Monia Mazigh

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 30 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

We've all heard about the ordeal of Maher Arar. Authorities in the United States arrested the Canadian citizen and sent him to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured. His wife, Monia Mazigh, tells her story in a new book, Hope and Despair: My Struggle to Free my Husband Maher Arar.

February 13 2009: Bruce Dowbiggin

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a provocative new book, sports journalist Bruce Dowbiggin argues that hockey shows who we really are as Canadians -- and it's not always a pretty picture. His book is called The Meaning of Puck.

June 19 2009: John Ralston Saul

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, John Ralston Saul argues that we are a Metis nation, with more ties to Aboriginal culture than European. And he claims our history of multi-culturalism and peacekeeping reflects that heritage. His book is called A Fair Country: Telling Truths about Canada.

March 27 2009: M. G. Vassanji

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

In his novels M. G. Vassanji has been known to use India as a fictional setting. Now in a new book of non-fiction, Vassanji looks at the reality of modern India and his own ancestry. It's called A Place Within: Rediscovering India.

March 27 2009: Zoe Heller

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

Zoe Heller's new novel is about a family facing a crisis of faith -- religious, political and personal. It's called The Believers.

February 20 2009: David Suzuki

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

For decades, David Suzuki has been warning that our planet is in trouble. But in recent years, he has also been talking about what each of us can do to make a difference in our daily lives. His latest book is called David Suzuki's Green Guide.

February 6 2009: Gwynne Dyer

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 6 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, Gwynne Dyer offers a terrifying vision of the not-too-distant future, all driven by the effects of global warming. Dyer is a Canadian journalist and historian. His book is called Climate Wars.

February 27 2009: Philip Norman

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:00:00 EST

John Lennon's fame has only grown since his death almost thirty years ago. In a massive new biography, journalist Philip Norman paints a more detailed picture than ever of the real man behind the legend. It's called John Lennon: the Life.

March 6 2009: Garth Turner

allangregg@tvo.org (TVO) — Fri, 6 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

In a new book, financial expert and former MP Garth Turner offers practical advice on how to deal with falling house prices, shrinking investments, and more. It's called After the Crash: How to Guard Your Money in These Turbulent Times.