Books

Books that explore the past, present, and future

Books are substantial and enduring. In a book, it is possible to discuss a topic in depth, present evidence, and lay out a thesis in a systematic way. Whether the field is science, religion, or political activism, writing books is a time-established way of presenting ideas, arguments, and evidence to the world.

Political movements have laid out what they have to say in books for as long as such movements have existed. In Canada, and in many other places, when a book focused on an activist cause is being written, a fundamental choice is deciding whether the book will be submitted to, and published by, a commercial book publisher, i.e. a company that publishes a wide variety of books, or whether it will be published by a progressive or left-wing publisher than specializes in books offering an alternative point of view. A third option, less desirable, is self-publishing, which has the drawback of placing the burden of publishing, marketing, selling, and distributing books on an organization or individual lacking professional expertise in publishing.

Books that speak about shared experiences.

Canada has seen the establishment of a considerable number of progressive publishers over the years. One cause for this has been the nature of the book publishing industry in Canada, which has been largely controlled by branches of American publishers who typically have little interest in any but the most marketable books and authors. Left and ‘alternative’ publishers have played a crucial role in spreading ideas that are outside the mainstream.

Books that make the past come alive.

Books have played a crucial role in awakening awareness of environmental issues and conservation in Canada. Fred Bodsworth’s book The Last of the Curlews, published in 1954, appeared at a time when Canadians, only recently emerged from the Depression and the Second World War, had little idea of the environmental impact of unregulated industrial expansion. Bodsworth’s book focused on the fate of a single bird, an Eskimo Curlew, the last survivor of its species. The Last of the Curlews sold three million copies, this at a time when Canada’s population was 18 million: an unheard-of sales figure for a Canadian book. It played a key role in raising environmental consciousness in Canada.