Kingston author’s new book Dear Friends will tug at your heart

 Title: Dear Friends Publisher: PathBinder Publishing  ISBN-10: 1955088144 ISBN-13: 978-1955088145 Working as a pediatric intensivist, Dr. Greg Stidham interacted with many people over his 32-year career. One thing he’s thought a lot about as a result is chance encounters and how, even though we may not notice it at the

A Like Vision: The Group Of Seven & Tom Thomson

 Title: A Like Vision: The Group Of Seven & Tom Thomson Author: Ian A.C. Dejardin & Sarah Milroy Hardcover:   9781773102054   Publisher: Goose Lane Editions A Like Vision is a lavish celebration of the legacy of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, Canada's canonical landscape painters. The Group's depiction of the rugged beauty

Introducing Odell’s Fall by Globe and Mail bestselling Author, Norman Bacal

 A forbidden marriage, jealous colleagues, the struggle for power . . . and murder. Introducing  Odell’s Fall by Norman Bacal. From one of the most esteemed entertainment tax attorneys in the world and the bestselling author of Breakdown, comes a heart-pounding, never predictable murder-mystery inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy, Othello. Odell’s Fall examines

I’m a Leader Now: A Delightful Children’s Book about Empowerment and Leadership

 I’m a Leader Now By: Wayne Watson 36 pages • ISBN 978-1-9994753-0-7 With the collaboration of a team and spanning from Ottawa, to Montreal, and all the way to Quebec City, we present to you a unique children’s book with Canada Geese as the muse. Author Wayne Watson is a retired

Author Inspires Change Through Empowering First Book

 In following the example of her role models, author and activist Hannah Alper has become a role model herself. At just 14 years old, Hannah has already published her first book titled Momentus: Small Acts, Big Change. The title for the book grew out of Hannah’s belief it is the

Finding Gobi: A Little Dog’s Big Journey to Find a Family

 Images from Finding Gobi. I once heard a saying from the woman who volunteers with a local dog rescue that “you don’t choose the dog, the dog chooses you”. Whether it be a goofy smile through the cage door in a shelter, or a quick kiss on a hand during

The Other Side of Reason: An OC Transpo crash survivor’s struggle with PTSD

 I used to think about work, or if we needed groceries… Now, my steps are less assured, almost hesitant. I think about my family farewells, hugs and kisses — did I remember to say I love you? With every step, a painful memory of what was in time a bright

Faith and Free Thought

 I have a new book out next month (although you can pre-order it now) published by Signal Books, part of Random House. It’s called Epiphany: A Christian’s Change of Heart and Mind over Same-Sex Marriage, and while I’ve written 16 books and am proud of some (but not all) of

Walking with Abel: Journeys with the Nomads of the African Savannah

 Author: Anna Badkhen Riverhead Books, New York, 2015 Reviewed by Don MacLean Anna Badkhen’s wonderful book Walking with Abel: Journeys with the Nomads of the African Savannah documents her journeys with members of the nomadic Fulani, perhaps the largest group of nomads living today. The Mali-based Fulani migrate across the

Review: A Neurosurgeon’s Challenge

 Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery Henry Marsh St Martin’s Press, New York, 2014. Reviewed By Don MacLean Consider, if you will, the delicate surgical task of removing a pineocytoma, which is defined as “an uncommon, slow growing tumour of the pineal gland.” The patient is

Get Inspired with Lorna Jane Clarkson

 Inspired, by active living advocate Lorna Jane Clarkson, hits shelves this month. It’s a great summer read for ladies looking to learn more about Clarkson’s philosophy and how to live an inspirational, active life. It’s got everything you need to kick start a healthier lifestyle. The book includes personal style

Family Ties

 A review of Sugar in the Blood: A Family’s Story of Slavery and Empire by Andrea Stuart Family trees are all the rage. Part of their appeal is surely the element of surprise. The deeper one digs, the more likely a discovery that the tree’s roots twist and shoot in

The Old Man

 I went for a walk today Along a woodland path When I met an old man Looking at some flowers Who turned to me to say Why do the seasons come and go For I love spring, summer and autumn But not the winter's snow Once I was young like

Venture into the Mind of Experts with OSFAS

 With our busy day-to-day lives, it’s not too often we get the chance to sit back and engage in something new. If you have a passion for arts and sciences, here’s your chance to discover new information at the upcoming presentations from the Ottawa Society for the Arts and Sciences (OSFAS).

Must Read: The Thin Black Line by Simon Gervais

 Prepare for a whirlwind of a read. Simon Gervais’ newly released debut novel The Thin Black Line, is a must-read thriller based right here in Canada’s capital city. A first time novelist, Gervais delivers a heart-pumping, nerve-racking story with a climactic ending you won’t see coming. In The Thin Black

Take Me Back to Coles Notes before Take Me Back to Jefferson

 Photo Credit: Katherine Fleitas Before you head to the NAC for its latest production, Take Me Back to Jefferson, do yourself a favour and dig out your high school English class copy of As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, or at least your Coles Notes version if you still have

4 Misconceptions That Won’t Help When You Hit the Slopes this Season

 Common Errors to Avoid from Sought-After Instructor & Keynote Speaker Chalky White As the season gets underway and skiers of all levels journey to the snow-capped mountains, chances are that a great many of them will do some things that won’t help their cause, says world-class ski instructor Chalky White.

Learning How to Die – Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

 In his latest thoughtful, moving book Being Mortal: Medicine And What Matters in the End the doctor and writer Atul Gawande tells the achingly sad story of Sara. In the prime of life and while pregnant with her first child, Sara was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Doctors induced labour

A Song to Play, A Story to Tell

 Music has always been a part of Steve Bell’s life. His mother was a singer, songwriter and piano player and his father also fostered the family’s passion and love for music. “I have almost no memories of not being involved in music,” Bell says. “It’s always been a part of the

Into the Blizzard: Walking the Fields of the Newfoundland Dead

 In October 1914, 537 young men from Newfoundland boarded the Florizel, the ship that would sail them across the Atlantic and towards the battle shores of Europe. The Great War had started in August of that year and Newfoundland’s governor had offered England this small contingent of soldiers. As a

Food Frenzy in the Capital

 When the average Canadian thinks of Ottawa, they think of the national hub of power and politics. However, our great city is more than just that. Don Chow and Jennifer Lim’s new book Ottawa Food: A Hungry Capital is a feast for your eyes. In it, they explore all things

Music Meets Medicine: Allison’s Brain

 Robert McMechan and his wife Allison Woyiwada recently released Allison’s Brain, a book they wrote together. It is the story of Allison’s medical journey, from diagnosis to recovery. Woyiwada was diagnosed with a large brain aneurysm in 2011. In a surgery that followed, the aneurysm was clipped. After the procedure,

GCTC’s 40 Seasons Strong and Just Getting Stronger…

 photo credit: GCTC/Andrew Alexander As  the GCTC celebrates its 40th season, it once again proves it is on the cutting edge of thought-provoking, hard-hitting, fantastic Canadian theatre.  The GCTC chose a whopper of a play to open its 2014-2015 season, The Boy in the Moon, by Emil Sher. Based on

Brutal Farm Killings in South Africa: How do Victims Carry on?

 Statistical analysis shows South African farmers are three times more likely than ordinary citizens to be the victims of violent crime. They also show it is twice as dangerous to produce food than it is to be a policeman. Approximately two thousand farmers and farmworkers have been killed or injured

Digital Detox at Wanderlust

 Photo courtesy of Ali Kaukas The upcoming Wanderlust Festival at Mont-Tremblant is the ultimate digital detox. With all of the different activities, yoga classes and spa excursions occupying your time, you’ll (almost) forget about the emails, texts and notifications blowing up your phone. Photo courtesy of Abbey Ley Wanderlust is