Description
From our former Governor General, The Idea of a Nation is a series of fifty—of several thousand—carefully chosen letters he has written to people he has admired and befriended over his seventy-plus years, that sets out David Johnston's frank, informed, and novel thoughts about Canada.
Touching on a wide range of topics ranging from learning, the law, kindness and courage, to the monarchy, Aboriginal education, justice, bilingualism, mental health, and hockey, David Johnston has always used the letter writing form to tackle the passions, challenges, and goals of his incredibly accomplished and varied life. From his earliest years at Harvard, he has written several letters each day, starting with those to his large family, and broadening out to an ever-widening circle of friends that includes ministers and monarchs, educators and entrepreneurs, and many extraordinary Canadians who have deepened his perspective and touched his heart. The letters included in this beautiful volume are all about Canada—a project to help him understand and share his views on this great country, past, present, and future.
Presented in three parts—What Shapes Me, What Consumes Me, and What Comforts Me—The Right Honourable David Johnston reaches out to his grandchildren, Kevin Vickers, Clara Hughes, Chris Hadfield, the Aga Khan, Tina Fontaine, Mike Lazaridis, the teachers of our country, a grade five class in Winnipeg, an unknown Inuit boy he met at Rideau Hall, and many others. The perfect gift for graduates, this unique and lovely book should find its home in every Canadian's library.
About the Author
One of Canada's most respected and beloved governors general, DAVID JOHNSTON is a graduate of Harvard, Cambridge and Queen's universities. He served as dean of law at Western University, principal of McGill University and president of the University of Waterloo. He is the author or co-author of twenty-five books, holds honorary doctorates from over twenty universities and is a Companion of the Order of Canada. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, he is married to Sharon Johnston, and has five daughters and twelve grandchildren.
TOM JENKINS is chairman of the board of OpenText and has served as a member of its board since 1994, as president and chief executive officer from 1994 to 2005 and as executive chairman and chief strategy officer from 2005 to 2013. He is the chancellor of the University of Waterloo and is an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) for his contributions to education and innovation in Canada. He is a graduate of the Schulich School of Business at York University, the University of Toronto, and McMaster University. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE). Mr. Jenkins is a recipient of the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD) and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal (QDJM).
JOSH HOLINATY was raised in Alberta and now works out of Toronto, Ontario. He has worked with a variety of clients, including the New York Times, the Globe and Mail, maisonneuve, MoneySense, on a variety of illustration projects, such as editorial, ads, poster design, walls and more. He has illustrated several children's books: Liam Takes a Stand by Troy Wilson, Ira Crumb Makes a Pretty Good Friend by Naseem Hrab, It's Catching by Jennifer Gardy and A Beginner's Guide to Immortality by Maria Birmingham (nominated for the 2016 Norma Fleck Award).
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