Update Mar. 30/2006:
Thanks to everyone that participated on the ring. I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the book. For the new BookRay, please scroll down to LastMango's journal entries.

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From Amazon.ca
How to be a Canadian. Don't worry: here, the phrase is not punctuated by the usual soul-searching question mark. Instead, the Ferguson brothers boldly assert that, since they have both been Canadian their whole lives, they are uniquely qualified to dissect Canadian society. Besides, Margaret Atwood told them to do this book, but that's another story.
As a guidebook, How to Be a Canadian contains "a wealth of information gathered from fact-filled articles that [the authors] sort of remember reading somewhere," but frankly, the facts are there as a framework for a wicked sense of humour. The jokes, which fill every page, are sometimes juvenile: "There are 30,000,000 people in Canada-- all of whom have, at some point, frozen their tongues to the side of a flagpole." They are sometimes pointedly amusing: "Often, when the UN needs a cereal box translated, they call in the Canadians, who parachute out of stealth bombers clutching boxes of Capitaine Crounche." And they are often laugh-out-loud, fall-out-of-bed funny: "There is the assumption that Canada has only two seasons: Winter and Not Winter...In fact, Canada has no fewer than six distinct seasons: Tax; Hockey; More Hockey; Still More Hockey; Summer (also known as the July Long Weekend); and finally Good God, Isn't the Hockey Season Over by Now?!"

Will and Ian Ferguson divide their guidebook into such useful sections as How to Find Canada on a Map; Canada: A Rich Tapestry (Who to Hate and Why); and my personal favourite, Twelve Ways to Say "I'm Sorry." Nothing defines the national character more than our "sorry," especially vis-a-vis the Americans. As the authors point out, "once you learn how to properly say 'I'm sorry,' you will no longer be trying to become Canadian, you will have rewired your brain to such a degree that you will actually be Canadian." For a true Canadian, the opportunities for saying "I'm sorry" are endless, but there is one uniquely Canadian "sorry": the one you use when someone else steps on your foot.

The book concludes with a quiz designed to evaluate your level of Canadianness. For example, if you hear the name "Elvis" and think of figure skating, you get 1 point. If you can't remember if you've ever curled or not, because of how drunk you were, you get 50 points. If you know the words to "Barrett's Privateers" but not the national anthem, you get 10 points. And so on. The perfect score is zero points; I'll let the Fergusons explain why: "So, you couldn't even be bothered to do the damn quiz. Too much effort, eh? You just skipped to the end. Talk about slack. Talk about lazy. Talk about Canadian! Congratulations. You are now one of us."

Released on Saturday, January 31, 2004 at Postal Release in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Controlled Releases.

Sent to Vancouver to start the Cross Canada bookring. Enjoy!

Just arrived today! I am within 50 pages of finishing my current read, and then I'll be on this one like stink on a monkey! Thanks anderal!

I wanted to love this book, and I thought I would.. Reading the intro made me believe this even more.. However, I wound up only liking this book.. The style, the very style that hooked me in at first, was what made me start disliking it.. Some very funny sections/chapters, but also some I could've skipped over.. On the whole I'm glad I read it.. The authors/brothers must have had a blast writing this! I'm proud to say that I know what the capital of New Brunswick is, although I didn't yesterday..

I got 56..

Sent off today to Catwoman.. Enjoy!

This is going to be a great book - I can tell already! Just received in the mail today. I'm starting it right now!

Release planned for Wednesday, March 03, 2004 at Campus Copy Centre opposite U. of A. in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.

Funny in parts; obnoxious in others. Caught myself nodding in agreement a few times too. Got 62 on the quiz.

Leaving this book at the Campus Copy OBCZ with the friendly staff there. For pick-up by Arwen-Galadriel so that it can continue its journey.

Picked up book at Campus Copy and will start reading the book tonight and then let people know what I thought.

I sent off this book yesterday to jmg49 to continue the bookring. As for my thoughts about the book....

I really enjoyed this book. Parts of the book had me laughing to myself because of how true that part was. Well I'm sorry its true. I scored a 72 on the quiz at the end. I can't wait to read other books by Will Ferguson. Thanks for sharing.

I just received this book today & will read it shortly.

I enjoyed reading this book. It made me chuckle a few times. I will mail it to ArnpriorHSP at the end of the week.

Released on Monday, May 03, 2004 at Controlled Release in Woodstock, Ontario Canada.

Mailed to Wandeca in Kitchener On.
Enjoy!

The book has arrived safe and sound in Kitchener, thanks so much for mailing it to me, jmg49. And thank you anderal for sharing. I'll start reading the book this afternoon.

Update 9/05/04:

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had laugh out loud moments, and others that I didn't quite get. I'll be contacting the next person and sending the book as soon as I get a mailing address.

Mailing the book to bluenoser. Enjoy!

Thanks for this Wandeca and Anderal - my commiserations to you, I hear you had snow today! You have the strangest weather in Calgary! I was there a couple of weeks ago - a barbecue one day and 4" of snow the next!

I thought I was going to love this book. It started out well but the continuing style of put-down humour got a bit tiresome after a while. Well worth the read though; some chuckle-out-loud bits; some very true bits, especially the many ways we find to say "sorry"! I only scored 53 on the quiz, I'm not sure if it's because I'm from an older generation or was educated in another country! I do know the names of all the provincial capitals!
This will be in the mail to Gooberguts tomorrow.

Just received the book in the mail today. Going to put my other books that I'm reading on hold and start this one tonight at work!!!

I finished this at work today!! I thought that it was pretty interesing and a fast read. Some parts I totally agreed with, other parts I wasnt' to sure what they were talking about. I enjoyed it though!! Sending it off to Stardustnf today!! Hope you enjoy

Received this in the mail about a week ago, and completely forgot to journal that I received it.....sorry!! I've just started reading it, and so far it's pretty funny. Will journal again as soon as I'm done.

Many, many apologies for not having journalled and sent this on. The past year has been full of a lot of ups and downs personally and financially, and I'd pretty much had to give up bookcrossing, at least the trades and rings/rays. I think I've gotten back on track now, so I'm going to get this one out as soon as possible (will be pming KarinAlyssa as soon as I finish this entry!).

This book was an absolute barrel of fun....I laughed so much, it made my sides hurt. The Fergusons have the Canadian psyche nailed perfectly....from our definitions of cold to our views on sex (only Newfoundlanders have it!! ha!!). Reading this book made me laugh at our "Canadianess" (is that a word??) but in the end, proud to be a Canadian. Recommended reading for Canadians everywhere!! (and for anyone else who want an inside look on what it is to be a part of this great country)

Thanks, anderal, for sharing this one with us....and again, so sorry for not passing it along sooner.

I'll journal again as soon as it's safely on its way.

This book is now on its way to KarinAlyssa....enjoy!!

Received today at my parents' house as when Stardustnf mailed to my current address, it was returned to sender although it was my right address. I currently have 2 rings/rays before this one, so I should start this at the end of this week.

Thanks Anderal for doing this ring ! I want to know how to be a real Canadian according to Will Ferguson.

This was hilarious ! I am from Quebec and of course, I couldn't understand everything because culture in ROC (and yes, we use the Rest of Canada expression in Quebec) is so different than the one I truly know. I am currently living outside Quebec for my studies, so I can also really experience what the Ferguson brothers wrote. Although Ottawa is so close to Quebec that it's scary sometimes !

I tried to do the test, but tried to really do 3 questions and did nothing afterwards, so I'm kinda lazy, so kinda Canadian, I guess. Coming from Quebec, even if you're not a separatist, you never consider yourself as a Canadian because of the differences. Now, I can say that although I'm a Québécoise, I am also proud to be Canadian.

This book was sent to JessiBud today and should arrive in a business day according to Postes Canada. Thanks Anderal, this ring is slowly making its way back to you !

Oh my goodness! It's here! Not only did this ring rise again out of the ether but Canada Post actually delivered when it said it would! I am in shock! ;-p


I am currently juggling 3 bookring books so I hope you will be patient with me for a short while. I have wanted to read this one for quite some time and hopefully, I can get to it within a week or so. I guess if you've all waited this long, another few days won't matter too much!

By the way, Will Ferguson has a brand new book out, on his visits to Japan. I haven't read it yet but I heard an extensive interview with him on CBC radio not long ago and it sounds wonderful!

http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780676976984


I now return you to your regularly scheduled bookring!

This book could not have come to me at a better time! Work has been stressful lately and I haven't had much ability to concentrate on reading much of anything. Enter the Fergusons and oh my goodness! I have not had a good laugh like this in far too long. I loved this book. I think I may go out today and buy a copy to send to my cousin, who shares my warped sense of humour and is now married to an American and living in Alabama, of all places! I'm willing to bet he hasn't sung the *national anthem* (da-da-da-DA-da-da....) in ages... ;-)

SNERK!!

Mailing today to Lauraloo29. ENJOY!

Arrived today! I have a ring in front of it. But I'll get it read quickly. Thank you!

Looked at this book again today. Realized I had borrowed it from the library last year when it looked like it might not get to me.

Still remember this little joke:

How do you get two hundred drunken Canadians out of a swimming pool?

You say, "Excuse me, could you please get out of the pool?"

I'm waiting to hear from Anderal so I can return it.

Anderal says he doesn't need the book back, so I'll look for a good home for it. Thanks!

Accepted by LastMango as part of the "AAA -- Almost Anything Anywhere" Relay

Received in today's mail (bookrelay). Thanks!

I loved this book! Parts of it were so funny that I had to read them aloud to hubby.

This book is ready to travel again.

The order for the bookray will be:

Breeze144
CynthiaA
spiritinflight
Princess1984
Uppity
summerbreeze
Kennie2775
caligula03
genielady
AgnesxNitt
hellie
flambard
vainilla79
Semming
freesia

Please make a journal when you receive the book and again when you send it on. Try not to hold onto the book for more than a month. Thanks!

Mailed today to breeze144 to start off this new bookray.

Enjoy!

This was hilarious! I loved reading this! I laughed so much at the parts describing (and making fun of) the provinces and our use of 'eh'! I guess I'm a pretty typical Canadian because waaaaaay too much of this applied to me!

Thanks Vanessa!

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent along to Cynthia!

Got it! Started it this morning.

Mailed to next reader on July 7th. Sorry for the delay. A case of bookcrossing disorganization. My fault completely.

have not read

Spiritinflight has confirmed that she has mailed this to Princess1984 back in October. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it resurfaces from Canada Post's clutches soon!

I've ordered a new book from Chapters and am having it delivered directly to Princess1984. She is going to label the book, read it and send it on it's way.

The new book will be found at How to be a Canadian