Doing It Right: Eminent Canadians Confront the Future

Brian Burch is a teacher, writer and poet and author of Still Under the
Thumb.

Reviewing a collection of essays, even on a common theme, is a daunting task. Essays that deal with current and future trends from writers as diverse as Bishop Remi De Roo and Frank Stronach, chair of Magna Corporation, provide a variety of thoughts on the nature and destiny of Canada that deserve a very detailed analysis which cannot be accomplished in a short review.

In editing this book, The Honourable John C. Munro has given to us an optimistic portrayal of what Canada can and should be. This is done, not by offering essays that blindly mouth statements on how great things are and can be, but by providing a very coherent package of practical approaches to current problems in the Canadian society.

Obviously, with people like Ed Finn from the Canadian Union of Public Employees and financial journalist Monica Townson, there is not a uniformity of ideas or concerns. Munro’s collection is the kind of dialogue between conflicting ideas that is rarely presented in one volume.

One real flaw of this book is its polite moderation. No one like Conrad Black or George Woodcock, who have made very firm and very radical approaches to the problems Canadians face, is included. For this book to be as successful in presenting the true range of Canadian views on current issues as Munro tried so hard to accomplish would have demanded the inclusion of some of Canada’s more outspoken critics.

Doing It Right will spark questions in its readers. Whether one is interested in labour-management relations or the making of moral decisions, there is an essay in Doing It Right that will be of interest.