Biography & Autobiography Entertainment & Performing Arts
Canada
- Publisher
- Doubleday Canada
- Initial publish date
- Oct 2016
- Category
- Entertainment & Performing Arts, Political, Cultural Heritage
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780385689250
- Publish Date
- Oct 2016
- List Price
- $39.95
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780385689274
- Publish Date
- Oct 2018
- List Price
- $27.95
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Where to buy it
Description
In this instant national bestseller, comedy superstar Mike Myers writes from the (true patriot) heart about his 53-year relationship with his beloved Canada.
Mike Myers is a world-renowned actor, director and writer, and the man behind some of the most memorable comic characters of our time. But as he says: "no description of me is truly complete without saying I'm a Canadian." He has often winked and nodded to Canada in his outrageously accomplished body of work, but now he turns the spotlight full-beam on his homeland.
His hilarious and heartfelt new book is part memoir, part history and pure entertainment. It is Mike Myers' funny and thoughtful analysis of what makes Canada Canada, Canadians Canadians and what being Canadian has always meant to him. His relationship with his home and native land continues to deepen and grow, he says. In fact, American friends have actually accused him of enjoying being Canadian—and he's happy to plead guilty as charged.
A true patriot who happens to be an expatriate, Myers is in a unique position to explore Canada from within and without. With this, his first book, Mike brings his love for Canada to the fore at a time when the country is once again looking ahead with hope and national pride. Canada is a wholly subjective account of Mike's Canadian experience. Mike writes, "Some might say, 'Why didn't you include this or that?' I say there are 35 million stories waiting to be told in this country, and my book is only one of them."
This beautifully designed book is illustrated in colour (and not color) throughout, and its visual treasures include personal photographs and Canadiana from the author's own collection. Published in the lead-up to the 2017 sesquicentennial, this is Mike Myers' birthday gift to his fellow Canadians. Or as he puts it: "In 1967, Canada turned one hundred. Canadians all across the country made Centennial projects. This book is my Centennial Project. I'm handing it in a little late. . . . Sorry."
About the author
Contributor Notes
MIKE MYERS is one of the most multifaceted performers of his generation. As an actor, writer and producer he has brought an astonishing array of memorable characters to life in film and television, including Wayne Campbell, Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and Shrek. In 2013, he made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, which earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming. Among his many accolades, Myers has received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Editorial Reviews
National Bestseller
"Hilarious and insightful." —Margaret Atwood
"Canada is not an everyday sort of book; it's more like an encyclopedia, a conglomeration of assorted thoughts, memories and jokes, especially jokes, on the fascinating, infuriating and inescapable subject of Canada. It's delightful." —Robert Fulford, National Post
"Lovingly explores the nation's quirks and strengths." —USA Today
"Thoughtful, heartwarming, occasionally sad and at times surprisingly political . . . Canada is a memoir that doubles as a celebration of the country, chock full of personal and cultural pictures and artifacts." —Calgary Herald
"A treasure trove of all things Canuck as Myers documents his life and offers humorous and thoughtful reflections on the country—from its history to its pop culture and unique brands." —The Canadian Press
"In this love letter to the Great White North, [Mike Myers] fondly points out the quirks and qualities of our nation. . . . For non-Canadians, this biography-with-a-twist serves as a wry introduction to our nation; for natives, it's a funny and heartwarmingly patriotic tribute." —Hello
"[Mike Myers] doffs the Wayne Campbell ball cap to wear other hats in the pop-cultural book: historian, linguist, sociologist and fervid Maple Leafs fan. The creator of Austin Powers talks about multiculturalism and the CBC, Stompin' Tom and Phil Hartman. Some parts are laugh-out-loud funny, others—such as the impact of his father's dementia—are touching." —Toronto Star
"Canada is a memoir of sorts, specifically exploring Myers' relationship with our country, from his childhood to the present. . . . The book focuses on the impact that Canadian culture—from CBC to the Toronto Maple Lears to Expo 67—had on Myers' early life, and the ways it still influences him today. Add references to the all-Canadian traits of good manners, fairness, inclusivity, self-depreciation and mellowness, and you've got Myers' personal picture of Canada." —Canadian Living