With more than 10,000 copies sold, Passionate Vision endures as a pictorial collection that leads us on a journey from Gwaii Haanas in the west to Terra Nova in the east, Point Pelee in the south to Quttinirpaaq in the north. Dr. Roberta Bondar-one of Canada's most celebrated explorers-presents an exquisite photographic portrait of forty-one national parks, revealing the essence of Canada's rugged, intricate and fragile natural endowment.

More than 100 full-colour photographs plus six stunning images from space are interwoven with lyrical quotations about the land by explorers, poets, ecologists and naturalists and short captions about the diversity of the country's natural areas. Ann Thomas, Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Canada, situates these images in the long tradition of landscape photography with a brief essay. To this narrative, Dr. Bondar adds her own story: her vision of blending interests in science and photography and her unique perspective of Canada, a largely unexplored and delicate wilderness within a wider universe.

Dr. Roberta Bondar became the first Canadian woman to fly in space, aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1992. A neurologist, scientist and pilot, she holds the NASA Space Medal and is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Laureate of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. She studied professional nature photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography in California. She lives in Toronto.

Roberta Bondar's profile page

"If you enjoy nature photographs then you'll enjoy perusing the more than 100 photographs, and six images from space, contained in Passionate Vision...Enjoying Bondar's beautiful photos of parts of Canada's stunningly beautiful natural landscape is a good way to experience Canada's national parks, reserves and marine parks -- at least until you can visit these places in person."

Metroland North