John Porter’s landmark study of social and ethnic inequality, The Vertical Mosaic, became an instant classic when it was first published in 1965. A national best seller that sold more than 100,000 copies, the book was the first major study of Canada’s class structure and one of the foundational texts in Canadian sociology. Sociologist Irving Louis Horowitz described it as “the sociological study of present-day Canada.”

Fifty years later, the book retains vast significance both for its powerful critique of social exclusivity in a country that prides itself on equality and diversity and for its influence on generations of sociological researchers. The 50th Anniversary Edition features new material which contextualizes the legacy of this important book: a foreword by Porter’s colleague, Wallace Clement, and his biographer, Rick Helmes-Hayes, and a new introductory essay by historian Jack Jedwab and sociologist Vic Satzewich.

John Porter was born in Massachusetts and started climbing at the age of 12, serving his apprenticeship in the White Mountains, Rockies, Cascades and Yosemite. He moved to the UK in the early 1970s to do postgraduate work at Leeds University, where he joined a team of climbers dedicated to clean ethics, alpine-style, and the fostering of international partnerships.

Ascents of the north face of Koh-i-Bandaka (1977) and the south face of Changabang (1978) with Alex MacIntyre and Polish friends were achieved in the middle of the Cold War. Other climbs include lightweight attempts of the west ridge of Everest in winter, the northwest ridge of K2, the east face of Sepu Kangri, first ascents of Chong Kundam I and V in the Eastern Karakoram, and many other notable climbs around the world over a period of 55 years. In 1980 he founded the Kendal Mountain Festival with Brian Hall and Jim Curran, and in 2011 he and Brian founded the adventure-film website SteepEdge.com.

John is a vice-president of the Alpine Club and has previously been a vice-president of the British Mountaineering Council and secretary to the Mountain Heritage Trust. He lives in the Cumbrian Lake District, UK.

John Porter's profile page

“This book is a ‘must’ for those seeking to understand Canadian society, its inner workings and motivations ... None will read it without being stimulated and better informed about our society.”

The Globe and Mail

“The Vertical Mosaic is a milestone in Canadian intellectual history. Both academics and the general reading public have waited a long time for this study to appear. They have not been disappointed. In both richness of detail and rigour of analysis, it has few rivals.&rdquo

American Political Science Review

“The Vertical Mosaic will be a touchstone for social studies in Canada.”

Toronto Star

“Porter has written a masterpiece of empirical sociology, and no one can be properly informed about the structure of Canadian society until he has absorbed the contents of this monograph.”

New Society