Unlikely Utopia: The Surprising Triumph of Canadian Pluralism, by Michael Adams; Publication date: November 17, 2007; Viking Canada, Hardcover, $34.00. NOTE CEMA MEMBERS: For more information, or to interview Michael Adams, please contact: Melissa Robson, (416) 928-2405 E-mail: [email protected]
THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE PUBLISHERS:
As the Bouchard-Taylor commission tours Quebec and debate over “reasonable accommodation” continues to grow, bestselling author Michael Adams argues in his new book Unlikely Utopia: The Surprising Triumph of Canadian Pluralism that Multicultural Canada is in fact proving to be the “experiment” that worked.
Featuring data from the first-ever poll of Muslim Canadians and a comprehensive evaluation of the ethnic strife currently playing out in Quebec, Unlikely Utopia provides timely analysis of migration and pluralism in Canada that challenges the rampant depictions of intolerance currently dominating the media.
Rather than uncovering fractured remnants of Canada’s cultural mosaic, Adams finds through his research that Canadians continue to not only champion multiculturalism but uphold it as an intrinsically Canadian value and source of pride.Throughout Unlikely Utopia, he illustrates how Canadians remain optimistic about the future of their multicultural society and how they remain focused on helping thers rather than alienating them.
In the midst of his positive report card of pluralism in Canada, Adams is careful not to lose sight of the realities and challenges still faced by immigrants today. Unlikely Utopia also includes a careful examination of what Adams refers to as “the facts on the ground.” This entails looking beyond attitudes and impressions to gauge information on issues such as economic outcomes, living conditions and accessibility to public services experienced by newcomers to Canada.
About the author
Michael Adams is president of the Environics group of research and communications consulting companies, with offices in the United States and Canada. He has written four bestselling books, including Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values, which won the 2004 prestigious Donner Prize for the best book on public policy in Canada. He lives with his family in Toronto.
