Read Canada’s Odyssey by Peter Russell and write a 1500-word book review. A complete
review contains the following information:
1. A brief synopsis of Russell’s main theses. Why did Professor Russell write this book?
Why is this narrative about the ‘three pillars’ of Canadian society important?
2. A discussion of the book. What do you like? What did you dislike? What value does
Russell’s book adds to the body of knowledge around Canadian history and/or Canadian
historiography?
3. A comparison of this book to other similar volumes. Search for other books that have
been written about this topic in the past twenty years. How does this book compare? You
may visit your local library and search for similar books that advance an approach to
thinking about Canadian history and identity. If you cannot visit the library, you can
obtain a library card and use the library’s electronic collection.
4. Summarize your findings in a conclusion. Tell us whether this is a valuable book for the
student of Canadian history and if so, how is it valuable? Why might another student
wish to read it?
