Rafe Mair - What the Bleep Is Going On Here? (1/52)

About a month ago, I finally got a Vancouver Public Library card (well technically, they just added VPL borrowing capabilities to my Fraser Valley Regional Library card, but that's besides the point). A quick gander through the "New Releases" section led me to Rafe Mair's What the Bleep Is Going On Here? I picked up the book mainly because the name Rafe Mair sounded familiar and important, and partly because I was giddy with the thought of unlimited book borrowing privileges.

As a first time reader of Mair, I have to say I quite enjoyed myself. What the Bleep Is Going On Here? is an easy read because it's formatted into short articles organized into various sections. Mair gives his opinion on everything from the Israel/Palestine situation to Quebec's separatist movement to media censorship to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and what bold opinions he has! Regardless of whether or not you agree with him, it's clear from his writing that he is very passionate about his beliefs, and that's part of the joy of reading Mair. He infuses his writing with a wicked sense of humour, a healthy dose of self-deprecation, biting sarcasm, and is not afraid to use "bleep-y" language (in fact, he encourages the use of the "f" word to improve the English language)!

As a long-time British Columbia citizen with an embarassing lack of knowledge of B.C. history or politics, I really enjoyed reading his articles on how the Vancouver Club dealt with the acceptance of female members and why Gordon Campbell is indeed a douchebag. Mair covers Canadian politics comprehensively: from declaring that Members of Parliament have no power to laughing at Canada's "democracy" to calling out political leaders on their scandals and guffaws. This is one of the few times I have read a Canadian, let alone a local Vancouver, author, and thoroughly enjoyed it because it was a much more intimate read. It was satisfying to read about issues that I knew about and that would directly affect me as a citizen, such as salmon farms in B.C. and Canda's flawed electoral system.

One of my favourite sections is entitled, "Some People I Have Met" wherein he describes encounters and interviews with such prominent figures as Jimmy Carter, Jim Pattison, Anita Roddick, and Ralph Nader.

With careers in both politics and journalism, Mair has led a very interesting life and has had the opportunity not only to meet such an interesting cast of characters, but also to have an enviable list of experiences including being the highest rated talk show host in Vancouver and serving as a cabinet minister. He also has insider knowledge and perspectives on a wide variety of provincial and federal issues, so I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn more about B.C. and Canadian politics.

This is Mair's 8th book, and I will definitely be looking into reading his other works (especially his memoir).

Mair continues to belt his opinions to any audience willing to listen in his weekly column for the online newspaper, The Tyee.