Well, since Canada is my new adopted homeland (2 years and going strong now :) this is a very appropriate book for me. Actually I got it as a present (thanks!) while I was ailing at home with my broken wrist and pretty stuffed up with painkillers, so it might have added to the already ingrained funniness of the book itself.
The authors say they got the idea for writing the book from Margaret Atwood at a cocktail party. They executed it splendidly, creating one of the funniest tongue-in-cheek books in Canadian literature. To be sure, this is not a manual for new immigrants, though they will find some good pointers here about the 'real' Canada, but old timers and 'born' Canadians will find the things they laughed about all of their lives gathered in one place.
The first chapter 'How to Find Canada on the Map' is one of the most hilarious ones, and is geared mostly towards non-Canadians (ahem, read: Americans). The next chapters takes a swing at each province and makes (good-humored) fun of their provincial and regional stereotypes. Then you will learn about how Canadians dress, eat, communicate, and the most important thing of all: what Canadians are not - Americans!
As the book progresses it feels a little like the authors are losing their steam, as if they spent all their best ideas in the first few chapters, but the last one, which is the 'Canadianness' quiz, saves the day being hilarious. The chapter about the government of Canada and political parties also stands out as being very funny, so at least we can laugh at them, even though we can't do much about them, really (think about the oxymorons: "Progressive Conservatives" and "Responsible Government").
Overall, a light and entertaining book that you can finish in one or at most two reads. It will not burden you with the problems of the world, nor will it enlighten you in some insightful way, but will give you plenty of fun with no strings attached.
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