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I've mentioned this before (twice, actually): Will Ferguson is a funny, funny man. And with the intriguing title of this book, which I'd picked up in Canada before leaving for Japan but had made myself wait many months before allowing myself to read it, I was expecting more belly laughs.

And boy, did it deliver! Ferguson spent a few years traveling back and forth, here and there, across Canada, and the result is a series of short stories about strange happenings while on the road. He peppers these humourous stories with a good dose of history - not enough to choke those who always fell asleep during Canadian history class in high school, and just obscure enough to keep those Canadian history keeners (myself included) listening and curious. He goes everywhere: Victoria, B.C., for a poetry slam; Churchill, Man., looking for polar bears; Saguenay-Lac St. Jean, Que., to find a lost kingdom; and even St. Thomas, Ont., just outside London, in search of 'Canada'. It's always interesting, often funny, and never pedantic. This is the kind of literature I wish we'd read more of in my Canadian literature classes. For starters, I don't think he mentions the name 'Susanna Moodie' even once (though I think he does talk a bit about Catherine Parr Trail) - kudos all around right there.

So few Canadians travel through the country. I loved reading about Ferguson's destination, and definitely got the itch to buy a van and drive across the provinces! And who- I ask you Canadians- WHO among us have not wished to dip our hands in Hudson's Bay? Well Ferguson does it, and documents the results so the rest of us can live vicariously through him. Not to mention that his reflection on his relationship with his brother speaks volumes, and his family history is sadly funny. ( )

Every Canadian should read this book. Not only is it witty and humourous, but you really get a sense of how big Canada really is. ( )

Well, it's no "How to be a Canadian" but this had it's funny moments. I learned a fair bit about areas of Canada I don't know anything about, which was totally unexpected but rather pleasant. The jumping around in time did confuse me in parts, but it didn't detract from the book too much. ( )

I'm really horrible at non-fiction, even when it comes to humorous non-fiction like "Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw." In my defense this time though, the book just wasn't as funny as I hoped it would be. Sure, there were some funny parts, but they were surrounded by a lot more wistful memoir-type passages about the author's travels through Canada. It's not that it was a bad book, it just wasn't quite what I expected, so I was a bit disappointed. ( )