"Where's the Da Vinci Code?"

When I gave the list of books to the debate's moderator, Mercury editor Phil Andrews, he asked where the Da Vinci Code is on the list.

Point taken. There's little light reading. In fact, with a book about AIDS, one about climate change and one about apartheid, we seem to have covered off a good chunk of the world's problems.

The books were chosen by the panelists as books they think can change the world. And if they feel like a slog, the panelists assure us it's worth it.

Having a hard time getting the books?

28 and Walden are available at the Bookshelf. The other two are on order. 28, Walden and Urban Meltdown, are avaible at the GPL, and all the books are at the UG library.

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to the Guelph Reads blog. Guelph Reads is a public debate that sets out to answer the question "which book should everyone in Guelph read?" We've picked four prominent Guelphies, who picked four books. On April 26, they'll be arguing why you should read their book.

In the running:
28: Stories of AIDS in Africa, defended by AIDS activist and doctor Anne-Marie Zajdlik
Walden, defended by chief librarian Norm McLeod
Urban Meltown: Cities, Climate Change and Politics as Usual, defended by writer and politician Tom King
I Write What I Like, defended by novelist Rozena Maart

In this space, we'll discuss (hopefully with your help) each of these books and how they can act as an impetus for social change.

So, happy reading.