Summary

Many Canadians define Canada by what it is not: it is not the United States. In Why I Hate Canadians, Will Ferguson criticizes Canadians for what they are not. Or rather, Ferguson criticizes Canadians for not living up to his expectations. Himself a disillusioned young Canadian, Ferguson embarked on a five-year, self-imposed Asian exile. Upon returning to Canada, he produced this 220-page rant on Canadians. This tirade on the average Canadian may seem like a strange addition to a book list that seeks to celebrate Canadian talents and highlight the Canadian past. However, it is a fascinating endeavour to explore the complaints of our fellow Canadians, and to identify the truths, falsities and misperceptions of the common Canadian character.