The CBC continues to polarize Canadians. While many view it as a cultural touchstone, many others also see it as an expensive anachronism in a multichannel universe. Bob Tarantino reviews a new book by former CBC insider Richard Stursberg, who recounts his time at the helm of the institution during one of its most tumultuous periods. The book’s subject points to a fundamental question which Stursberg grapples with, in an only unsatisfactory way: does the CBC deserve a billion dollars a year in public subsidy?”

Aruna Papp burst into Canada’s national consciousness when she undertook a study about the cultural factors behind honours killings in Canada. Now, Papp, along with some help from journalist Barbara Kay, has released a new book recounting her personal journey to Canada, which is reviewed by C2C’s own Mark Milke. Rather than say Canadian society is the problem, Papp argues that cultural beliefs often prevent female emancipation.

Novelist Leo Tolstoy wrote that the truth can be found in fiction. This is evident in Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul, a 2011 novel by Canadian writer David Adams Richards. While ostensibly a murder mystery involving a New Brunswick First Nations reserve, Incidents uncovers truth about human nature and our preference for easy answers. Joseph Quesnel reviews this novel and also discusses how it elucidates Native-newcomer misunderstandings.

Established narratives have romanticized the relationship between US President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher when evidence points to their relationship as actually being strained. Grant Morgan reviews a new account of the relationship in a new book by Richard Aldous, which argues that personalities matter as these two great leaders worked together to define the period.

When Marco Cicero, the famous Roman orator, ran for consul, his brother Quintus offered him some practical campaigning advice. Prof. John Von Heyking, a political scientist at the University of Lethbridge, reviews this ancient Roman guide for some modern political insights.

Has American society allowed political and military chiefs to wage war without much restraint? Prof. Barry Cooper of the University of Calgary tackles a provocative new book by Rachel Maddow on American military might, with some useful insights for Canada’s own national defence debate