[.ca] Canuck Chicks & Maple Leaf Mamas: Women of the Great ... (ISBN 155278312X)

Amazon.ca:
If it wasn't already spoken for, the catchphrase "You've come a long way, baby" would be an ideal subtitle for Ann Douglas's Canuck Chicks and Maple Leaf Mamas. Canadian women may not stand alone in the arena of female accomplishment, but as Douglas tells it, Canada's unique geography--not to mention the Jurassic patriarchal laws they dwelled under until the '60s--make their successes that much more dramatic. Essentially a book of lists, Maple Leaf Mamas painstakingly chronicles the achievements (some dubious) of Canadian women in politics, medicine, sports, entertainment, media, and industry over the last two centuries. Endless magazine and newspaper articles are quoted, countless books are footnoted, to encyclopedic (albeit lighthearted) effect. Douglas--always on the prowl for a laugh--sparkles when exposing the silliness of Canada's stuffy forefathers, gleefully skewering so-called experts who debated whether it was prudent for doctors to see a female's genitalia during childbirth, or whether marriage was "a painful and unnatural state for a man." The suffragette angle is a bit dog-eared, but one is willing to forgive Douglas in exchange for the wealth of trivia on tap. In fact, if one complaint can be made about Maple Leaf Mamas, it's that digesting page after page of deeply sourced factoids can be overwhelming. Still, history lessons are seldom this fun. --Kim Hughes

The cover got... the content kept me!:
Yes, I do judge a book by the cover. This cover was so cool, I had to buy it. Then, I started reading it. What a hoot! I learned about Canadian good girls, bad girls, winners, losers, saints and sinners. We have an amazing history of chicks in Canada! Thanks to the author for making it so much fun to learn about the women of my country. I loved the sections on being a "good' wife and about the war times and what women went through. This book runs the gamut and my eyes are certainly opened wider to what my mom and grandma went through! Canadian Chicks Rock!

If you are (or know) a Canadian woman, this book is for you:
I had no idea that Canadian women had accomplished so much throughout our history! Ann Douglas has written a book that is sure to become a Canadian classic. Written in an easy-to-read and humourous style, this book shines with its thorough research and fascinating information. Canadian women can finally be celebrated for their achievements. You go girl! My holiday gift shopping just got a lot easier, since every girl/woman on my list will receive this book!

Canuck Chicks & Maple Leaf Mamas:
You don't have to be an official Canuck Chick to fall in love with Ann Douglas's hilarious guide to Canadian women's accomplishments. If you've ever wanted to know more about the kind of women the "Great White North" has produced, look no further. The book kicks off with a side-splitting "Good Wife Exam" that cleverly pokes fun at so-called "expert advice" to women during the early to mid 1900s. Thankfully, a whole lotta Chicks and Mamas refused to take this advice. Douglas leads readers on a light-hearted but fact-filled romp through Canadian accomplishments and exploits in sports, the media, Hollywood, etc. If you ever thought history--particular women's history--was dull stuff, you haven't encountered Canuck Chicks.

I LOVE this book!!! I AM CANADIAN!:
Not being bias, but I love this book! It's a great reference book for any Canadian trivia buffs, or just people interested in how we got where we are. And, I truly believe this book is not just for Canadians - it really is quite interesting & informative. A fun read, a good challenge into your own personal will: "I would have never stood for that..." Amazing how far we've come. Actually, more amazing is "what we came from". Cheers to the Chicks that pave the way! Dudes should read this, too. It's definitely NOT arrogant, or man-despising. You'd get a good chuckle.