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A Life of Learning and Other Pleasures
John Meisel, beloved Canadian professor, public intellectual, and gifted raconteur, has penned a spellbinding memoir. The story begins in 1923 in Vienna as John recounts his early schooling and traces his family’s escape from war-torn Europe. This vividly recounted journey winds through Eindhoven, Casablanca, Rio de Janeiro, Panama, and Port-au-Prince and culminates with his family’s arrival in Toronto, where a Canadian immigration officer’s welcome forever colours John’s perception of his new home.
Joining Queen’s in 1949, his tale continues with an engaging portrait of Canadian university life during the last sixty years. He provides a revealing insider’s view of the CRTC (which he chaired), and describes the experiences of a professor straddling university and government cultures. Astonishing in its depth and influence, the tale is told in the wise and witty voice of this singularly remarkable man.
Joining Queen’s in 1949, his tale continues with an engaging portrait of Canadian university life during the last sixty years. He provides a revealing insider’s view of the CRTC (which he chaired), and describes the experiences of a professor straddling university and government cultures. Astonishing in its depth and influence, the tale is told in the wise and witty voice of this singularly remarkable man.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2012
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About the author
John Meisel
13 booksJohn Meisel was a Canadian political scientist, professor, and scholar, and chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
Meisel wrote on various aspects of politics, notably on parties, elections, ethnic relations, politics and leisure culture, and, at the beginning of his academic career, international politics.
Meisel was a pioneer in Canada of research on electoral behaviour, political parties and the relationship between politics and leisure culture, particularly the arts. Throughout his career he examined the cohesion (or its absence) of the Canadian communities. He also lectured and wrote about regulation, broadcasting, telecommunications, and the information society.
Meisel wrote on various aspects of politics, notably on parties, elections, ethnic relations, politics and leisure culture, and, at the beginning of his academic career, international politics.
Meisel was a pioneer in Canada of research on electoral behaviour, political parties and the relationship between politics and leisure culture, particularly the arts. Throughout his career he examined the cohesion (or its absence) of the Canadian communities. He also lectured and wrote about regulation, broadcasting, telecommunications, and the information society.
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January 11, 2013
This book can be found on Amazon. It is an amazing tale of a time that is now passed but was a formative period for Canadian culture. John Meisel is Czech and started his life in Austria and leaving Europe when the Second World War started heating up. I love the description of his brief stay in Casablanca and then Port-au-Prince. Winding up in Ontario and becoming a professor and later Chair of the CRTC is an amazing turn of events, when you consider where he's come from! John is responsible for Canadian content legislation, and more than one anecdote about politicians and political mavericks from his years of researching elections and voting behaviour. He's had a very interesting life, and this book is so very much a continuation of that. It's definitely a good read!
Displaying 1 of 1 review