Calgary book of everything

OVERALL RATING Excellent

STRENGTHS Well organized; entertaining

WEAKNESSES None

AUDIENCE Resident Calgarians and anyone visiting Calgary

The Calgary Book of Everything is highly entertaining and packed with excellent information about the past and present of Calgary, Alta. The book is well organized, with chapters that cover various topics—weather, urban geography, culture, and economy to name a few. There is also an intriguing chapter entitled “Crime and Punishment.” (Calgary had its own Jack the Ripper in the late 1800s.) The chapter called “Calgary Slang” will have you sounding like a local (almost) as you don your runners (sneakers to the rest of us) and explore the Plus 15 (ie, the intricate network of pathways connecting the downtown, which originally started at 15 feet above street level). The “They said it” sections in each chapter feature the wit and wisdom of various people about Calgary—ranging from well-known Calgarian Jann Arden to former International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch. The final chapter, “Go Ahead, Take Five More,” includes lists like the top-5 restaurant recommendations from local critic and CBC radio columnist John Gibson and best-5 Calgary day trips from local resident Susan Weatherby.

The book’s concise format means that no matter where you are coming from, by the time your plane arrives in Calgary for the 2009 Family Medicine Forum, your knowledge of Calgary will be much improved.

• Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada