The Woulda Coulda Shoulda Guide To Canadian Inventions

One of Canada's greatest inventors takes on his peers, with mixed results. Red Green's motto: Quando omni flunkus moritati (When all else fails, play dead) The author of How to Do Everything and Red Green's Beginner's Guide to Women has never been reluctant to take on enormously difficult jobs that are doomed to failure. This latest project has turned out to be perhaps his nearest thing to a triumph yet. In Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda, Red surveys, analyzes, critiques and in some cases tells you how to replicate at home the best Canadian inventions, from the Wonderbra to the hard-cup jockstrap, by way of insulin, the walkie-talkie, synchronised swimming and more world-changing innovations than you can wave a Canadarm at. And speaking of the Canadarm, Red shows how by simply combining common household items such as a cordless drill, metal tape measure, broomstick, ice tongs, bungee cord, fishing reel and, of course, the handiman's secret weapon--duct tape--you will in no time at all be lifting oranges out of the fruit bowl like a trained astronaut. Elsewhere, Red tells the little-known story of how the BlackBerry inspired a freelance piccolo player from the Possum Lake area to create a WhistleBerry communication device requiring no internet connection, wireless or electricity. He explains definitively the difference between the alkaline battery and Al Kaline, who played right field for the Detroit Tigers. And he reveals how Lodge Member Dennis Holmsworth's test-run of magnetic shoes along the underside of the Mercury Creek Railway Bridge literally came undone as a result of poor lace-tying skills. The illustrations are inimitably--because really, who else would want to?--the work of the author himself, relieved throughout with a large number of photographs in vivid black and white. An important contribution to the sesquicentennial celebrations, and an inspiration to the handiman and handiwoman to aim high, however badly they might miss, The Woulda Coulda Shoulda Guide to Canadian Inventions is a book no shed should be without.

One of Canada's best-kept secrets is the amazing list of inventions, both great and ridiculous, that were created by Canadians! Author Lisa Wojna celebrates Canuck ingenuity and tells the stories behind an array of innovations. From the space shuttle's Ca

To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, Governor General David Johnston and Tom Jenkins have crafted a richly illustrated volume of brilliant Canadian innovations whose widespread adoption has made the world a better place. From Bovril to BlackBerrys, lightbulbs to liquid helium, peanut butter to Pablum, this is a surprising and incredibly varied collection to make Canadians proud, and to our unique entrepreneurial spirit. Successful innovation is always inspired by at least one of three forces -- insight, necessity, and simple luck. Ingenious moves through history to explore what circumstances, incidents, coincidences, and collaborations motivated each great Canadian idea, and what twist of fate then brought that idea into public acceptance. Above all, the book explores what goes on in the mind of an innovator, and maps the incredible spectrum of personalities that have struggled to improve the lot of their neighbours, their fellow citizens, and their species. From the marvels of aboriginal invention such as the canoe, snowshoe, igloo, dogsled, lifejacket, and bunk bed to the latest pioneering advances in medicine, education, philanthropy, science, engineering, community development, business, the arts, and the media, Canadians have improvised and collaborated their way to international admiration. Ingenious tells you why they did it and how they made the world a better place.

Reading level: M [purple].

It may not be great literature—but at least it's handy. From the mastermind of the hugely successful The Red Green Show comes a book that is going to change your life, or at least make you laugh—a lot—whenever you pick it up. And people are going to be picking it up for many years to come, because—like the long-rerunning TV shows—there's not a topical gag in the book anywhere, so it's going to be funny for the forseeable future. And as its title suggests, this is also a terribly useful book. Among its very many gems of advice, it shows how to cook with acetylene, take revenge on a lawn mower, measure your hat size with a two-by-four, reduce your carbon footprint (it involves moving into a fruit tree located next to a liquor store) and make your own alternative fuel (which involves an empty propane tank and a full septic one).

So, you’re getting a little older. You’ve lost the slimness of youth and the smoothness of youth and the hair of youth and the youngness of youth, and you’re starting to wonder what happened to that handsome, happenin’ guy who used to make the ladies swoon–or at least not run away screaming. Well, never fear! Red Green and the Possum Lodge are here to invite you to lower the bar and pull up a stool. They’ll make you feel proud of yourself for your many achievements–like the fact that you’ve never killed anyone on purpose, you’ve never had an extramarital affair with a supermodel, and you never forget to comb the four or five remaining hairs on your head. Hey, it’s not how good you look–it’s how hard you try! Sure, Red Green is the international movie-star mastermind behind the blockbuster megahitDuct Tape Forever!–but that doesn’t mean he can’t take time out from Hollywood to remind you that you have to grow old, but you never have to mature! InDuct Tape is Not Enough: A Humorous Guide to Midlife, Red Green provides all the wit and wisdom you need to make it through the golden years. You’ll find out what’s wrong with successful people, why never to laugh at a tax auditor, and how to survive your midlife crisis. For starters, step away from those rollerblades–NOW.