The Unbroken Machine: Canada's Democracy in Action

By Dale Smith

The Hill Times: Best Books of 2017

What if it is not our political system that is broken, but our understanding of it?

Everybody thinks that it’s the system that’s broken in politics; but what if it’s not the system that’s broken but rather our understanding of it? What if everyone’s proposals to make the system “more democratic” only wind up making things worse, and weaken our systems of accountability so much as to make them meaningless? What if it’s our own ignorance that is killing democracy in this country?

Dale Smith looks at the critical gaps in civic literacy that have become endemic within Canadian political culture, wading through buzzwords and meaningless proposals to suggest real solutions. Designed for the lay reader, The Unbroken Machine seeks to explore our lack of civic literacy and show how our system of democracy should work — if only we were to engage with it the way it was meant to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dundurn
• Release date: Mar 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781459738263

Dale Smith

NEW FOR ADULT READERS: THE DRAFT DODGERIn 1969, young men of draft age had two options: either fight an unpopular war in Vietnam, or immigrate to Canada. This is the story of a young man who chose Canada.When twenty-year-old draft dodger Scott Yale Knight crosses the Canadian border with his girlfriend and her toddler daughter, he is full of idealistic enthusiasm and hope for their future. As he struggles to establish a homestead for his family in the Canadian wilderness, he comes face-to-face with natural and psychological forces intent on shredding his youthful ideals and defeating his innocence.DALE SMITH ON WHY HE WRITES ‘ENVIRONMENTAL FICTION’In a few years, the children on the playground down the street will have joined the workforce. Some of them will find themselves working for corporations or governmental agencies, sitting behind desks in positions of responsibility and influence, making decisions that will, for better or worse, affect the ecological health of the planet. My goal in writing these books is to plant the seeds of environmental responsibility, giving today’s kids something to think about before the future arrives.These well-researched, easy-to-read “environmental fiction” books are written for middle and high school students. What makes the books unique is that kids hear from the endangered species themselves. The books entertain readers with engaging stories while educating them about how and why a species becomes endangered and what they can do to help. The chapters are short, providing kids who don’t particularly enjoy reading with a sense of accomplishment.Teacher’s Guides for “What the Parrot Told Alice” and “What the Orangutan Told Alice” can be downloaded at Smashwords.WHAT THE PARROT TOLD ALICETen-year-old Alice’s view of the world is changed forever when her pet parrot starts talking. Written for fourth graders and up, this book uses wild-caught and domestic parrots to deliver a powerful, inspirational message about conservation and the environment.WHAT THE ORANGUTAN TOLD ALICEAlice and her foreign exchange student friend Shane venture into a Borneo rain forest where they meet endangered orangutans threatened by habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. Jane Goodall calls Dale Smith "... one of the leading environmental writers for children."WHAT THE TORTOISE TOLD ALICEIn a dusty trailer park near Las Vegas, recent high school graduate Alice and Creach, her eccentric but down-on-his-luck uncle, use solar technology and creativity to invent a product to help bolster Creach’s failing ‘Lizard Maintenance’ business. Alice and Creach soon realize what role their invention will play in helping save the endangered desert tortoise from extinction.ABOUT DALE SMITHWriter and photographer Dale Smith lives in Nevada City, California where he writes ‘environmental fiction’ for Young Adult readers. His daughter, Alice, has been his inspiration and muse for his three ‘Alice’ books. In his spare time he explores the American Southwest and Mexico’s Baja peninsula in his small RV with his Scottish terrier, Cooper, riding shotgun.A rock and roll photographer in the 1960s, Smith’s captured intimate portraits of many of the musicians and poets that shaped the counter-culture. Smith’s photographs of a young Bob Dylan will appear on Dylan’s Bootleg #12 album, due in October 2015. View his rock and roll photographs at dale-smith.com.

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