Canada a Symphony In Color

An initial examination proves this to be an impressive "look" book of 418 colour photographs and a relatively expensive tourist promotion of a colourful land. Authors Deutsch and Swan intend that viewer/reader wander virtually unguided from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic. A few final glimpses of our snowy, frozen north, as every photograph will attest, completes the tour. How useful maps would be to armchair travellers seeking to orient themselves to areas of special interest! Even more disappointing are the evident disadvantages of using this as a reference book. It lacks an index, a table of contents, and a bibliography.Most of the photographs are worthy of praise. Eye-catching yet informative views show the diversity of the regions of Canada and of the Canadian people at work and at play. Aerial views of various cities, Niagara Falls and the Soo Locks are impressive. Unfortunately, the photographers remain unknown. While the photos reveal their stories, the text reveals yet another. No attempt is made to correlate the two. Geographic information and absorbing historical accounts of each province and territory are revealed. Occasionally, the text reverts to excessive "sugar coated" descriptions such as the "sensual, moss-hung rain forests dripping with voluptuous lush-ness. . . ." Captions appear in paragraph form. Identification of the pictures follows no regular order from page to page nor any numbering system. With as many as six photographs in a double-page spread it is essential to read the entire paragraph before identifying a particular location.Personal bias in apportioning the book is quite evident. Quebec, our largest province, receives twenty-six pages of material while Ontario warrants more than double that with fifty-six pages, devoted mainly to the city of Toronto. Suggested only as a coffee table book for all ages.