Books and Beyond

Cryptocurrency has had its share of publicity over the last few years, but its impact on the non-profit sector is less widely known. Is Bitcoin a viable fundraising tool? Not only does Anne Connelly (Artsci’07) think it is, she’s also convinced it’s the technology that will take fundraising into the future. In Bitcoin and the Future of Fundraising, co-authored with Jason Shim, she introduces fundraisers to the world of cryptocurrency and outlines an easy-to-implement plan to set up a Bitcoin donation program and get donors excited about using it.

Architectural historian Jennifer McKendry (MA’84, PhD, Toronto) has carved out a reputation as an expert on Kingston’s historic architecture. So it was only a matter of time before she turned her attention to limestone, the building material that inspired Kingston’s nickname. In her sixth book, Kingston, The Limestone City: Stone Buildings in the Kingston Region 1790-1930, she tackles limestone quarrying and construction methods, stone landscaping, fences, wall construction, and carving.  Kingston, The Limestone City is available exclusively in the Limestone City at Novel Idea bookstore.

A few years after earning their medical degrees at Queen’s, Dr. Garry Willard (MED’63) and Dr. Kenneth Bradley (MED’63) became the first two Canadian medical officers deployed in the Vietnam War, performing combat-casualty surgeries near the Demilitarized Zone in the wake of the Tet Offensive. Dr. Willard details their adventures in Into the Dragon’s Jaws: A Canadian Combat Surgeon in the Vietnam War, a candid, dramatic, and often heartwarming look at the human consequences of war, published by Tellwell Talent.  A portion of the proceeds will go toward post-traumatic stress disorder research and treatment.

Ashwini Vasanthakumar, a Queen’s Law associate professor, explores the complex, but often-vital relationships between exiles and their homelands in The Ethics of Exile: A Political Theory of Diaspora, from Oxford University Press. Through a series of case studies, she illustrates how exiles often play important moral and political roles in countering injustices in the countries they’ve left, and asks her readers to think about the responsibilities we have toward those who have been forced to leave their homes.

As the world evolves toward a deeper understanding of mental illness and the importance of seeking treatment, Kimberly DeFiori (MBA’20) shares an unusual perspective on her own recovery. Lessons from Thor, her debut book from Tactical 16 Publishing, tells the story of DeFiori’s struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder while serving in the U.S. Army and the life-changing lessons she’s learned from her service dog, Thor. 

Musician Craig Jones (PhD’97) traces the cultural and geographic journey of perhaps the single most influential modern music genre in Chasing the Blues: A Traveler’s Guide to America’s Music, which he co-authored with Kingston-based travel writer Josephine Matyas. Together they chart the history of the blues, from its birth in the pre-Emancipation Mississippi Delta to its modern-day influence on nearly every form of popular music.

Catherine Taylor (MSc’16) turned personal tragedy into a heartwarming lesson for young children. She wrote Ava Jean’s Wings, a rhyming story of a young angel who refuses to hide her wings, in 2019 while pregnant with her first child. Although her pregnancy ended in miscarriage, the story ultimately became a children’s book, illustrated by Champa Gunawardana, which Kickstarter recognized with the Project We Love label for its “compelling message and creativity.” The book, which was released in August, encourages children to recognize their unique qualities, use their talents, and be proud of who they are.

A backpacking trip through Soviet-era Estonia and a decades-long career in the tech industry inspired Free Radical, the debut novel by Lawrence Finlay (Artsci’92), which he released under the pseudonym Tyler Black. The book, published by FriesenPress, tells the story of James, a U.K. tech-firm employee who finds himself fighting for his life in the middle of a northeastern European forest, his only support coming from a toy-sized robot with the ability to learn by watching and listening to humans.

As tick-borne diseases continue to threaten the health of Canadians, Brian Owens (Artsci’02) sheds some light on Lyme disease, the often-misunderstood condition that is becoming increasingly prevalent among hikers, golfers, campers, and dog walkers every year. In Lyme Disease in Canada, published this June by McNally Robinson, Owens traces the arrival of ticks in Canada and shares stories of the perils of diagnosing and treating Lyme disease and tips on how to avoid ticks – and how to remove them when you can’t avoid them.

Dr. Alisa Yocom (Artsci’06, MSc’08) came to Australia as an international student and enjoyed it so much that she decided to live there permanently. The Brisbane-based physician shares the story of her unexpected adventure – complete with joys and challenges – in Medicine Women, an anthology of short stories and letters by 20 female health-care professionals from around the globe, coming this summer from Australian publisher Change Empire.

After working for more than a quarter century as an educator (and a parent), Jane Kristoffy (Artsci’93 MEd, Toronto) has amassed an arsenal of answers to the questions that keep parents up at night. She shares many of them in Launch Your Kid: How to Promote Your Child’s Academic and Personal Success (Without Being a Helicopter Parent). The book includes tips, tricks, and strategies that parents can use every day to help them “get their kids through school and prepare them for the real world.”

Since September 2020, Elamin Abdelmahmoud (Artsci’11) has been helping Canadians figure out which podcasts to listen to by leading them on a guided tour of some of the internet’s most intriguing aural offerings. Podcast Playlist, which airs weekly on CBC Radio One and can also be found on CBC On Demand, wades through the seemingly endless array of podcasts to serve up curated excerpts exploring a new theme each week.

Michael Kehler (Artsci’84, Ed’85 MEd, Western; PhD, Michigan State) has dedicated his career to challenging definitions of masculinity and assumptions about what it means to be a man. He shared his observations about the intersection of masculinity, education, homophobia, and body image in “Reimagining Masculinity,” his talk at TEDxYYC, in Calgary on June 24. The virtual event was dubbed “Reimagine,” as speakers introduced new perspectives on everything from access and inclusion to scientific literacy to wearable data.

Robin Rotenberg, Artsci’79, Ed’80 (Law, Western) is the author of Pound On!! From the Glass Slipper to the Glass Ceiling. This book explores real ways to effect change, lead with determination, and support women in the workplace. Featuring a collection of stories from female trailblazers at the top of their game in a variety of industries, “Pound On!!” defines what it means to be an alpha woman and offers a road map on how to become one.

Roy M. Paul, Artsci’85, (Th.D., Golden State School of Theology), shines a spotlight on Jonathan Edwards, the American revivalist activist-preacher and theologian who brought Christianity to the Mohican (Algonquin) population in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and advocated for their rights at the same time. Jonathan Edwards and the Stockbridge Mohican Indians: His Mission and Sermons includes a history of the Mohican peoples and a biography of Edwards, as well as an analysis of his sermons, most of which had not yet been published.

D.J. (Dave) Richardson, Artsci’86 (JD), is the author of In Her Own Footsteps: Flora Ross and Her Struggle for Identity and Independence in the Colonial West, a novel based on a true story. Flora Ross worked as a nurse in the midst of the British/U.S. “Pig War” of 1859, married its American instigator, and then had to find the means to escape an abusive marriage. The book began as a 1985 Queen's history research paper on the San Juan Island boundary dispute. The discovery of Flora’s wedding announcement in an 1859 newspaper triggered a need to view these events of west coast history through Flora’s eyes. This is the first of a planned trilogy about her life.