Canada's pre-eminent satirical commentator brings down the curtain on his hugely successful show in this instant #1 national bestseller. Rick Mercer startled the nation when in 2017 he announced that the 15th season of Canada’s most-watched and beloved comedy show the Rick Mercer Report would be the last. As this book reminds us, he quit while he was way, way ahead. Final Report includes blisteringly good rants from the final five seasons and some of the very best rants from the show’s early years. And in three brilliant new essays that include a love letter to Parliament Buildings, how Doug Ford became Ontario premier (hint: it had nothing to do with talent) and how he managed not to freak out in the year after the RMR wrapped, Rick, a recipient of a 2019 Governor General’s Performing Arts Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award, reveals himself as a comic writer and entertainer at the very top of his game.

Rick Mercer Report: The Paperback Book is an updated, expanded remix of its bestselling predecessor, Rick Mercer Report: The Book, containing 10,000 words of new material from the show’s fifth season. Rick’s celebrated rants are some of the sharpest political commentary to be found anywhere in the country’s media, and certainly the funniest. They are featured here, along with other moments from the show—including encounters with Conrad Black, Jean Chrétien, and Anne Murray—and many additional pieces, some of which first appeared on his website. Because when he’s not jumping into a lake with David Suzuki or Bob Rae, or helping the leader of the Green Party kill a tree, Rick Mercer likes to relax by blogging. From Kabul, say. Or the bearpit of a leadership convention. Rick Mercer Report: The Paperback Book will help you make sense of five extraordinary years in the life of Canada—or at least laugh despite them.

INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER Canada's beloved comic genius tells his own story for the first time. What is Rick Mercer going to do now? That was the question on everyone's lips when the beloved comedian retired his hugely successful TV show after 15 seasons—and at the peak of its popularity. The answer came not long after, when he roared back in a new role as stand-up-comedian, playing to sold-out houses wherever he appeared. And then Covid-19 struck. And his legions of fans began asking again: What is Rick Mercer going to do now? Well, for one thing, he's been writing a comic masterpiece. For the first time, this most private of public figures has turned the spotlight on himself, in a memoir that's as revealing as it is hilarious. In riveting anecdotal style, Rick charts his rise from highly unpromising schoolboy (in his reports "the word 'disappointment' appeared a fair bit") to the heights of TV fame. Along the way came an amazing break when, not long out of his teens, his one-man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It. Or, Charles Lynch Must Die, became an overnight sensation—thanks in part to a bizarre ambush by its target, Charles Lynch himself. That's one story you won’t soon forget, and this book is full of them. There's a tale of how little Rick helped himself to a tree from the neighbours' garden that's set to become a new Christmas classic. There's Rick the aspiring actor, braving "the scariest thing I have ever done in my life" by performing with the Newfoundland Shakespeare Company; unforgettable scenes with politicians of every variety, from Jean Chretien to George W. Bush to Stockwell Day; and a wealth of behind-the-scenes revelations about the origins and making of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Made in Canada, and Talking to Americans. All leading of course to the greenlighting of that mega-hit, Rick Mercer Report . . . It's a life so packed with incident (did we mention Bosnia and Kabul?) and laughter we can only hope that a future answer to "What is Rick Mercer going to do now?" is: "Write volume two."

This work examines what happens when comedy becomes political, and politics become funny. A series of original essays focus on a range of programmes, from 'The Daily Show' to 'South Park'.

As the American election increasingly resembles a production of CATS performed by actual cats, U.S. citizens are looking for a new leader. That leader is Canada, and they want your vote for president of the United States. Since launching their viral video campaign in January, the Canada Party has been covered around the world, including CNN, BBC, the Huffington Post, and German State Television. America, but Better: the Canada Party Manifesto, balances the doctrine of American exceptionalism with a dose of Canadian humility and common sense to secure Canada as the new leader of the free world, by proxy. Their promises: One gay couple will be allowed to marry for every straight couple that gets divorced. The phrase "job creators" will be changed to "job creationists," and they will be given seven days to actually create some. Corporations will still be people, but if they can't provide a birth certificate they will be legally obligated to care for your lawn. Corners will be installed in the Oval Office, and timeouts given to congressmen who can't play nice. Devoted to restoring America to its former glory, the Canada Party will soon have the whole world chanting, "Yes We Canada."

NOW A CBC TELEVISION SERIES WINNER OF THE MARGARET AND JOHN SAVAGE FIRST BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE RBC TAYLOR PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE STEPHEN LEACOCK MEMORIAL MEDAL FOR HUMOUR A hilarious story of family, getting into trouble, and finding one's place in the world. What could be better than growing up in the 1980s? How about growing up in 1980s Newfoundland, which—as Mark Critch will tell you—was more like the 1960s. Take a trip to where it all began in this funny and warm look back on his formative years. Here we find a young Mark trick-or-treating at a used car lot, getting locked out of school on a fourth-floor window ledge, faking an asthma attack to avoid being arrested by military police, trying to buy beer from an untrustworthy cab driver, shocking his parents by appearing naked onstage—and much more. Best known as the "roving reporter" for CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Mark Critch has photo-bombed Justin Trudeau, interviewed Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle (while impersonating Alan Doyle), offered Pamela Anderson a million dollars to stop acting, and crashed White House briefings. But, as we see in this playful debut, he's been causing trouble his whole life. Son of a Critch captures the wonder and cluelessness of a kid trying to figure things out, but with the clever observations of an adult, and the combination is perfect.

The more than one million Canadians who watch "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" will recognize Rick Mercer's "streeters"--the caustically funny rants that have become one of the best-loved segments of the show. Often called Parliament's "Unofficial Opposition," Rick Mercer writes all his rants and is also one of the primary writers for the show. Photos and an eye-catching design set off Mercer's memorable exposes of the pretensions of politicians and the foibles of our society. RICK MERCER RANTS ABOUT QUEBEC "If Quebec separates it's only gonna get worse... The first thing they're gonna do once they leave is come over. They'll be like the next door neighbour with an Amway catalogue. How are you? I'm fine. No hard feelings, let's start a carpool, can I stay in the guest room, use your currency, go halves on the army, by the way I'm a king now." RICK MERCER RANTS ABOUT JEAN CHRETIEN "I wish people would just get off Jean Chretien's back. The man goes to China, he makes a few deals, makes us a pile of cash and what happens? Everyone is all up in arms just because of a few minor human rights violations. Look, Chretien has no choice. My next door neighbour and I, we go halves on firewood, I save money. It's a great deal for me. But there's some soft liberals out there would prefer if I didn't even talk to the man. Okay so he ran over a couple of kids in his car because they were making a racket out on the cul-de-sac. And yes he's got a bunch of youngsters chained to the furnace because they talked back. But hey, it's not like I haven't made my feelings known to the man. I've done my part. One time I said "That's bad." He changed the topic, we went on with our business, had abeer, whatever. My conscience is clear and like Jean Chretien, I cannot afford to jeopardize this very special mutually profitable relationship with my neighbour just because of a few people chained up in his basement. And don't give me any grief here. Hey, I'm only following my Prime Minister's lead."

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The heartfelt and hilarious story of beloved Canadian comedian Mark Critch's journey from Newfoundland to the national stage--and back home again. One of Mark Critch's earliest acting gigs was in a Newfoundland tourist production alongside a cast of displaced fishery workers. Since, he's found increasing opportunities to take his show on the road. In An Embarrassment of Critch's, the star of CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes revisits some of his career's--and the country's--biggest moments, revealing all the things you might not know happened along the way: A wishful rumour spread by Mark's father results in his big break; two bottles of Scotch nearly get him kicked out of a secret Canadian airbase in the United Arab Emirates; and for anyone wondering how to get an interview with the Prime Minister and Bono (yes, that Bono) on the same evening, Critch might recommend a journey to the 2003 Liberal Convention. Critch's top-secret access to all of the funniest behind-the-scenes moments involve many of the charismatic and notorious politicians we love to see blush, including fearless leaders Justin Trudeau, Stephen Harper, Paul Martin, and Jean Chrétien, celebrities such as Pamela Anderson and Robin Williams, and other colourful figures he's met over years of pulling off daring skits at home and abroad. Remember when MP Carolyn Parrish took her boot to George W. Bush's head in an interview? Or when Critch asked Justin Trudeau where the best place to smoke pot on Parliament Hill was before pulling out a joint for them to share? There's more to each of those stories than you know. Though Critch has spent years crisscrossing the country--and the globe--with the explicit aim of causing trouble everywhere he goes, like the best journeys, this one takes him right back home.

Finally, the actual date of the Exodus has been discovered! For thousands of years the epic stories of Moses, the Israelites and their exodus out of Egypt and into the Promised Land have been told to millions of awe inspired listeners. It is a grand tale of miracles and deliverance, cemented as the cornerstone of faith for both Judaism and Christianity. An historic battle of mighty heroes and evil villains clashing both on earth and in the heavens! But there's one problem! No physical Egyptian proof has ever been found to corroborate these biblical stories. That's right. No mention of Moses, Joseph, the Israelites, or the Exodus has been identified in the Egyptian historical records. Until now! This is a mystery that has perplexed biblical scholars and historians for thousands of years. How could it be that this historic collision of civilizations cannot be confirmed through the records of Egypt? Did they really happen? Has there been a cover up? Have the stories been somehow misinterpreted or embellished over the passage of time? I took on a mission to find the truth and the answers I discovered are truly astounding. It turns out the reason no proof has been found is because we have been looking in the wrong era! The evidence is plainly available, but until now no one has been able to put the puzzle pieces together. Now, for the first time, we are able to piece together the true timeline of the Hebrew origins and know, based on actual Egyptian records plus confirmed in the Bible, the true date of the Exodus... 1174 BC!

INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER A candid look into the life and career of one of Canada’s most trusted journalists, in his own words. Today, Peter Mansbridge is often recognized for his distinctive deep voice, which calmly delivered the news for over fifty years. Even though he never considered becoming a broadcaster, in some ways he had been preparing for a life as a newscaster from an early age. Every night around the dinner table, his family would discuss the latest news stories, from Cold War scandals to the Beatles. So in 1968, when a CBC radio manager in Churchill, Manitoba, offered him a spot hosting the local late-night music program, Peter embraced the opportunity. Without a teacher, he tuned into broadcasts from across the world to learn the basic skills of a journalist, and he eventually parlayed his position into his first news job. Twenty years later, he became the chief correspondent and anchor of The National. With humour and heart, Peter shares behind-the-scenes stories from his distinguished career, including reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall, walking the beaches of Normandy with Tom Brokaw, and talking with Canadian prime ministers from John Diefenbaker to Justin Trudeau. But it’s not all serious. Peter also writes about finding the “cure” for baldness in China and landing the role of Peter Moosebridge in Disney’s Zootopia. After years of interviewing others, Peter turns the lens on himself, reflecting on the people and places that have shaped his life and career.