So Near Yet So Far: The Public and Hidden Worlds of Canada–US Relations - Hardcover

Hale, Geoffrey

3.4

5 ratings by Goodreads

9780774820417: So Near Yet So Far: The Public and Hidden Worlds of Canada–US Relations

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0774820411 ISBN 13: 9780774820417

Publisher: UBC Press, 2012

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So Near Yet So Far provides an in-depth look at the multiple dimensions of Canada–US relations, particularly since 9/11. Based on almost 200 interviews with policy makers, opinion-shapers, and interest group leaders in both countries, this book considers the interaction of domestic and cross-border politics at several levels, including political-strategic, trade-commercial, cultural-psychological, and institutional-procedural. It will appeal to practitioners, scholars, and citizens of both countries who want a better understanding of how the Canada–US relationship works – and can be made to work more effectively. Balanced and fair, it gets to the core issues without distorting perspectives on either side of the border.

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Review:

So Near Yet So Far invites readers to rethink our relationship with an open mind, stripped of smugness or “ideological agendas.”

Author: Holly Doan Source: Blacklock's Reporter

"Hale has...composed a thorough assessment of what he calls: ‘the three dimensions of Canada-U.S. Relations’; the political and procedural elements of the relationship; and a detailed examination of four policy fields. Highly recommended." Source: Inside Queen’s Park Newsletter, For Your Bookshelf, July 2012

His research is comprehensive and his understanding of both countries impressive, his drafting crystalline and at times engagingly witty...he addresses with great sophistication, and amusingly, the political-strategic, trade-commercial and the psychological cultural dimensions of a relationship that has always risked inspiring fear and loathing in Canada and indifference and neglect in the United States...he is excellent on the challenges Canada faces in engaging key U.S. actors, including the administration of the day and Congress, and the instruments Canada has developed to promote its interests in the United States...Hale’s is a “must read” for any new provincial premier in Canada (and relevant political and bureaucratic colleagues).

Author: David Malone Source: Literary Review of Canada

Geoffrey Hale’s So Near Yet So Far offers an original look at the public and behind-the-scenes work of Canada-US relations, but it’s probably not a pool-side read for a holiday vacation. Hale’s informative work reads more like a textbook, suited for the trade, foreign policy, and energy and resource buffs...[it] is a thoughtfully-organized read, using short chapters, concise lists and tightly-written conclusions to drive Hale’s points home.

Author: Michelle Zilio Source: iPolitics

Hale’s book is a useful commentary on the history of the bilateral relationship, and an often insightful analysis of recent and current issues...overall, an informative study of an important relationship. Author: G.A. McBeath, University of Alaska Fairbanks Source: Choice, Vol 50, No 6

Review:

The American political system is tough for non-Americans to navigate, even for the millions of Canadians who live right next door. With So Near Yet So Far, Geoffrey Hale, one of our foremost experts on Canada–US relations, has produced a first-rate analysis of the successes and failures of recent Canadian diplomacy in the US. This book ought to be required reading for Canadian diplomats, indeed for any reader wondering why issues such as mad cow disease, softwood lumber, or border security seem like such intractable problems. Author: Greg Anderson, co-editor of Forgotten Partnership Redux: Canada–U.S. Relations in the 21st Century

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