The Best Laid Plans

This book beat out work by Douglas Coupland and Will Ferguson because it is very, very good a terrific Canadian political satire. Here's the set up: A burnt-out politcal aide quits just before an election but is forced to run a hopeless campaign on the way out. He makes a deal with a crusty old Scot, Angus McLintock an engineering professor who will do anything,anything,to avoid teaching English to engineers to let his name stand in the election. No need to campaign, certain to lose, and so on. Then a great scandal blows away his opponent, and to their horror, Angus is elected. He decides to see what good an honest M.P. who doesn't care about being re-elected can do in Parliament. The results are hilarious and with chess, a hovercraft, and the love of a good woman thrown in, this very funny book has something for everyone.

Born and raised in Toronto, Terry Fallis worked as an assistant to Cabinet Ministers at Queen’s Park and in Ottawa. He now is president of Thornley Fallis Communications, a public relations company. He is the father of two teenagers, and he and his wife live in Toronto.