The covers vary from the blunt to the mundane-made-arresting; the titles are both frank and intriguing – and very often suggestive of hot-button topics. Yet, what you can be sure to find in each Groundwork Guide is a concise book, both clearly written as an introduction to its topic and deeply thoughtful in its discussion of the modern-day implications of its subject. Groundwork Guides, a series put out by Canadian Groundwood Books and The House of Anansi Press, is dedicated to covering “key contemporary political and social issues” in a way that offers “both a lively introduction and a strong point of view,” according to the publishers. The topics, which are often “pressing” and “sometimes controversial,” range from the standard Climate Change and Genocide to the internationally political Empire and Betrayal of Africa to the taboo Pornography and Sex for Guys (the last of which are interestingly lacking from public library shelves in Arlington). The books (10 so far) follow a format in line with their promised offerings. The first few chapters introduce the current issue and then step back, giving the history and basics of the topic in distinct categories.
After the foundation has been laid, the author dives into the controversies and complexities of the issue at hand, frequently out to prove, if nothing more, that people must take a second look and treat the topic seriously. A curious mix of genres, the books blend meticulously researched and surprisingly bipartisan nonfiction with incredibly engaging and articulate commentary that reads like fiction. Bound in standard novella-size hardback, with a concise fewer than 200 pages each, these books are scattered with graphs and tables, lists and timelines, excerpts and quotes, maps and gray boxes of case studies and related mini-topics. With their unique quality and focus, they really have no equal in the printed world.
The first book in the series that caught my eye was Being Muslim, one I devoured in the space of a few days. Though the others are not quite as personal or charged, they all provide what seems disappointingly lacking from other similar books: a paradigm shift. Haroon Siddiqui, the author of Being Muslim, was not afraid to tackle the hard questions and dug deep in offering incredibly insightful yet completely logical social analysis on the politics and experiences of Muslims in the West, pointing out the double standards that cloud our views and providing the clearest explanation of terrorism I have read yet.
Empire’s author James Laxer (who also wrote Stalking the Elephant) just about blew my mind with his simple explanation of the American Empire; he outlines the glitches in the U.S. system. The Betrayal of Africa, by Gerald Caplan in its title alone suggests the muckraking business of uncovering a conspiracy few white Americans could imagine themselves, one reverberated in Slavery Today, by Kevin Bales. Most surprisingly of all, Debbie Nathan, the author of Pornography, takes a split-thesis approach to her “highly emotional topic,” arguing for the benefits of the industry (unbelievable as they may seem) and against its “pitfalls,” a stand that, although again obvious, has been ignored by most others.
In fact, controversy and the overlooked seem to be the strongest points of the Groundwork Guide books, which are also aided by their unique situation as part of a Canadian series in a country with both Western ideals and no more space on the world stage than it needs. But their origin of publication could account for the lacking companion books on abortion and lesbian/gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) issues so prominent in American politics: in Canada, there are no legal restrictions on abortion and LGBT rights are staunchly supported. Still, there’s plenty of room for this series to expand, and in the meantime, I suggest you get out to your nearest library and take one of these books home with you.
