The Gift of Ford: Rob Ford: How Toronto's Unlikeliest Man Became its Most Notorious Mayor

Authors: Tossell, Ivor
Publisher: Random House of Canada
BISAC/Subject: POL003000, POL046000, POL056000
ISBN: 9780345812575, Related ISBNs: 0345812573, 9780345812575
Classification: Non-Fiction
Number of pages: 73,
Audience: General/trade
Synopsis: Following widespread news that Toronto Police are in possession of the alleged Rob Ford crack cocaine video, there has never been a better time to read the essential backgrounder to Rob Ford's increasingly wild and erratic mayoralty.

When people talk about recalling politicians, it's usually because the politician delivered something other than what they advertised, and the voters voted for--lies, frauds and infidelities. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, however, is exactly what the voters endorsed. They elected him with full knowledge of his obstreperous history as a city councillor, his inability to play well with others, his one-track mind and one-track message. His opponents warned voters that his platform was mostly wishful thinking. But Torontonians voted for him anyway.
 
The story of Rob Ford is the story of what happens when voters--the supreme authority--throw a wrench into the gears of democracy and elect someone who can't govern, and manifestly never could. Ford's mayoralty has forced Toronto to reconsider questions that seemed settled long, long ago. What kind of city chose this man to take the helm? Where does a mayor derive his mandate--from the voters, the polls, or talk radio? Does it matter if a man is a national embarrassment if he's popular at home?
 
Unwittingly, Ford has made possible a resurgence of the urban values that unite conservatives and liberals alike, galvanizing citizens in a way the city hasn't seen in some time. This is The Gift of Ford.
Sign up for our literacy platform for reading at home

LightSail includes up to 6,000 high interest, Lexile aligned book titles with every student subscription. Other titles are available for individual purchase.

Watch the power of

Lightsail in action

×

SUPPORT GROWING READERS

Immediately Engage Students
Immediately Engage Students
Simple intuitive design has classrooms reading within minutes.
Exponentially Grow Reading Time
Exponentially Grow Reading Time
Students love the LightSail experience and naturally spend more time reading.
Accelerate Literacy Development
Accelerate Literacy Development
Students reading 25 minutes a day on LightSail are seeing 2+ years of Lexile growth in a single year.

LightSail Education is a comprehensive Lexile and standards-aligned, literacy platform and digital e-book library. Including multimodal learning functionality and featuring books from leading publishers, LightSail holistically assesses and nurtures each student on their reading and writing-to-learn journey, throughout elementary, middle, and high school.

*LightSail offers a 2,000 or a 6,000 title bundle with its student subscriptions. Other titles are available for individual purchase.