Innovation Nation: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier, Happier

From the UN’s “Declaration of Human Rights” to the humble toboggan, from Blackberry devices to the concept of blue box recycling, there are inventions large and small for which we have Canada to thank.

Innovation Nation explores the unexpected depth of Canadian contributions to the greater good, and although some of the included entries (like Cirque du Soleil) feel undoubtedly silly, there’s no denying that there are some amazing inventions featured here, and I guarantee at least a few will surprise you.

Each page is overloaded with detail, as each subchapter has its own themed iconography dancing around the edges of the frame, drawing the eye even as the main event plays out in delightfully childlike detail in the center of the page. This is enthusiasm in visual form, as if the book itself is excited to share every tidbit of information and trivia with the reader.

Whether we’re connecting neighborhoods through the walkie-talkie or pieces of the International Space Station with the Canadarm, you cannot overstate how amazingly influential Canadian inventors have been. Innovation Nation not only educates you, but it forges a much-needed appreciation for our neighbors to the North.