After a rocky start, The Best Laid Plans turned out to be a spectacular novel. Once I triumphed over the rather slow and monotonous beginning, Fallis's novel transformed into a true masterpiece. Fallis has achieved the unthinkable; his book focused on Canadian politics could fit quite well in the pop culture, comedy and theater sections of any North American library. The range of audiences that The Best Laid Plans has the potential to appease is astonishing. Content-wise, Fallis provides a fair amount of information about the world of Canadian politics, and while some of his examples may be slightly ostentatious, many of the novel's key events should lead the reader to make connections to various recent events that have occurred in Canada . political history. For example, one might say that it would have been wise for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to follow in Eric Cameron's footsteps after the scandal and flee the country as soon as news of his video of him smoking crack broke. Reading The Best Laid Plans further ignited my desire to live and work in the political world. Fallis illustrated the Canadian political world as very similar to how I have always imagined it. The impression that The Best Laid Plans gave me of the Canadian political world was that of a highly competitive intellectual arena full of debate, devoid of the degree of hostility found in the political world of many other countries, and which can actually be quite entertaining. I really enjoy watching the game of politicians who strictly play by the rules, for example members of the opposition expressing their belief that the government is lying without breaking the rule of calling each other liars. Life in the Canadian political world seems to be a constant battle to outsmart your opponent, and the ch... middle of paper ...k out for number one' and 'take all you can'. '" (281) A common theme in The Best Laid Plans seems to be that the Canadian political system is more of a game than anything else, including a democracy. The Best Laid Plans ends on a high note, with a nail-biting finale. The humor of the story is carried forward in the finale as Fallis illustrates Members of Parliament crossing Ottawa on cross-country skis and being towed to Parliament Hill on a sled attached to a snowmobile for a last-minute vote Fallis managed show, with the help of creative exaggeration, how exciting the Canadian political world can be In my opinion, The Best Laid Plans should be required reading material in all high schools due to its ability to educate readers about the Canadian political system and to spark interest in Canada. Hats off to Terry Fallis!