Today in reading nonfiction to feel smarter, a book about where I live! This one covers some of the history and current social landscape of the city of Vancouver and a little of the surrounding areas…. if you consider 2012 current. It starts with the neighbourhoods and some of the context behind how they became what they are today, and what happened to some of the places that are no longer there. And then it gets interesting.
I really do feel like the book shines a lot more in discussing some of the topics, from where the black people are to indigenous issues to cops to even the dog culture of the city. And, as I mentioned earlier, there’s even discussion of how the outlying areas of Vancouver like Richmond and Surrey play a role in the larger ecosystem of Vancouver.
It did get my protectiveness of Surrey to kick in, though. Nothing said about it is wrong in any way, it just feels different coming from someone who isn’t from the area.
Overall, I did really like it. It feels authentic in the way it talks about the city and the surrounding areas. If you want to get a sense of the city, at least how it was back in the early 2010s, it’s a nice reference point.