2004

$35,000 WINNER

Two Percent Target: Canadian Monetary Policy Since 1991
by David E.W. Laidler & William B.P. Robson (C.D. Howe Institute)

Two Percent Target provides an informative and accessible explanation of the economics of monetary policy and a lucid account of its operation in Canada through the 1990s. Clear and enticing, Two Percent Target offers insights into the way Bank of Canada policy affects the economy and the means by which Canadians and their elected representatives hold the makers of monetary policy accountable for their performance. It is essential reading for all Canadians interested in economic policy.

David E.W. Laidler is Bank of Montreal Professor and Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Western Ontario and Fellow-in-Residence at the C.D. Howe Institute. William B.P. Robson is Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the C.D. Howe Institute.

RUNNERS-UP
$5,000 EACH

Blockbusters and Trade Wars: Popular Culture in a Globalized World
by Peter S. Grant & Chris Wood (Douglas & McIntyre)

Blockbusters and Trade Wars is the first book from a Canadian perspective to investigate the facts about where and how cultural artifacts are created, why they are so different from other manufactured products and why they must be treated differently. Exceedingly well-written, it is a masterful analysis that focuses upon the market dynamics that drive audiences to "blockbuster" films, TV programs, books and recording artists - at the expense of independent, alternative and increasingly necessary national voices.

Peter S. Grant is one of Canada's leading communications lawyers. A senior partner at McCarthy Tetrault, he has represented clients in every branch of popular media. Chris Wood is a former senior bureau chief for Maclean's and is the author of two previous books.

Smoke & Mirrors: Globalized Terrorism and the Illusion of Multilateral Security
by Frank P. Harvey (University of Toronto Press)

In Smoke & Mirrors, Harvey mounts a powerful case for American unilateralism by exposing the real costs, potential risks and catastrophic failures of multilateral alternatives. He details the relationship between globalization, terrorism and unilateralism and provides a systematic explanation for, and defence of, Washington's response to threats of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This masterful work also addresses policies essential to the interests and well-being of Canada.

Frank P. Harvey is a professor in the Department of Political Science and the director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University.

Feminist Activism in the Supreme Court: Legal Mobilization and the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund
by Christopher P. Manfredi (UBC Press)

Since 1980, the Canadian women's movement has been an active participant in constitutional politics and Charter litigation. Well-written, balanced and objective, Feminist Activism in the Supreme Court, through its focus on the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), presents a compelling examination of how Canadian feminists became key actors in developing the constitutional doctrine of equality and how they mobilized that doctrine to support the movement's policy agenda.

Christopher P. Manfredi is a professor of Political Studies at McGill University

The Hateful and the Obscene: Studies in the Limits of Free Expression
by L.W. Sumner (University of Toronto Press)

The Hateful and the Obscene is a compelling interpretation of freedom of expression that combines serious philosophical thought with a focus on Canadian law. A first-rate work dealing with complex and difficult subject matter, it presents a sometimes devastating analysis of established norms and practices, alternative ways of dealing with important problems and concrete, well-explained policy recommendations.

L.W. Sumner is University Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto.