A Journey From Sicily

ISBN-13: 9781540771971 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 258 str.

Tony Manera

Opis

Tony Maneras memoirs begin when, as a three year old boy, he witnessed the allied invasion of his native Sicily, followed by his experience of the extreme poverty that prevailed during the post-war years. When his family was finally able to emigrate to Canada, there were some difficult adjustments to be made, as was the case for most immigrants. Dropping out of school and working helped to pay the bills, but realizing that further education would be necessary to make further progress, he moved to Los Angeles. There he worked his way through university, initially as a waiter in an Italian restaurant, than as a technician and engineer in the US aerospace industry and finally as a professor of engineering and mathematics. His time in the US had a profound influence on his philosophy of hard work, self-reliance, perseverance, risk taking and seizing opportunities as they present themselves. Upon his return to Canada, he continued his academic career, becoming the youngest college president at thirty-one. In this new role, he took over two troubled institutions, expanded enrolment, improved academic standards and championed academic freedom. He then moved on to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he served for many years as a senior vice president and eventually as president and CEO. In this latter role, he describes how he defended the public broadcasters journalistic indepedence during the difficult period preceding the 1995 referendum on secession from the Canadian federation by the province of Quebec. While these memoirs provide an account of his career and personal life, the author also shares with readers his outlook on several important public policy issues. This is done from a Canadian perspective, but the issues are also pertinent in other countries. They include the value of a public broadcaster that is independent from the government of the day, striking the right balance between accommodation and integration of immigrants, and improving accessibility to and affordability of post-secondary education. He also offers constructive suggestions for how to approach the issue of Quebec secession. This topic is not limited to Canada, as other countries have their own separatist movements. Also included are several anecdotes that readers may find interesting, amusing or both.