If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when? Following his bestselling political memoir, the former premier of Ontario stepped back to consider the subject of responsibility in and for society. Structuring his thoughts on Rabbi Hillel’s famous questions, he explores the roles of government, business, communities and individuals in the new economic and political reality of Canada. He confronts the most basic and urgent question of our time: in this age of globalism, in this period when the gulf between rich and poor is growing, what is our responsibility to ourselves and to others? Every successful society needs to recognize and reward individual success as well as demonstrate an organized capacity for social compassion. A successful politics will understand that pursuing both prosperity and the public good — finding the right answers to the three questions — is not easy. But the challenge must be met. From the Trade Paperback edition.

This is a book about the ideas and policies that will dominate Canada’s future. In a world that is getting smaller and more competitive, Canada needs a new set of public policies that will put learning, education, and investment in new technologies at the centre. The vulnerability of the planet itself to pollution and global warming, continuing violence, ethnic conflict, and threats to world peace also put Canada’s place in the world at the centre of a new agenda. Bob Rae’s book is a candid assessment of where we are and where we need to be. It draws on his deep experience in Canadian public policy at home and abroad, and points to how Canada, and Canadians, can make a difference. From health care to taxes, from poverty to wealth creation, this is a creative and provocative blueprint for change.