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Shortlisted for the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize Excerpted in the Vancouver Sun Vancouver is at a crossroads in its history--host to the 2010 Winter Olympics and home to the poorest neighbourhood in Canada; a young, multicultural city with a vibrant surface and a violent undercoat; a savvy urbancentre with an inferiority complex. In Vancouver Special, writer and performer Charles Demers examines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of Vancouver, shedding light on the various strategies and influences that have made the city what it is today (as well as what it should be). From a history of anti-Asian racism to a deconstruction of the city's urban sprawl; from an examination of local food trends to a survey of the city's politically radical past, Vancouver Special is a love letterto the city, taking a no-holds-barred look at Lotusland with verve, wit, and insight. The book features stunning black-and-white photographs by Emmanuel Buenviaje throughout.