HARPERCOLLINS CANADA PRESENTS...

  • Jeffrey S. Rosenthal — Author of KNOCK ON WOOD: Luck, Chance, and the Meaning of Everything
    For centuries, people around the world have prayed for good luck and warded against bad. But is there such a thing as luck, or does luck often just explain common sense? Don’t walk under a ladder because, well, that’s just dangerous. You won the lottery not because of any supernatural force but because a random number generator selected the same numbers that you picked out at the corner store. You run into a neighbour from your street on the other side of the world: Random chance or pure fate? As a scientist and a man of reason, Jeffrey Rosenthal has long considered the value of luck, good and bad, seeking to measure chance and hope in formulas scratched out on chalkboards. In Knock on Wood, Rosenthal, with great humour and irreverence, divines the world of luck, fate and chance, putting his considerable scientific acumen to the test in deducing whether luck is real or the mere stuff of superstition. Jeffrey S. Rosenthal is a professor of statistics at the University of Toronto. He received his BSc in mathematics, physics and computer science from the University of Toronto at the age of 20; his PhD in mathematics from Harvard University at the age of 24; and tenure at the age of 29. He has been awarded the CRM-SSC Prize, the SSC Gold Medal, Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and the COPSS Presidents' Award. He has also received teaching awards at both Harvard and U of T. Rosenthal's first book, Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities, was a national bestseller in Canada.

Special Guests

  • Rick Campanelli & Joelene Huber
    Rick Campanelli
    Former Host Of Entertainment Tonight Canada AND MuchMusic (Rick The Temp) Rick Campanelli is one of Canada’s most recognizable TV personalities. After spending nearly a decade with MuchMusic as one of their most popular hosts, he made the leap from the “nation’s music station” to ET Canada. Whether it’s hosting a gala event or giving his personal keynote entitled “From Hamilton to Hollywood,” Campanelli always brings his natural charm and wit to everything he does. Campanelli’s on-air career started after winning the 1994 MuchMusic Temp contest. His boyish charm and easy-going, up-front style quickly made him a favourite of viewers from coast to coast, proving he was anything but a “temporary” fixture at the station. From his flying leap off a jagged cliff with Sean Paul, to his dive out of an airplane with the Foo Fighters, to the pounding he took from pro wrestler, Cain, his willingness to go the distance speaks volumes about his work ethic and dedication. After nearly ten loyal years at MuchMusic, Campanelli joined the revered Entertainment Tonight brand with the launch of ET Canada into the Canadian marketplace. Co-hosting the program, he offered the inside scoop on the latest celebrity gossip, current affairs, and pop culture trends.Campanelli is involved with numerous charitable organizations including World Vision, Tuberous Sclerosis, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, McMaster Children’s Hospital, and Kid’s Help Phone.
    www.speakers.ca/speakers/rick-campanelli

    AND...

    Joelene Huber
    CBC Host, Pediatrician, Broadcast Medical Journalist, Philanthropist Dr. Joelene Huber is a medical doctor (MD/PhD), assistant professor in the faculty of medicine at the University of Toronto and a broadcast medical journalist. She completed broadcast journalism at the School of Media at Seneca@York, and a fellowship in journalism at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. Dr. Huber has contributed over 100 health segments as a medical contributor on all of the major television and news networks (CBC, CTV, CityTV, Global, CHCH, Rogers, The Weather Network) and in news/digital print and currently provides knowledge translation of medical information and reports on health as a medical contributor for CBC national television news network. Dr. Huber obtained her Medical Degree from McMaster University, a Master of Science from McGill University and a PhD in Medical Science and Collaborative Program in Neuroscience from the University of Toronto Institute of Medical Science. She completed her medical residency training in paediatrics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and also completed two additional years of subspecialty training in developmental paediatrics at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Huber has a research program at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. Her current research focuses on Smartphone app development and using simulation for teaching and training children with autism spectrum disorders and neurotypically-developing children about health. Dr. Huber also researches cultural competence in medical care for newcomers to Canada and vulnerable populations. Dr. Huber is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine (Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Developmental Paediatrics & Neurology) and in the School of Graduate Studies, at the University of Toronto. She is an author in two medical textbooks, is active in health research, and has published numerous medical research articles.
    www.drjoelenehuber.com

  • Abena Thomas & Paul Bettings
    Abena Thomas
    Podcast Host, Development Professional
    Abena Thomas is a Public Health specialist with over 10 years of experience in HIV and AIDS, infectious disease, as well as Maternal Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition programming. She is currently the Grant Manager / Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor for the Enhancing Nutrition Services to Improve Maternal and Child Health in Africa and Asia (ENRICH) program with World Vision Canada. Abena is also a Part Time Academic Professor in International Development at Humber College. Her interest in health systems strengthening and DME have led to a focus on capacity building and the development of tools and strategies that facilitate improved program design, implementation and monitoring. Abena is also the host of World Vision Canada’s international development podcast In Progress, sharing stories and experiences from Canadian and Developing contexts in health and development.
    www.1000dayjourney.ca

    AND…

    Paul Bettings
    Photographer, Development Professional, Change Maker
    As a world and humanitarian assignment photographer, Paul has been capturing social, cultural and geo-political issues through his camera for over 15 years. His commitment to the visual is based on a philosophy of relational and intimate storytelling, with honesty and a sensitive eye. Throughout his career, assignments have taken him around the globe and allowed him to photograph for newswires and organizations such as World Vision, UNICEF, Save The Children and more. Paul has photographed in the deserts of Mongolia, the rivers of Southeast Asia, in the ancient lands of the Middle East and South America, and in war torn regions of the globe. In these spaces, he revels in creative expression and advocating on the behalf of others. Along with his love of traveling and a desire for social change, Paul's work also includes aerial, event and construction photography. In addition to his Masters Degree in International Development from Eastern University, Paul also holds an undergraduate degree in Art History/Cultural Studies from York University, has completed graduate, and post-graduate schooling in Photography at Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Through working and living in numerous developing countries, Paul has been able to transfer his skills into other areas of development and communications including: media relations, trip-planning, overseas logistics, coverage of emergency environments, and guiding experiential learning trips for schools, non-governmental organizations, and safari companies. Paul, his wife, and his three children, currently live in Toronto, Canada.
    www.paulbettings.com

  • Marv Franz — Leadership Consultant, Principal of New Vantage
    Marv Franz consults senior leaders, executive teams, and boards through change processes. He consistently helps management and project teams, to heighten overall performance by sharpening their focus and then coaching individual team members through their own unique leadership and management challenges. Marv has worked with small firms to multinationals in consumer goods, advertising, healthcare, technology, sports & entertainment, education, insurance & transportation, and government sectors as well as other not-for-profit organizations. He has experience in working through intercultural challenges having worked with senior leaders in in North America, Latin America and Africa. Prior to this, Marv spent six years as a management consultant and partner with the Change Alliance, and twelve years as a team and leadership developer in both Canadian university and international NGO contexts. Over this period he has worked as a manager with the university student services departments at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and Wilfrid Laurier in Waterloo, Ontario. There he developed and managed staff teams, offered leadership on university management teams, as well as created leadership curriculum, training programs and international service-learning teams in partnership with NGO’s in developing world contexts in Latin America and Africa.

  • Steve Norton — Pastor, Storyteller, Podcaster and Film Aficionado
    Steve Norton is a husband, father and pastor of youth and community outreach in Scarborough, ON. He's passionate about seeing the justice of God's kingdom in our city. He's also one of the founders of ScreenFish, where he loves to start conversations around the stories of our culture through podcasting, reviews and interviews that speak to deeper truths.

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • Ali Matthews

    Multi-award winning recording artist, Ali Matthews has been a performing songwriter since her teens and has built a strong following across Canada and beyond. She has released 7 critically acclaimed CD’s since 2000 on her independent music label, Shake-a-Paw Music. As a graduate of The University of Western Ontario, where she studied English and Drama, songwriting is her natural passion. Writing and performing on both piano and acoustic guitar, she blends mature and sensitive lyrics with evocative, compelling melodies. Matthews’ songwriting and recording have yielded an impressive collection of international awards. She holds the GMA (Gospel Music Association of Canada) record as the artist with the most awards - 20 GMA Covenant awards and 44 nominations in 10 years. She was a winner in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition, The Canadian National Songwriting Competition, The Word Guild Canadian Writers Awards and she was named Woman of the Year in the City of Stratford for her outstanding contribution to the Arts. *Join Ali Matthews and her band for her 14th Annual Christmas Concert in Stratford ON at Revival House on Saturday December 16th at 8:00 PM. AND check out her latest album - SO SHALL WE LOVE. www.alimatthews.com

    CHECK THIS VIDEO OUT: Meet Me Here ~ Ali Matthews

    **AND… Check out our DrewTube page to watch over 100 videos from some of our previous recording artists.