Canadian PM a Philistine?

Did anyone see the wonderful recent article about the attempts by Yann (Life of Pi) Martel to get the Prime Minister of Canada to read?  Apparently, Stephen Harper, a bland looking chap, is not a reader. Martel struggles with the idea that his PM never reads books: "I don't care if ordinary people read or not. It's not for me to say how people should live. But people who have power over me? I want them to read because their limited, impoverished dreams may become my nightmares".


So, engaging in some positive action, Martel has sent the PM a book every two weeks for the last four years.  Harper has now received 100 books from Martel, each one accompanied by a letter explaining why the book is recommended.  The first one was Tolstoy (The Death of Ivan Ilych which we should read as it is only 60 pages long!) and the 100th was something obscure and French.  Having had nothing but the odd acknowledgment from Harper's office, after 100 books Martel has abandoned his attempts to persuade the PM to read. The whole selection, Martel's letters and details of the story, can be found on the website: www.whatisstephenharperreading.ca

Warning: you can easily loose yourself in the website and Martel's letters are more interesting than the selection of books. The letters suggest to me that the exercise has been an excuse for Martel to write and self publish without having to go the the trouble of writing a book; so it has much in common with this blog!

At a quiz I went to a year or so ago, there were two Life of Pi questions: what is the name of the Tiger and who else was in the boat with him?  Answers on a postcard please.