Just Say Yes: A Memoir

Bob McDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, offers a personal and inspiring memoir of life-changing events in his early years through five decades in science journalism.

Revered science reporter and radio host Bob McDonald has devoted his career to turning our attention away from everyday perspectives and outward to the vast, intricate wonders of our planet and universe. Now, in this revealing and captivating memoir, he looks within, offering an intimate view of the path that brought him from a blue-collar background to his long-standing role as Canada’s foremost explainer of all things scientific.

It’s an engrossing and often jubilant story that allows McDonald to share powerful insights on overcoming fear of failure and tackling life-transforming challenges. Early on, he describes a childhood and youth plagued by difficulties in school that eventually convinced him to drop out of university. Yet, despite the academic obstacles, his love of science burned bright. Soon, through an innate stage sense and sheer enthusiasm, he landed a gig doing high-spirited demonstrations for the public at the Ontario Science Centre, which in turn led to self-produced TV spots.

And as each hard-won, never-certain success built on the last, he arrived at the role that would make him a national figure: the witty, engaging, passionately curious host of the perennially popular CBC Radio show Quirks and Quarks, reporting from the frontiers of scientific exploration and rubbing elbows with such luminaries as Chris Hadfield, Buzz Aldrin and Stephen Hawking. Told with all of McDonald’s trademark pace and humour, Just Say Yes is bound to please, surprise and inspire his numerous fans in entirely new ways.

“Just Say Yes is a truly inspiring story of one man’s remarkable career in science communication. Bob McDonald’s infectious enthusiasm for science, and his unique ability to translate complex scientific topics into everyday language hook the reader early. We are taken on a personal journey from his humble, and at times challenging, upbringing through his myriad sailing and motorcycle adventures, to his unique experiences as a science journalist. And on this journey, one marvels at the clarity of his insight into many of the most important modern scientific breakthroughs. In this social media age of misinformation, conspiracy theories and alternate facts, Just Say Yes is a must-read. You will come away inspired with optimism that many of today’s greatest challenges will be solved if we get back to the basics of just saying yes to science.”

“This is an interesting and engaging description of Bob’s eclectic life. He tells it with the same enthusiasm that has made him Canada’s favorite science presenter. A great read.”

“Bob takes his rare ability to explain the world to us all and applies it to himself in this delightful, often surprising and ever-insightful autobiography.”

“It is with utmost humility Bob refers to himself as a ‘science entertainer,’ but I know him to be a lot more than that. If you’ve ever wondered what drives him to do what he does, how the cogs of his mind grind together to cast sparks onto our collective understanding of the world ... read on.”