Mark my words: The memoirs of a very political reporter

A very tight, clean, and unmarked copy other than a small bookplate to the inside cover-" This is one of the best political autobiographies I have read. Written by a woman who had only months to live, "Mark My Words" describes the often controversial but stellar career of Canadian journalist, Marjorie Nichols, as she rose from obscurity in the western Foothills of Alberta to become one of Canada's more savvy reporters and political analysts. Nichols had a uniquely effective way of getting the truth out of politicians by knowing how to push their 'hot' button with awkward questions and unflattering columns. As the only girl in her family, she learned very early in life how to hold her own in a male-dominated world, whether it was through speed skating, writing, or just keeping her brothers in line. Though she had a natural talent for writing and attended a respectable school of journalism, she always attributed her success to rolling up her sleeves and getting down in the dirt to find the story, which usually surfaced in the one-on-one interview with some political notable in the corridors of power. Like a lot of her famous colleagues of the day, she learned the secrets of modern reporting: get the facts before you ask the question and only publish the story after you have received a satisfactory answer. This book is full of anecdotes concerning those telling moments when Nichols' incisive questioning hit home and allowed her to form an intelligent opinion about the interviewee. Trudeau comes across as shallow while Barrett is seen somewhat out of his political depth when handling political crises. I learned a number of interesting things about the fourth estate back in the seventies and eighties in this book: one, being a successful journalist back then meant forming and nurturing relationships. If you couldn't schmooze, booze, and cruise with big-time politicians you didn't have a story; added to which, effective journalists of the day fed off each other. Nichols treats us to some very heart-warming moments when columnists sat down together to chew the fat, help each other through tough times, and celebrate hard-earned achievements; two, journalism is a very exacting profession. Many of Nichols' colleagues, including herself, eventually succumbed to serious health problems related to heavy smoking, drinking, and job-related stress. The pressure of cranking out five articles a day far outweighed the glamor of meeting the high and mighty in political and social circles. Third, Nichols was there - Victoria, Ottawa, and Washington - when Canadian society was going through some very transforming moments and national and provincial leaders depended on the likes of Nichols, Fisher, Lynch, and Fotheringham to get their message out."