Bob McDonald’s new book, Just Say Yes, is a memoir that reads like a novel. It is a rollicking tale that alternates between amazing science and outrageous tales of high adventure.
McDonald’s parents left school early, and so Bob had no motivation to stick with his own studies. His homelife was at times traumatic, and although he struggled in school, he went on to university, but eventually dropped out. Later in his career, he stunned an audience of young university graduates when he said, “So, I guess you’re wondering how an uneducated person like me became the host of our national science radio program, science correspondent for our national TV network, author of numerous books.” He went on to reveal that, “it is all thanks to family, friends and mentors who opened doors of opportunity and for some reason, I found the courage to say yes and step through those doors. Even though I wasn’t officially qualified to do any of these jobs.”
This statement really sums up McDonald’s life journey; by being curious and open to new opportunities, he has enjoyed outstanding success. As a boy in school plays, he realized he could grab an audience’s attention and wow them. With this bravado (and a girlfriend who worked at the Ontario Science Center), McDonald found his way to a job as a demonstrator, a role where he was to entertain the audience with science experiments and a lot of silliness. He was in his element, and six years later he left to follow a career as a freelance science journalist.
McDonald understands he has been very fortunate to have travelled the world, learning about, and reporting on many aspects of science, from volcanoes in Italy and mountain gorillas in Botswana, to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This exposure, and the research needed to fulfil his work brief, gave him the tools not only to speak to scientists, but McDonald also had the knack of ensuring it was in a language the audience could understand. If he was interviewing a scientist who was explaining a tricky concept, McDonald would ask, “Let me see if I understand,” before reiterating the idea in simpler terms. His aim is to make science accessible, especially to kids (aged eight to 14 are his favourite), to engage them in hopes they will come to care about a variety of aspects of science.
McDonald has spent decades fulfilling his mother’s adage, “Get out of the house,” and suggests everyone should travel to see and experience as much as possible. “And if cost is an issue, take out a loan. Remember, they can’t repossess a trip!” he says. Though he may not have a university degree, McDonald is a thoughtful and observant writer, and whether he is discussing climate change or Pluto’s demotion, he delivers with an ability to motivate and inspire.
Bob McDonald has been the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks since 1992. He is a regular science commentator on CBC News Network and science correspondent for CBC TV’s The National. He has received the Michael Smith Award for science promotion, Sandford Fleming Medal, McNeil Medal for the public awareness of science, and in 2011 became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is the recipient of 13 honorary doctorates. In 2014, asteroid 332324 was officially named BOBMCDONALD in his honour. He lives in Victoria, B.C. His memoir, Just Say Yes, is out now.
Catch him at the Whistler Writers Festival’s Reading Event 5: The Literary Cabaret and Reading Event 12: Sunday BookTalk and Breakfast (find more info and tickets at whistlerwritersfestival.com).
Libby McKeever is a retired Youth Librarian, an avid reader and writer of both fiction and creative non-fiction. Libby appreciates the easily digestible science that Bob McDonald delivers. Always topical and entertaining, she remembers watching Wonderstruck with her kids in the ’90s and for the past 40 years, has often listened to Quirks and Quarks on Saturday afternoons.
