SATURNA, British Columbia - In his new novel "Crossing Second Narrows"; (published by iUniverse), author Bill Schermbrucker addresses what he suggests are the radical changes in post-secondary education that grew out of the anti-Vietnam War movement and student rebellions at Berkeley, the Sorbonne and elsewhere.
"Crossing Second Narrows"; tells the story of the friendship and intellectual debate between two immigrant professors in Canada: Alistair Randall, at Capilano College, a white liberal who was born in Kenya, and Rashid Hassan, a Marxist person of color at Simon Fraser University, who was born in India. Each on their own campus, these two professors are trying to bring about new approaches to education. "The Second Narrows Bridge"; is a symbolic link between what is happening on each campus.

An excerpt from "Crossing Second Narrows";:

"Wouldn't it be wonderful,"; said Jenadie, spreading her hands and looking up with a zealot's gleam in her eyes, "if we could completely disengage the educational system from the military-industrial complex! Just imagine if universities and colleges were actually free to allow people to think and learn, instead of being used as screens for employers. Education would cease to be just a grading system and really help people grow into fuller lives!";

Schermbrucker suggests that "Crossing Second Narrows"; fulfils a specific void in the market of books on the subject of education. "It will be of particular interest to academics who care about the evolution of university and college educational methods in the late 20th century,"; he explains. "It will also appeal to readers who want to learn about the end of colonialism in Africa (from the colonists' point of view), and the anti-war movement in the U.S., which led to such tragedies as the shooting of students at Kent State by the Ohio National Guard.";