The NAIT 'B-Ook' list: Cookbooks, novels, guides and more

The next book you read could be written by a grad

What’s a B-Ook?

Part of the term borrows from ookpik, the Inuktitut word for snowy or Arctic owl. Why is that relevant to this collection of cookbooks, novels, guides and other volumes? Because the ookpik, affectionately shortened over the years to “Ook,” has been NAIT’s mascot since 1964, and each of the books below is written by a grad.

So, they’re b-Ooks!

Call them what you like. In the end, we hope that you’ll find – whether they’re about food, history, science, or nonfiction or fiction – that they're great reads.

(Are we missing books? Help our list grow by letting us know.)

Borrow the books

The NAIT Library has created a virtual bookshelf to accompany most of the books on this list. Stop in or sign on to borrow them!

Check out the bookshelf

A book cover titled "The Garlic Companion" by Kristin Graves. The cover features a close-up photo of garlic bulbs on a wooden table. The subtitle reads "Recipes, Crafts, Preservation Techniques, and Simple Ways to Grow Your Own."The Garlic Companion: Recipes, crafts, presevation techniques, and simple ways to grow your own (2024)

By Kristin Graves (Medical Radiologic Technology '09)

In The Garlic Companion, fifth-generation farmer Kristin Graves has produced a beautiful volume that celebrates one of the world's most beloved herbs.

Following on years of experience gleaned from the family farm near Wetaskiwin, it's packed with information on growing the plant and its history, as well as recipes and more.

In short, Graves has said, "It’s a love story about garlic."


cover of who is boo? a book illustrated by NAIT grad and artist jason carterWho is Boo? The Terrific Tails of one Trickster Rabbit (2011)

Written by Bridget Ryan
Illustrated by Jason Carter (Graphic Communications '01)

Boo is a rabbit whose curiosity leads him to connect more deeply with the world – and have fun while helping others along the way.

This first in a series of books for kids has since been followed by two more:


Book cover for Make Your Mark, Make a Difference by Joan Marie GalatMake Your Mark, Make a Difference:  A Kid’s Guide to Standing Up For People, Animals, and the Planet (2024)

By Joan Marie Galat (Biological Sciences Technology – Environmental Sciences ’84)

What can kids do to help change the world? As overwhelming as that might seem, it's not impossible – as Galat shows in her latest book.

This guide builds on the author's passion for helping young readers better understand and engage with the world. This time, she takes that a step further by offering tips on improving it for themselves and others, touching on climate change, human rights and more.

Make Your Mark has been recognized by the Junior Library Guild, an organization that curates books for libraries. That's just one accolade of many that Galat has earned for her body of work, which includes

And many more!


book: most amazing marketing book everThe Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever (2023)

Contributing author Rob LeLacheur (Marketing '94)

Marketing futurist Mark Schaefer brought together 35 of his "smartest marketing friends from around the world" to share 10 ideas each for anyone from students to entrepreneurs. It covers traditional marketing, email digital and much more.

Among those smart friends is industry veteran Rob LeLacheur, owner of Road 55, an Edmonton-based content creator.

 


broken circle, a memoir by nait grad ted fontaineBroken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools (2022)

By Theodore Fontaine (Civil Engineering Technology ’73)

Originally published in 2010, Fontaine’s reissued memoir gives readers a firsthand account of a heartbreaking history.

The book chronicles his harrowing experiences of abuse at Fort Alexander and Assiniboia Indian Residential Schools, and describes the disconnection from his language and culture, and the loss of his family and community.

As part of his journey to healing, Fontaine offers insight into the reasons for the ongoing trauma from which many survivors suffer and shines a much-needed light on this dark time.


vegetables a love story, a cookbook by renee kohlmanVegetables: A Love Story (2021)

By Renée Kohlman (Culinary Arts ’99)

Kohlman’s follow-up to her award-winning All the Sweet Things is all about vegetables.

What inspired the about-face from all that sugar to all that fibre? Love – for a young man who presented her with a bouquet of asparagus on their first date.

That vegetable launches this acclaimed volume, followed by 23 chapters through to zucchini, to create a love story like no other, and one of the Globe and Mail‘s Top 100 Books of 2021.


the watcher, novel by NAIT grad amy eversleyWatcher (2020)

By AJ Eversley (Personal Fitness Trainer '10)

This work of young adult dystopian fiction sees a hero  on a desperate mission to save humanity from "bots" and "carbons." Will she be able to make the hard choices required to see succeed?

Watcher is book 1 of a trilogy and just one of Eversley's  rapidly growing collection of sci-fi novels.


tawaw, a cookbook by NAIT grad shane chartrandtawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine (2019)

By Shane Chartrand (Cook '04)

Named one of the world’s best cookbooks by the Gourmand awards, tawâw explores Chartrand’s personal journey to reconnect with his own Indigenous heritage and his understanding of the intersection of food and culture.

The book includes more than 75 recipes, insight into ingredients and techniques, and personal stories of a chef’s unique journey.

 


fishes of alberta, by shona derlukewichFishes of Alberta Field Identification (2017)

By Shona Derlukewich (Biological Sciences Technology – Renewable Resources ’05)

A must-have for the Alberta angler, this guide is loaded with pictures and carefully described identifying features of more than 65 fish species.

With 100 water-resistant pages, it’s an essential tool in the tacklebox, helping to determine whether what’s on the end of the line is free for the taking or an endangered species that needs releasing.

For those casting a line in rivers and lakes in Saskatchewan, Derlukewich recently produced a companion guide.


fire in the eucalypts, a memoir by nait grad harold larsonFire in the Eucalypts (2016)

By Harold Larson (Forest Technology ’13)

A veteran firefighter, Larson has vivid memories of the Australian wildfires of 2009.

That was the year of the "Black Saturday" bushfires, which claimed 173 lives. Eight years of drought and record-breaking temperatures caused the fires to burn at an unprecedented rate.

Larson was on the front lines – and barely escaped with his own life. In Fire in the Eucalypts, he offers a gripping record of Australia's worst natural disaster in history.


book cover for holger petersen's talking music 2, interviews with blues and roots musiciansTalking Music 2 (2016)

By Holger Petersen (Radio and Television Arts ’70)

Holger Petersen has spent all of his life in music – enjoying it, playing it and, perhaps most importantly, bringing it to others.

As the longtime host of two radio shows devoted to blues and roots, Petersen has had conversations with some of the biggest artists in the genres, the best of which are captured as in Petersen's books, Talking Music volumes one and two.

Both offer intimate looks at art and its creators by one of the best interviewers in Canadian music media.


born to the wild, a memoir by NAIT grad Rob KayeBorn to the Wild: Journals of a National Park Warden in the Canadian Rockies (2015)

By Rob Kaye (Biological Sciences Technology – Environmental Sciences ’76)

What is the future of Canada’s national parks? That question could be said to guide this memoir by Kaye, a retired park warden of several decades and locations.

Vivid accounts of life in the backcountry fill the pages, including encounters with wildlife and humorous stories of camaraderie with colleagues.

In the end, it’s a call to action to consider how we use and misuse nature, and what the decisions we make might mean to the treasured wilderness spaces Kaye was tasked with stewarding.


book cover for one careless moment, a novel by nait grad dave hugelschafferOne Careless Moment (2009)

By Dave Hugelschaffer (Forest Technology ’89)

The second of Hugelschaffer’s novels featuring wildfire fighter and investigator Porter Cassel focuses on the search for the cause – and perpetrator – of a Montana blaze. When the suspected arson investigation turns deadly, Cassel continues to pursue the truth despite the risks.

Like previous novels Day into Night (2006) and follow-up Whiskey Creek (2012), One Careless Moment gives readers an insider's look at life as a wildfire fighter, with all the tension and suspense of a great mystery.

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