Common Ground

Justin Trudeau was born on December 25, 1971. His father was the Prime Minister of Canada at the time and considerably older than his wife, Margaret Sinclair. Within a few short years, Justin's parents gave birth to two more sons. Growing up in this environment provided both gifts and burdens to the three little boys.

Justin's book "Common Ground" describes the many opportunities that he had to travel with his father for governmental trips. He was introduced to world leaders and learned about politics from them and from his learned father. He also, however, suffered greatly from the fighting between his parents and subsequence divorce that resulted.

Through it all, Justin and his brothers, Sasha and Michel formed close bonds with each other. They learned to respect the differences in their personalities and life choices. They also enjoyed spending time together. It was therefore a significant blow for the whole family when Michel went skiing and died during an avalanche.

Justin claims that he was not like his academic father who took pride in his marks and was always interested in learning. Although he loved poetry, his career plans and educational pursuits were not as directed as his father's. Neither was his desire to remain in Quebec. In fact, Justin spent considerable time travelling the world and learning about his mother's family who primarily lived in British Columbia.

Throughout the years, Justin worked in a number of different jobs. He was a snow board instructor, bouncer, and teacher. He also served on committee and projects for which he had a passion to benefit youth, the environment and safety.

There were times when Justin faced family problems. He tried to support his mother who suffered from mental illness and his father during the months of illness before his death. Through it all, he developed strong friendships with individuals of various ages.

When Justin met Sophie Gregoire, he immediately knew that he wanted her in his life. They married and now are the parents to three young children.

Justin had never really aspired to go into politics but, he began listening to Canadians and developed a strong desire to help them with their problems. The 2011 Liberal defeat brought him to the conclusion that this party had lost touch with the people. His belief was that other parties were also not listening and, in fact, were using fear tactics that were divisive.

When Justin decided to run for leadership of the Liberal Party with the hope that winning a majority would make him Prime Minister of Canada, he knew that there would be significant work ahead of him. His platform, however, was one of inclusion. He knew what it was like to be both French and English; from the east and from the west; from the working class and from the governing class. He also knew that he needed to give ear to the Canadian people so that he not only understood what they wanted but also how to help. The result was a significant increase in interest and memberships from individuals all across the country.

Justin Trudeau states that he is proud of the work that was done by his father but he is not like his father and Canada is not the same as it was when his father was the Prime Minister.

Justin's focus is on helping the working class, ensuring that community service is flourishing and providing leadership on social issues in both domestic and foreign fronts.

This book was written by a man who wanted to explain how he obtained his values and perspectives that encompass working together in harmony for a better and more united country.