BOOK REVIEW Terry Kading, editor, NO STRAIGHT LINES: Local Leadership and the Path from Government to Governance in Small Cities

Abstract

The book NO STRAIGHT LINES: Local Leadership and the Path from Government to Governance in Small Cities is a scientific reference in the field of quality of life in small towns. The work is dedicated "purpose of this collection is to expose how these leadership initiatives have and continue to fortify -often unknowingly -the equality of quality of life in one small city, Kamloops, British Columbia‖. (p. 3)The volume authors have extensive experience in quality of life studies at the local level.The idea of leadership and learning is emphasized, according to which local initiatives need to be developed primarily by local actors who understand the context very well and can prioritize both the needs and the allocation of resources.The most visible forms of leadership are understood as being driven by the local "pro-growth coalition," a combination of developers, property owners, professionals, tradespeople, and businesses acting in concert with the local government to ensure the continuous expansion of the city. (p. 3) This collection expands on the concept of quality of life to encompass equality of quality of life, a new perspective comprised of less recognized but critical components that ensure the health and vitality of urban lifeparticularly in the small city, where the structures and capacities of local government are more circumscribed than in large urban centres (p. 4)