Canadians have long defined themselves as "not Americans." They cherish their differences from the United States, but as their powerful neighbour grows ever more dominant on the world stage, can they hope to hold on to their national identity? In Fire and Ice, Michael Adams challenges the myth of inevitability that has led us to believe our Canadian way of life is doomed to extinction. Drawing upon a decade of never-before released pulse-taking from both sides of the border, Adams reveals that Canada and the United States are not coming together, but are diverging in significant ways.