There aren't many epithets that haven't been heaved at Stephen Harper. But, say what you will about him ... that he's autocratic, unaccountable, inscrutable and irascible ... one thing is certainly true about our current Prime Minister. He is very good at politics.

The man who's done more to centralize control of government than anyone else in this nation' s history has also charmed the pants off the country by taking to the stage to play the piano and sing a Beatles' tune.

After more than four years in office, Stephen Harper may be unpopular in the polls...but he's survived political challenges with a kind of horseshoe luck...Confronted by economic collapse, opposition coalitions, natural disasters, and scandals... Stephen Harper still manages to survive.

What is the secret to his resilience?

This is the subject of a new book by Lawrence Martin. It's called, Harperland: The Politics of Control. Mr. Martin is public affairs columnist for the Globe and Mail, he is the author of ten books - included a two volume study of Jean Chrétien and two books on Canada-U.S. relations. He was correspondent for the Globe in Moscow and was their bureau chief in Montreal and Washington.

Lawrence Martin was in our studio in Ottawa.