The Grenoble Canadian Studies Centre organized an International Conference in Lyon in November 2010 which brought together about thirty specialists from diverse fields and countries to discuss together the geopolitical significance of the Arctic in the twenty-first century. This book is not presented as the 'proceedings' of the Conference and it does not pretend to be the summation of all the valuable contributions made during the two days of extensive scientific exposition and discussion. Rather is it an attempt to distil some of the essence, to conceptualize and offer further reflection on the subject's importance, taking as its common thread the rather existential question: "What Holds the Arctic Together?". The emphasis here is on convergence, rather than divergence, the Arctic's centrality not its eccentricity. The book is resolutely interdisciplinary and international, and, acting like a veritable astral conjunction in the awe-inspiring arctic sky, it brings into alignment three major elements of transformation.