Reading the comparative analysis of federations as different, constitutionally and culturally, as Canada, the USA, Australia, India and Nigeria, to mention only a few, is to agree with the title of this review. The words are taken from the Introduction to Bakvis and Chandler and this review argues that use of the word “surprisingly” is misplaced. Much of the writing critical of federalism has been labouring under a misunderstanding of its dynamic nature and its underlying streng