 This observation is reminiscent of Innis's earlier work on the economic influence of waterways and other geographical features in his book, "The Fur Trade in Canada", first published in 1930.However, in "Empire and Communications", Innis extends his economic analysis to explore the influence of the Nile on religion, associating the river with the sun god Ra, creator of the universe.In a series of intellectual leaps, Innis asserts that Ra's power was vested in an absolute monarch whose political authority was reinforced by specialized astronomical knowledge.