"From one of America's leading reporters comes a deeply personal, extraordinarily powerful look at the most volatile crises he has witnessed around the world, from New Orleans to Baghdad and beyond. "Dispatches from the Edge of the World" is a book that gives us a rare up-close glimpse of what happens when the normal order of things is suddenly turned upside down, whether it's a natural disaster, a civil war, or a heated political battle. Over the last year, few people have witnessed more scenes of chaos and conflict than Anderson Cooper, whose groundbreaking coverage on CNN has become the touchstone of twenty-first century journalism. This book explores in a very personal way the most important - and most dangerous - crises of our time, and the surprising impact they have had on his life. From the devastating tsunami in South Asia to the suffering Niger, and ultimately Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Cooper shares his own experiences of traversing the globe, covering the world's most astonishing stories. In his first book, that passion communicates itself through a rich fabric of memoir and reportage, reflection and first-person narrative. Unflinching and utterly engrossing, this is the story of an extraordinary year in a reporter's life."

Acquired through PaperBackSwap. (Unabridged on 5 CD's; read by the author)

I love watching Anderson Cooper on TV with news coverage, so I figured I'd like a book of his as well. Cooper himself did the narration in this memoir. But oddly, I think that's why I didn't like this more than I did. I found his tone very monotonic -- perhaps more like his journalistic voice -- and that turned me off. I felt that the book was really written to try to bring a more humanistic & subjective view of what he's seen as opposed to the more frequent objective view that he takes in his work, but his reading really just didn't come across that way. Perhaps reading the hardcover version would've been better for me in this case. I found the memoir enligtening, but I wasn't blown away.

Adding to Carlissa's CD audio bookbox.

Anderson Cooper's book... about Anderson Cooper... read by Anderson Cooper... including an interview with Anderson Cooper? Um, YES PLEASE! Bring it on! I can't wait to earread this one :-)

Earreaing this book was quite an emotional journey. I love watching Anderson Cooper on TV (covering everything from elections to disasters to New Year's) and I knew he had suffered some personal tragedies in his life. But this book was so very personal and enlightening.

It took me a little while to get into the flow and figure out that he was jumping around in time. He blends personal experiences with reporting experiences so well, since all his emotions relate to each other and everything cycles round beautifully in the end. But sometimes that made for a confusing moment or two when it came to the timeline.

I had no trouble with him as the narrator. I thought it was a treat to hear his words coming from him (though I don't know how he could write it, let alone read it!). I didn't like the music, however, which sometimes covered his words and didn't seem to fit the tone at all in most parts. It was supposed to be a "breaking news!" sort of tune and that wasn't appropriate most of the time, despite the fact that it's a memoir from a reporter.

I teared up any number of times as he described various awful sights of war and despair. Getting that from a journalist's perspective-- really seeing through a journalist not just a camera-- was an amazing experience. What a fine line there is between experiencing it enough to report on it with sensitivity & understanding... and letting it get to you. I was so very depressed throughout-- feeling sorry for the people he was reporting about, feeling sorry for the reporters (and Anderson in particular). The worst part was when he admitted that when he was younger he used to think his reports would make a difference and help bring about change; then he admitted he didn't feel like that any more. That just about broke my heart.

This book was incredibly emotional and eye-opening. It was heavy and dark but I still loved the experience and intimacy. I'm so glad I got a chance to earread it!

I've lent it to my mother, who also likes Anderson.