This isn't the most brilliant writing, but it's compelling and sincere. After reading the Katrina section, I had to look up Anderson's interview with Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. Luckily YouTube had it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsuRCX... that's why Anderson Cooper is my favorite news anchor.I do have one criticism, for the editor: "pus" is nasty fluid indicative of infection. "Puss" is a boot-wearing cat. ( )

Anderson Cooper worked for Channel One News, ABC News, and CNN as a news journalist, an anchor, and a foreign correspondent. He also anchors “Anderson Cooper 360”. Dispatches from the Edge gives the reader an inside look at his career as well as his personal life. Anderson was born to a father from a poor family in Mississippi. His famous mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was from a wealthy family in New York. As a child, Anderson stared at a globe near his bed and dreamed of adventure in different countries. His life changed at age ten when his father died. He said sharks had to keep moving to stay alive and compare this concept to his life. In high school he took survival courses to prove that he could survive on his own. He wanted to be a war correspondent, but could not get a job. At age twenty-four, he went to Nairobi with a fake press pass and a home video camera. By age twenty-five, he was paid to chase wars, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other disasters. His older brother’s suicide in 1988 drove him to continue chasing disasters in order to survive his own pain. He has reported from Somalia, Sri Lanka, Niger, Bosnia, Iraq, New Orleans, Mississippi, and many parts of Africa. Although he tried to distance himself for the world he was reporting on, he learned that everyone is connected. His pain, his career, and the pain and suffering of others allowed Anderson Cooper to find himself.

Anderson Cooper provided an interesting and honest story that showed the positive and negative aspects of his life. Flashbacks were used to tie his childhood to his adult problems and achievements. Teenage readers can relate to losing family members as well as the effects of hurricanes and war on their lives. The story is told in a way that allows the reader into his life. As he comes to terms with his life, the reader can reflect on their own family and circumstances. Anderson Cooper did a great job of describing the pain and suffering of the people affected by war, starvation, and natural disaster. The reader could imagine being places he covered with his news stories. Young adults could certainly relate to the Hurricane Katrina coverage that was described in the book. It was a story of Anderson Cooper understanding himself and sharing his personal feelings with the world. This memoir was not sugar-coated or written in a way that drew attention or fame to the author.

This is a quick read. Cooper does a great job of mixing his personal life experiences with the many stories he has covered. I would recommend this book to everyone. ( )

This is a collection of remembrances from CNN reporter Anderson Cooper. He uses an interesting technique of weaving his own personal family traumas with his experiences on location reporting on disasters. I particularly enjoyed his recounting of the Katrina disaster, as the reader really experiences his outrage at the government inaction in both Mississippi and New Orleans. It was particularly interesting to read about the recent news events from his perspective, as one can remember seeing Anderson on camera in those same locations. ( )

Africasouth Lightweight. His juxtaposing of his own loss of his father and brother against the horror of the tsunami in Asia, end of apartheid in South Africa is too strange. ( )