Having witnessed the many tragedies in the world's far corners, from a tsunami-ripped Sri Lanka to the war-torn Bosnia, Anderson Cooper articulated in this memoir the events and paradigm shifts that made him brave enough to go back to these places and to serve us with haunting memories, with histories that had shaped the humankind into what it is now: shapeless yet journeying into form. "Every story has a smell. I don't always notice at it first. Sometimes it takes days before it weaves itself into the fabric of my clothing, and sinks into some dark corners of my cortex, becoming memory." This is not just a plain enumeration of the most harrowing events he captured and reported on television. Between recollections of being a part-time correspondent were his ponderings on the death of his father and the suicide of his older brother. In every account of compassion and rage, there is the sliver of his cluelessness and vulnerability in his personal life. But all these were uttered in the most personal yet the most journalistic manner. This memoir was not seen as Cooper's selfish attempt for giving his heroic job some latitude or height. Instead, we have read an admission of the truth that television and news cannot change a nation's direction, only the people's perspectives on things. Nevertheless, this book rendered with so much candor and care is a hopeful contribution. It was in the Epilogue that I felt a tear struggled to get out through the eyelid. "The world has many edges, and all of us dangle from them by a very delicate thread. The key is not to let go." I got a copy of this book from BookSale for 20 pesos. Imagine yourself an archeologist having found one of the future treasures of "literary journalism".

The year is 2005 and journalist Anderson Cooper will have four major stories that will affect his life as he comes to realize that he is looking for the 'worst' in order to get so-called 'news-worthy' stories even as he weaves his own childhood and early career amidst his reporting.

First, Sri Lanka which is still recovering from the Christmas tsunami that devastated not only parts of Indonesia but the coastlines of southeast east, the Indian peninsula and the east coast of Africa. Families dealing with the loss of family, home and any form of employment save attempting to clear not only tons of debris but hopefully, finding the bodies of those they have lost.
Iraq and the first post-Saddam election where the battles are still continuing between Saddam loyalists and the natives that just want to move forward.
Niger and Somalia where starvation is rampant especially among children. Much of the aid and food stuffs being supplied by outside agencies is confiscated (stolen) by government or rebel factions and sold in order to line their pockets or buy munitions. Doctors without Borders provide what medical aid they can but too often, it's too little and too late.
And then Katrina where he asks the hard questions of the mayor and governor and get platitudes and evasion for the thousands that died as well as the horrors that occurred in the Super Dome and Conference Center.

It was an interesting snapshot at the life of a television/media personality and some of the stories he reported about.

2022-254

Very dark. War journalists seem to be very depressed people. Sad because I do like Anderson Cooper and think he's an outstanding jounalist. This book shares very little about what makes him tick.

This is a high three -- the only reason it isn't a four is because I've read a lot about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, so while I'm sure a lot of what's said in this book would have been new and fascinating when it came out, it was all things I knew well. While those chapters weren't boring, they were therefore not as engaging as the previous ones. Had I gone into this knowing nothing about Katrina this would have been an easy four stars.

As for the rest of the book, I enjoyed it. The writing was simplistic, very to the point, but didn't lack emotion or reflection. It was also very enlightening in the way that I had no idea Anderson Cooper was this crazy, but he is actually quite insane. I mean, go figure, any war reporter is going to be crazy (and I say this as one myself), but man. I was pleasantly surprised by how candid he was, and he managed to get the balance right between acknowledging the angst that's part and parcel of such a job (it does, after all, feel pretty bad to walk into the worst moment of people's lives and start clicking away with your camera) and also accepting that it is a necessary job and he enjoys doing it. It was very unpretentious and straightforward, and I was genuinely impressed by the honesty.

It's also a very quick read, not just because of its straightforward style but because it is deeply interesting. It's definitely something you could binge-read in a day, but you wouldn't be likely to forget it.

This had been sitting on my bookshelf for a while, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. Anderson Cooper tells the story of four locations he visited in 2005 - New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, Niger, Sri Lanka, and Iraq - and intersperses these sections with tales of his childhood and reflections on his own struggles after the suicide of his brother. The tales are interesting, as he paints vivid pictures of each location, as well as clearly illustrates the impact of his family on his mental health; however, it fell apart for me in style. The topic shifts frequently (every page or so), and I found it disorienting to continually have to remind myself of the setting and time frame of each mini-section. In sort, a very interesting life story, but the execution of the storytelling was flawed.

It was pretty good. I think I got more into it when Anderson described his experiences with Hurricane Katrina.

I know, I know. Really?

Only partway thru...But who would've thought the gay son of Gloria Vanderbuilt would toss himself into war-torn countries in his tender 20's just to get the story. He is such an amazingly brave and complicated fellow. Not just that annoying CNN guy. Wow. Liking the memoir so far...

Writer, explorer, journalist, brother, son. Anderson Cooper explores the notion and meaning of all of his life roles in this fast-moving and nerve-wracking book, centered around the tumultuous events of 2005, plus flashbacks to happenings that have shaped who he is today. From the tsunami in Sri Lanka to famine in Niger to the conflict in Iraq, the author gives you a revealing and in-your-face look at the heartache, violence and suffering that often we, as Americans, are seemingly disconnected from and apathetic towards. Cooper relentlessly pursues the stories we don't often see, internally struggling to reconcile the voyeuristic tendencies that this often requires. The most impactful part of the book occurs in the last section focused on Hurricane Katrina and the eye-opening cultural and moral implications this event had on the American psyche. In each chapter, he brings voices of the victims, caretakers and authority figures forward to put a face on every struggle. But most of all, Cooper takes an introspective look at his own life: what motivates him to chase danger, heart-breaking relationships with his father and brother and traveling a path of self discovery. The book is written in a raw and fast-paced manner and is revealing of the author's innermost thoughts. But what I will takeaway most from this work is how Cooper has the opportunity to literally and figuratively retrace the footsteps of his relationship with his father – footsteps and thoughts that are tied-to and woven throughout the events of 2005. Watching "Anderson Cooper 360" each week now, I can't help but wonder how he feels about the evolution of his career – and life. Has fatherhood fulfilled a place in his soul that chasing the never-ending story in the field never will? Maybe. But maybe that's for another book. And I hope he writes it.

Devastation can be physical as in the tsunami in Sri Lanka, famine in Africa, and Hurricane Katrina or emotional when the unexpected delivers a sucker punch from which you think you can not recover. In this memoir, Anderson Cooper reveals the emotional voids created in his life by the death of his father when he was ten years old and the suicide of his elder brother when he was in college. He also details how those tragedies caused him to lose any sense of safety and to try to avoid and dull his emotions by being constantly on the move and placing himself in dangerous situations to avoid facing his demons. In the early days of his career, Cooper faked press credentials, eventually was hired as a foreign correspondent by Channel One, moved to ABC, and finally found a home at CNN. Along the way he spent time in Sarejevo, Somalia, and Rwanda. But 2005 turned out to be a defining year beginning with the tsunami in Asia, several trips to Iraq, Niger where people, especially children, were starving, and ending with Hurricanes Katrine and Rita in the southern United States. During this year of almost constant travel to some of the worse disasters in recent years, Cooper is finally forced to confront his own pain, face his memories, and begin to rethink his priorities. A compelling read.

Really, because the Kid would demand it to be so.

I've never really watched much of Anderson Cooper's reporting, though I think I might try to a bit more from now on. Actually, up until I read this book, the image his name brought to mind was the snazzy trailer CNN had of him, which somehow always made me think he was one of those uber successful guys who's just a bit too aware of how successful he is.

So the book was a bit of a surprise. I picked it up expecting to hear a bit about the news stories he's covered, and he certainly provides that in snippets. But the book is also stunningly personal. And by end, I'm struck by the odd thought that I just want to give him a big hug. There's such an honesty and vulnerability with which he writes -- aren't honesty and vulnerability after all two sides of the same coin? -- and as much as he is a very successful reporter, he's also extremely human.

But what I find sad is that while he asks his reader not to forget all the tragedies the world has witnessed -- for most of us, only at a distance, with the smells and the horror filtered through the cable news -- I don't think I can really make myself think about these sad and unnecessary losses except in short spurts. It all just gets too overwhelming after awhile. So I guess, in a way, I'm grateful that there're people like him, who can go on throwing themselves into conflict after conflict, and to make sure that when we do get the nerve to switch back to the news, that someone's still there telling the stories we all wish didn't exist to be told.

aw anderson. my love for you knows no bounds. :)