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Dispatches From the Edge

a Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival
Mar 03, 2011taravali rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I had never really paid much attention to Anderson Cooper, not ever having had a television and thus no CNN. Still, he came across my radar occassionally. The impression that I got from brief reports was that he was smug and somewhat excitable. This book explains those impressions. He has had a difficult life and is a very thoughtful, sensitive person in a lot of ways. It seems that because of the slings life threw at him, he has had to develop a hard outer shell, an urge to run and an immunity of sorts to tragedy. His comments on his experiences in war and disaster-torn countries are seen through an emotional filter. Much of the description can be difficult for people with weak stomach. Most interesting are the sections on hurricane Katrina, when he realized he had star power and used it as a passport to get the story.