In this gripping memoir by Anderson Cooper, the reader is captivated after the first page. Cooper reaches out with his experiences in broadcast journalism. One of America’s best-loved news anchors, Cooper now hosts his own nightly show, “Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees” on CNN. He has gained attention as a journalist for trekking to war-torn and dangerous countries to bring viewers news from the front line.

In Dispatches, Cooper details his tragic adolescent life as part of the wealthy Vanderbilt family. His father died when he was young, and his only brother committed suicide when he was an adolescent.

Scarred by these painful childhood experiences, Cooper became a nomad who traveled to the corners of the earth equipped with nothing but a video camera. He began shooting clips of war and crimes and finally landed a job with Channel One, a syndicated school news show.

The best sections of the book are Cooper’s recollections of his experiences in foreign countries and how he is touched by the perseverance of the human race. He covers Sri Lanka after the devastating tsunami, New Orleans and Mississippi both during and after Hurricane Katrina, Iraq throughout the war, and Nigeria during a period of immense famine.

Cooper’s descriptions of people he encounters who are determined to find the best in life are heartwrenching. The emotions are raw and the book uncovers the true horrors of war, famine and natural disasters. His accounts are both poignant and credible since he writes about his personal experiences.

Cooper notes that what he does as a journalist is nothing special, but that he has made a difference along the way by capturing touching stories on camera and bringing honest news to a global audience.

I have never read such a beautifully tragic account of loss and hope. I recommend this to anyone who would like to be blown away and changed forever by one powerful book.