Dispatches from the Edge is a fantastic book by Anderson Cooper that gives unrelenting insight and detail to the events that Cooper reported on in 2005. The book is split into six chapters, with the middle four chapters being devoted to the four tragedies that Anderson Cooper reported on during that year.
Each chapter tells a unique story about the events that Cooper saw while reporting and the emotional toll it took on him. The first tragedy he covers, the Tsunami in Sri Lanka, provides an excellent introduction to Cooper's “down to earth” style of reporting. Cooper still feels like he can help these victims and the way he slowly realizes his gestures are futile leaves a deep emotional impact on the reader.
Cooper's coverage of the Iraq war brings the war’s polarizing nature to the front(line) and gives the reader new insight as to how the everyday citizen was affected by the destructive war. The remaining two chapters are much longer and go more in depth about the toll these victims and events took on Cooper and how he struggled to keep his personal and professional lives separate. The reader can feel how broken these events made Cooper but instead of making people feel pity for him, Cooper turns it around and makes the reader proud of his accomplishments. Each chapter gives a unique story which enthralls the reader and keeps them engaged in these events that they are probably already familiar with.
These stories can be hard to read, but remain engaging due to the intimate, sincere tone that Cooper used to make the reader sympathize with the victims of these horrible events. The fact that most of the readers remember these events gives them a chance to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for Anderson Cooper's intense reporting and love for what he does. Dispatches from the Edge can be a rough read, but it is well worth it and provides a unique point of view from one of the foremost journalists of this generation.