A review by bucket
Stringer: A Reporter's Journey in the Congo by Anjan Sundaram

3.0

At first I was put off by Sundaram's lack of cultural sensitivity and entitlement, but later I really appreciated his honesty in writing about those aspects of himself. Most of us would be focused on self-preservation just as he was when so entirely out of our element. The two realms this book brings together (life in the Congo and life as a stringer) are ones I previously knew nothing about, so I enjoyed this dabble into them. Sundaram ultimately is sympathetic to the Congolese as he gains an understanding of their culture and lifestyle, and the problems they are dealing with. He juxtaposes himself a bit with another journalist, and it's easy to see the difference between them being immersed in Sundaram's perspective. However, I imagine that he probably seemed no different from the other journalist in the eyes of many of the Congolese people he met.