Dan Rather WAS CBS News. For over 40 years, he was a reporter and then anchor of CBS Nightly News. We knew that he would look for the story, seek out the facts, and report it to us fairly and accurately. Network news and newspapers brought the US people the stories, big and small, that told the American people what was happening in small towns and big cities in the US and the world. We could rely on the news people to tell us the truth and to shed light on the people and policies of our government. Rather was committed to that goal, until he ran into the changing face of network (corporate) news. After two controversial stories (Abu Ghraib and George Bush's National Guard service) Rather finds himself out of a job and completely disillusioned with the state of journalism.

This is Rather's memoir and philosophy and sometimes tirade on the state of journalism today. He is at his best when he is in memoir mode -- telling the stories of his life both personal and professionally. The narrative drags a bit when he delves into details of his struggles to get those stories on air, and when he begins to rant against "the man". But all in all a very readable book, interesting and thought-provoking. It left me longing for Chronkite and Huntley/Brinkely. The current TV "news-light" is not nearly as compelling or watchable as it was in those days.

Read it for a good look at journalism and some of the biggest stories of the past 40 years.