Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life

by Nicholas D. Kristof

From New York Times columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and best-selling author Nicholas D. Kristof, an intimate and gripping memoir about a life in journalism

“Nick Kristof takes us behind the scenes as he risks his life to shine a light on the world’s most pressing problems and blaze a trail to a better future. In a time when trust in journalism is in jeopardy, his honesty, humility, and humanity are rays of hope.”—Adam Grant, author of Hidden Potential

Since 1984, Nicholas Kristof has worked almost continuously for The New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist, becoming one of the foremost reporters of his generation. Here, he recounts his event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world.

Reporting from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo, while traveling far afield to India, Africa, and Europe, Kristof witnessed and wrote about century-defining the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Yemeni civil war, the Darfur genocide in Sudan, and the wave of addiction and despair that swept through his hometown and a broad swath of working-class America. Fully aware that coverage of atrocities generates considerably fewer page views than the coverage of politics, he nevertheless continued to weaponize his pen against regimes and groups violating basic human rights, raising the cost of oppression and torture. Some of the risks he took while doing so make for hair-raising reading.

Kristof writes about some of the great members of his profession and introduces us to extraordinary people he has met, such as the dissident whom he helped escape from China and a Catholic nun who browbeat a warlord into releasing schoolgirls he had kidnapped. These are the people, the heroes, who have allowed Kristof to remain optimistic. Side by side with the worst of humanity, you always see the best.

This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Journalism, Audiobook, History, Biography Memoir

481 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2024

About the author

Nicholas Donabet Kristof is an American journalist, author, op-ed columnist, and a winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. He has written an op-ed column for The New York Times since November 2001 and is widely known for bringing to light human rights abuses in Asia and Africa, such as human trafficking and the Darfur conflict. He has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to 160 countries and all 50 states. According to his blog, during his travels he has had "unpleasant experiences with malaria, wars, an Indonesian mob carrying heads on pikes, and an African airplane crash".

Reviews

[Shirley Freeman]

Kristof’s memoir isn’t coming out until May 2024, but I’m already talking about it to everyone. I loved it. While I’ve read, and loved, all three of his and Sheryl’s books, I’m not a regular column reader (of anybody’s). But Nick Kristof knows how to tell a story (the book begins as he is about to experience a plane crash in the Congo), and he has had quite an adventurous life as a farm boy who grew up to become a New York Times foreign correspondent and regular columnist. His passion for making the world a better place is inspiring. He writes equally well about his failures and his successes. He writes about the people who have inspired his passion for justice and truth and the role the best kind of journalism can play in both. He’s a risk-taker who recognizes that both dumb luck and smart planning/quick thinking have kept him alive in tenuous situations. He is a clear and pragmatic thinker who acknowledges that extremist attitudes/idea on both the right and the left are problematic. I appreciate his hope filled emphasis in spite of all he has witnessed.

[Laura Housley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Nick Kristof. I often plan my end of year giving around his annual recommendations. I love his humble, adventurous, observant, capable, kind spirit.
Maybe my favorite non-fiction of 2024.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and had the wonderful opportunity of hearing him talk about his book in Cambridge. His memoir made me think a lot about what I can do as a student journalist, and what changes I should make for my college's newspaper. Although I was at first not quite convinced by the title of his memoir, over time I found his argument about finding hope in difficult places persuasive and cogent. His stories about what he learned from interviewing humans around the world are inspiring and uplifting, even though Kristof has seen a lot of sad and tragic things. His life is very fascinating to read about, and the memoir encouraged me to picture an alternate life of becoming a journalist instead of pursuing careers that all of my peers are chasing after.

[Abby Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent. Really enjoyed meeting Kristof and he is such an important force in our world. Every human should read this book.

[Angie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of the author and his book Tightrope is one of my favorite works of nonfiction. Nick Kristof is a NY Times journalist who has covered war and genocide in Tiananmen Square, Arab Spring, Congo, Darfur, but always chasing hope. Even if you are unaware of his work you can imagine the stories he has to tell about covering news in such areas.

I found myself fascinated by his lineage, being related to Shakespeare and his grandmother would ride her bicycle through London grabbing the back of buses to tow her through traffic. His father knew seven languages and fought in WWII growing up in a noble Armenian family with a complex life identifying as spies and refugees. His father wrote: beware of man’s capacity for plain stupid, irrational, as well as consciously evil, behavior but man has an even greater capacity for lapses- if man can create the arts then why would he be powerless to create justice, fraternity and peace? His home overflowed with empathy and confidence teaching their kids they could do something to make a difference- write letters,sign petitions, or call members of Congress. Nick grew up in Oregon (a state which had barred Black people and hostile towards other people of color). When Nick went to Harvard he was friends with Bill McKibben, Jeff Tobin, David Sanger and others. He was friend with Elena Kagan, surrounding himself with other bright word smiths.


If Lincoln could aim for “malice toward none” then can our country be less divided after Trump. He admires Intellect that is harnessed to a larger cause (greater good for humanity). Goal for life should be to advance through life achieving multiple competing goals while recognizing that the outcome will be an imperfect, muddled compromise.

While in Africa he ponders colonization and noticed countries were similar whether they were colonized or not. The variables most positively impacting a country’s development are mass education, good governance, and leadership- avoiding corruption while building good policies. It’s impossible to fight poverty when there’s chaos and violence. Health also doesn’t get enough attention as people are still dying from malaria and people have to choose which of their children gets to sleep under a bed net. Today Gates Foundation is saving millions of lives from malaria, AIDs, diarrhea and pandemic while empowering women and this author’s piece on this topic has likely been his most significant leading to these positive supports. Journalists and what they cover and their narrative associated really impacts the lives of others- especially coverage of politics and d Presidents. This author has covered several Presidents.

[Natalie Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Declan Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great memoir of a colorful life, a little pompous but also its nick kristof

[Lori Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library and was so taken by it, I ordered a signed edition from the McMinnville bookstore. Insightful, smart, knowledgeable, honest, provocative. Best book I've read this year and no doubt a candidate for the next Pulitzer.

[AmandJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but too long and dense

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had stopped after reading Kristoff’s earlier books and skipped this one, I would like him better. I know it is to be expected that a memoir of one’s life is all about “me” but I soon got sick of reading about his precociousness as a child and then all of his foreign assignments where he placed himself in one excruciating situation after another in pursuit of a story. And one more thing, I’m tired of books that glorify a man’s career in which he is darting to every part of the world, putting himself and, by extension, his family at great risk, because he is indispensable or maybe addicted to thrills, and then in his book he extols how his wife is so so virtuous and accomplished. Whether she bought into this or not, let her tell her own story and spare us. Parts of the inside information about how the New York Times actually works were revealing but I found myself skimming to finish the book.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.6/10

A lot of this was pretty boring and long winded, but a lot was very interesting and I enjoyed it. So the 3 stars is an average of lots of good and bad.

The most interesting part was from about 7/16 through 7/8 where we was taking a lot about genocide and major conflicts in Africa and the middle East.

A quick note for Savatage fans out there - he talks about the cellist in Sarajevo and Kevin Carter, so you might consider those Easter eggs.

[Sarah Wiehe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but then it came back to why I love this author and his books. Great on audio.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal!! I want to be him when I grow up

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fascinating! Chronicling his life as a foreign correspondent in war torn countries all over the world. I read his book Tightrope and his stories were so compelling and this was equally so. Heartbreaking too. He also sheds light on the moral obligation of a journalist and how we take what is being written to make real changes. Makes me want to pay more attention to stories being told all over the world, especially of the most vulnerable and find ways to help.

[Mike Steinharter · Rating 5 out of 5]

He’s a brilliant writer of course. He’s also an admirable man. The stories are amazing - Tiananmen Square, Sudan, US elections, etc. my only regret is that I don’t have the hardcopy to underline and scribble in. (Libby, audiobook)

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intimate and gripping memoir. The author reveals how a brief stint in politics (running for governor of Oregon and losing) gave him the gift of time to write. He shares anecdotes from his career in journalism, from editing the high school newspaper to reporting from war zones like Darfur. He also discusses the challenges and rewards of the job, emphasizing the importance of fact-checking, humility, and compassion.

The book immediately pulls you in because it starts with the author almost dying in a plane crash. In addition to learning about his life as a journalist and wishful politician, I also love how the author shared his romance with his wife and included pictures of his life. There was one quote that I just loved, "Security, it's like oxygen. You don't notice it until you don't have it."

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri..."

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this writer and admire his bravery and his commitment to truth and making the world a better place. Enjoyed his memoir.

[Kathryn Siemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded up)

The good thing about reading for book clubs is getting to read outstanding books I otherwise wouldn't read. Chasing Hope falls into this category. I don't read a ton of memoirs, nor am I familiar with Nicholas Kristof, and this book wasn't on my radar until last month.

Kristof is, unsurprisingly, a good writer, and despite his claim that Times writers tend to have "stodgy" writing, I found his style engaging and accessible. Decades of journalistic experience adds to Kristof's narrative skills as he brings his stories from the field to life on the page. The one gripe I have is that Kristof comes off as a little preachy at times. I know the point of the book is to stay optimistic despite the despair in the world, and maybe this is just me being a pessimist, but as I read the book there were a few times I was thinking, "Okay! Enough! I know I need to be positive!"

I have a hard time staying positive in today's political climate. It's easy to get caught up in a doom spiral every time I look at the news, even when I know I shouldn't. Given that, I think I read Chasing Hope at the perfect time. Kristof's book helped me put my own worries into perspective, and made me realize that it's not all doom and gloom. Kristof's descriptions of purposeful journalism and the people working to change the world have also forced me to refocus my attention from pessimistic nihilism. As easy as it is to give up because everything's a dumpster fire, Kristof shows that we must try to make an impact in the world, no matter how small. Only optimism can bring about positive change.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Kristof had a fascinating life covering historic moments, meeting grandiose figures, and risking his life more times than anyone can count. Entertainment was guaranteed on that front, but what brings value to this memoir are Mr. Kristof‘s balanced reflections on these events and how they dissect the psyche of humanity.

Nick champions empathy and humanism, and throughout my reading I found someone who has validated in me a positive vision on society — something hard to find elsewhere.

I particularly liked a chapter that emphasizes his sensibility towards the dangers of ideological sectarianism — even from his own camp.

Although I have to admit that a lot of Mr. Kristof’s opinions have that “old man screams at cloud” tone that comes with being an “opinionated white boomer”, the author is forgiven as he displays the kind of philosophical humility that more pundits should have.

I’ve seen some critiques acknowledging how his memoirs are very US-centric, and how Nick’s analyses of global affairs have a lot of blind spots. This is all very true, and can irritate a lot of readers. Yet it’s hard to judge the “value” of this book based on those shortcomings — this is a personal memoir, not a foreign policy essay.

In summary: An entertaining read, not particularly illuminating, but reaffirmed a lot of thoughts I had lately.

Thank you!

[Jarrett Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristof’s eventful memoir recounts his decades as a NYT reporter, foreign correspondent, and editorial writer. Through his world travels, Kristof found himself with a front row seat to world events—and, as he writes, an active participant, trying to use journalism to effect a purpose. From Tiananmen Square and Iraq to Darfur and the Congo, Kristof has reported on war, authoritarianism, genocide, slavery, and more. And yet, he writes movingly about how he remains optimistic not only in journalism’s ability to inspire action, but also in humanity’s capacity to persevere, to alleviate suffering, to lift people out of poverty. At the same time, “Catching Hope” does not shy away from criticizing journalists’ mistakes in recent years—Kristof’s own and Kristof’s employer’s (e.g., the firing of James Bennet for publishing Tom Cotton’s op-ed). For anyone interested in the life of a reporter and in need of a jolt of optimism, “Catching Hope” is worth the read.

[Dot526 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably more 2.5ish, rounding down as I often wanted to throw this brick of a book while reading. It’s frustrating because there are many incredibly fascinating stories (often terribly tragic too) here but this is WAY too long and instead of being a book should have been a collection of short stories (there is no real flow). I think Kristof is well intentioned and clearly has a skill at getting information and reporting it out, but throughout he is both-sidesing everything and never actually seems vulnerable with the sharing of his truth. There is a lot of woe-is-me for feeling guilty about something without ever diving deep into the roots of the issue (and it’s plenty long so it’s not like there wasn’t time). I imagine Kristof is fun to listen to but clearly needed more guidance and editing here.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this memoir by journalist Nick Kristof. I had never heard of him before, but I loved seeing his life unfold--from his upbringing in rural Oregon by progressive academics to his success as a daring, whip smart foreign correspondent (he's received 2 Pulitzers, one with his wife!) to a failed run as Oregon governor. He seems like an intelligent but also empathetic man whose unique upbringing and experiences abroad gave him a comprehensive vision of humanity and its complexity. I respect someone who is trying to acknowledge life's nuances without letting it dissuade them from actively pursuing what they think is good and right, even if that means doubling back and admitting you're wrong sometimes. I enjoyed learning about the golden age of foreign correspondence (who knew they lived so well?) and his time covering different events/conflicts around the world, but also anecdotes about his wife/kids (he seems very in love) and his reflections on the moral obligations of a journalist. It's a little long but I feel hopeful and energized after reading!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive read all of his books since Half the Sky. Each one so thoughtfully documenting and taking the space to write about such important topics. His memoir is no different.

If you want adventure, this is a book for you. Covering some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts, Kristof recalls stories from his family escaping persecution, to being held at gunpoint in Congo, to the problems he faced domestically in his town of Yamhill.

Filled with his humble, adventurous, and incredibly optimistic self. Kristof balances the integrity of journalism with the drive of creating a better world.

[Jessica Markwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly, I have been a Kristof fangirl since middle school, so I came to this book with bias, but this telling of Kristof’s own story perfectly articulates the complexity of our times.
Proximity to despair is also proximity to hope, and hope is the muscle we must flex to navigate our modern political, social, technological, economic, and spiritual landscapes. And a catalyst of hope is good, true storytelling.
His stories remind me that it requires courage and risk taking to move beyond black and white, but find flourishing in our multitude of gray spaces.

[Michelle Struck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Nicholas Kristof’s writing for a long time so I was excited to learn he had written a memoir. This book is long but worth the read. Kristof has traveled the world and reported on human rights issues from some of the worst conflicts in recent history including Tiananmen Square, genocide in Darfur and Bangladesh and war in Congo. He has also written much about addiction and poverty in the US as well as written about the importance of education for women and girls around the world. He has seen the worst of humanity yet he writes with hope. I learned a lot from this book and highly recommend it.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are going to read any memoir let it be this one. I really wish I had the words to summarize why this book is so important to me. Kristof talks in depth about his experience as a journalist and a lot of the issues our world and our own communities face. This book also gave me a new perspective on my own liberalism and has given me a bit more of an understanding of those who I tend to disagree with. Let’s chase hope!

[Evelyn Petschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating, intrepid and inspiring life! I have long admired the author’s unwavering courage and commitment to human rights, and his dedication to telling the stories that need to be told. And yet despite all the injustices and inhumanity he has observed and shared with us through his journalism, he remains by his own admission a “perpetual optimist”. Another fantastic memoir with wonderful audio narration by the author.

[Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr Kristof is an exceptionally talented wordsmith and seems like a genuine, well intentioned guy. The sort of person I believe I would enjoy conversing with on a range of topics, of which he would likely help educate me on most of them. He's done incredible work on advancing issues related to girls/woman's rights/freedom/safety, he's exposed corrupt leaders and businesses, advanced and fostered a robust and healthy dialogue on Democracy and freedom, all while living a fascinating and unique life. 

Because of all of these factors and others I enjoyed reading much of this book, EXCEPT... it's apparent that Mr Kristol and I have very different views on the root causes of most of the issues he covers, and more importantly the actions that should be taken to bring about true and lasting change. Because of this, as I read I grew increasingly irritated and annoyed.

Here's my journal entries that started around pg 150 or so:
Mr Kristof's paternalistic, US centric perspective is beginning to upset me. He just spent two pages writing (beautifully) about the girls in Cambodia who are sex trafficked, and as he's leaving the location he relates: "I walked out of that brothel wondering about my own moral responsibility. Sophia was a thirteen year old prisoner, effectively a slave, and every l every day stranger men walked into the brothel and exploited her and then walked away." OK, here it comes. An acknowledgement and examination of colonialism and capitalism's exploitive externalizing and creation of winners and losers and his role as a citizen of the US who benefits and contributed via their tax dollars and support of various administrations... NOPE!
"I spent time in the brothel, gathered up the girls' stories and satisfied my needs and then left the girls behind." UGH! Me, me, me, woah is me and my horrible guilt. And now back to work for the NYT, mouthpiece of the corporate empire.

Sure, occasionally he acknowledges colonial history and it's inevitably sad impact on the countries citizens, but I have yet to find an instance where he directly connects current  policies with suffering, especially the role of the US. Here's an example of his "recognition" that there are significant factors that create and exacerbate inequality, war, etc. on pg 221 "So I came to think that the two crucial factors for development are mass education and good governance and leadership. They explain why East Asia generally thrived..." Isn't that convenient?! Once again zero acknowledgement of outside influence being a critical factor in creating and sustaining the conditions I described.

As I read i continued to add entries:
Sigh... out comes the humans are inherently violent trope - on pg 225 Mr Kristof references 'Lord Of The Flies' to be a catch all for chaos and once again perpetuates the falsehood of moral breakdown bring inevitable. If you are unfamiliar with the real story about the boys who survived and cooperated vs the Golding fabrication I highly suggest you read Humankind.

It was inevitable and on about page 228 charity and foundations heroically enter the scene with the arrival of Mr Carter & Mr Gates. From this point on the author periodically references amazing charity work and praises how important they are and how they ameliorate certain wrongs... please, please read "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World" by Anand Giridharadas. This fantastic book challenges readers to critically examine how social change is approached by those with power and wealth, arguing for more systemic solutions that may require fundamental changes to existing power structures. To me charity is generally acts as a band aid for a severed limb to the receiver, and a sugar free lollipop for the giver.

Towards the end of the book he even demonstrates his allegiance to the Church of Gladwell when he begins citing statistics about poverty and infant mortality and how great life is today vs any other time... this theory has been thoroughly debunked in numerous places - look out up.

Later still he is describing how Goldman Sachs invested in Backpage and how this site facilitated human trafficking. Mr Kristol describes how GS sold/gave away their shares as soon as he exposed this but later promoted the employee who had been on the board at Backpage to partner. Then the author writes, "I don't think that Goldman partner was an evil person, any more than pharma executives who marketed painkillers were necessarily evil. But I do think that people watching PowerPoint presentations in corporate conference rooms don't ponder-or care enough about the human devastation they cause." Ooooh, they aren't evil, they just "don't care enough". Really? Your that naive to believe they aren't willfully ignorant and in denial and it rationalizing because they only care about their bottom line!? I'm not a believer in 'evil' either but I know when someone is a calculating, conscious exploiter and see little difference between the child trafficker and the GS executive who finances their actions.

That's the thing, Mr Kristof never truly takes a stand about capitalism and the role it plays in ALL of the awful war zones, droughts, climate chaos events he bravely documents. He's a big D Democrat. A... centrist and that's not going to help us in this final hour where dramatic action and hard truth matter most.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially picked this book up from the library for my husband to read, but he wasn't particularly engaged by it, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it. In the end, I loved it. Kristof tells the story of how he became a journalist, then shares stories from his life in that role. He's about my same age, so we went through periods of time together. I appreciated his concern to assure that his wife, too, could pursue her professional life. It sounds like they managed a high-power, two-career life while raising three (apparently great) kids. Definitely recommend.

[Danica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Nicholas has lived an extraordinary life. I am somewhat amazed at how he carefully describes complex problems in a way that I don’t feel paralyzed by them. Even more so, how he writes about humanity in a beautiful way, even when it’s terrible. Is it corny to say it has given me hope?

I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. It’s one of those books.