This book really had home with me.I could really understand what corey went through. You had a lot of problems because everybody wanted to be something else.. He struggled because he had a mental health issue.Some people really do not understand that I like how the beginning of the chapters would have little things and this would tie into what he felt in that chapter. I Things he said in this book.Really hit home with me because I went through a lot of problems in my childhood and in my twenties and I can really relate to what he's saying. Every time you had a problem, you figured a way out to make it better for him. He struggled with his family because they just didn't understand him. I think what he did traveling around and doing things to make him feel better. People just don't understand what depression and suicide is. This book should be taught in high school to show kids.There's a way out of those problems. The title is great because it's a color everything. It's showing the world how you can move forward and have setbacks but you can keep going. You found this talent by Climbing mountains and doing photography and this is how he expressed himself I love this book.

I went into this book blindly just skimming over the blurb of the plot. This book was wonderful and so poetically written. Mental health is rough, trying to understand your own mental illness is rougher and at times the roughest part can be finding the people that understand. It’s one thing to have experience with it through someone else, but it is another thing entirely to fight it daily. I feel like this book captured the broad facets of mental illness from the high highs to the low lows and what it means to search for the calmness. Overall, as someone who knew nothing about Cory (which now sounds wild, especially with all of his achievements) the entire journey kept me fascinated and enthralled. I highly recommend!

Just finished The Color of Everything, a memoir from Cory Richards. Cory is known for being the only American to have climbed a 8m peak in winter of which there is a documentary called Cold about. He is also known for his mental health advocacy.

I came for the adventure and stayed for the real exploration of his mental health journey and vulnerability along the journey. I also thought the way in which he took responsibility for his own shortcomings and sexism and how he fought to be a better ally and understand his actions and their consequences refreshing.

Memoirs for me are hard to judge which I’ve said her before. A lot of his writing feels circuitous and brings up the snake eating his own tail several times in the memoir which does feel kinda apt for how he rights at times.

Parts of this I felt grew long but I also really enjoyed the story telling and it sometimes felt like oral storytelling that meandered and morphed as it went along and storytelling is his favorite thing to do which he tells us and I do think he is good at it.

I’m a little sad he is no longer climbing because I loved the travel and climbing sections, though the combo of climbing and his mental health made me anxious on several occasions so maybe it’s a good thing he stopped while ahead. His mental health advocacy was really refreshing to read. More men going to therapy and working through their issues please!

Overall I did really enjoy this and found a lot of his writing and thoughts so vivid and gorgeous. It shows that he is a reader alongside being a writer. I think if you love outdoor adventure, family dynamics, mental health depictions and advocacy that this may be something you enjoy.

Now off to plan a hike while I’m still inspired!

Cory Richards learned to love the outdoors at an early age. Now he is a well-known photographer and filmmaker, sharing his stories of adventure, as well as discussing the trauma that haunted him for many years.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book was an interesting read of a mix of memoir, travel/adventure and self-help. The author shares his story of how he got from "problem" child and trauma to alpinist and award winning photographer. The writing is good and he takes you on a physical and emotional journey of his life, nature and his love for the outdoors. Later in the story he is diagnosed with a certain condition that informs why certain things happened in his life and also goes on other adventures of self discovery such as meditation, alternative drugs and psychedelics. Yet, the biggest cure is being outdoors, climbing mountains and taking photographs of the life and other lives he was experiencing. The most troubling part of the book is his discussion about sexual harassment that he was accused of and his processing of his part in it. He is brave to add this into his book as I believe most would avoid the topic but his rationalization and defense of that act was pretty much what most men say...very disappointing. This was a small part of the book and I would still recommend it.

The Color of Everything was a very enjoyable memoir.

I really enjoy reading mountain climbing books and this was a great follow up to some of the Jon Krakauer books that I have really enjoyed. This one was a little different in that there were several really adult themes covered including sexual information and a difficult mental health journey.

Bookseller this would be a great hand sell for customers who enjoy books like Into Thin Air.

This digital review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Random House and Netgalley for my review copy!

I Found This Book to be Very Interesting!

When you read a book about someone you have heard of and are interested in what made them tick sometimes you get way more info than you wanted. However, I applaud Cory for his raw and honest telling of his life. Family trauma, relationship trauma, all trauma plays a part in our mental health. Cory shares all.

I am sure you have heard the quote…

Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t. ~Mark Twain

I really hope the actual book holds pictures that he took. If not that would be disappointing.

*CONTENT WARNING: Language and sensitive content. Sex and death.

Audiobook:
Narrated by the Author Cory Richards
I enjoyed both reading and listening to this book. It is always nice when it is the actual author. You get so much more because they lived their words so it is told with feeling and meaning.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book – and loved it. Cory Richards gives us a (presumably) frank, uncensored glimpse into what it means to face ongoing mental health issues. His bipolar drives him to forever seek new extreme adventure, which makes this book fascinating. It made me feel a range of emotions, from dismay and sadness, to triumph and hope, and I was totally gripped right the way through.
Cory’s writing is often profound and wise. He’s philosophical and insightful. He writes beautifully and captivatingly. He explores so many of life’s big questions, such as how we define our identity, and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. And, most importantly, how we can escape victimhood and rewrite our stories.
Not only does the reader get real insights, backed up by research, about a number of mental illnesses, including bipolar and complex PTSD, but also an absolutely spellbinding account of what it’s like to prepare for, and then tackle, the most dangerous mountains in the world.
From a young age, Cory knows that his brain is wired differently. His parents never really knew which version of himself they would have to deal with that day – the sweet Cory, or the difficult Cory. He becomes a defiant, rebellious young man in troubling relationships with his parents, brother, friends and colleagues.
Cory is often fearful: of his ‘madness’ and the things he imagines will go horribly wrong (he’s a master of catastrophic thinking). But he’s the first to admit that this fear also drives him to greater achievements. He also craves stimulation and becomes addicted to a range of substances, from caffeine to antidepressants and nicotine, which don’t help to stabilise his moods, and eventually lead him to rehab.
His life is filled with irony. He realises that he takes pills to counteract his ‘madness’ in order to be able to do mad things. He tries to stay sane in order to attempt the insane, which helps him escape insanity.
Highly recommended.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Random House for accepting my request to read and review The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within on NetGalley.

Published: 07/09/24

Stars: 3

My standard three stars on a memoir signify I read your book.

I didn't like the jumps in time. This isn't time travel. I prefer a straight timeline when possible.

I found the profanity just took away from whatever point Richards wanted to make. I didn't connect at all with him or his story.

Three stars because this is his life, not a novel. As a novel I would have DNFd.

I have admired Cory Richards' work as a photographer and mountain climbing explorer for several years. In this autobio. Richards lays bare his personal experience, professional development, evolution as an artist through the lens of his mental health. In this well written, interesting, at times difficult memoir, Cory Richards fully fleshes out not only his own story, but that of mental health issues in general. He is open, transparent, but unflinching in sharing his journey, his struggles, his motivation and his experiences in becoming an explorer.

My only gripe about reading this memoir in kindle form was a lack of images. Richards' description of a climbing expeditions, of covering locations, for National Geographic cried out to the heavens for maps and photos!

This is an interesting memoir, as the author has accomplished things (re: mountain climbing) that few people will ever accomplish and had opportunities to go places and experience things that most of never will. It is also a powerful memoir because the author is so open about his mental illness and how it has impacted his life and career. There is a rawness and vulnerability that is uncommon in memoirs, especially ones written by men. The reader sees how the author’s understanding of his mental illness and how it affects his life, and the lives of others evolves as he experiences great triumphs and tragedies, and as he is forced to confront himself and try to understand why he is who he is and does what he does.

This is Cory Richard’s memoir about his struggles with mental illness and his escape into the often dangerous world of climbing and climbing photography. Often harrowing and unflinchingly honest, this memoir is very well written. I received a digital copy via NetGalley.

I usually hate giving memoirs bad reviews because it feels like I'm critiquing the author's life or experience, but this was bad. This was really bad. It was too long, too self-conscious and yet not self-aware, patronizing... and very, very, glaringly male.
If you are determined to read this book, perhaps a library copy would be the best.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for offering me the ARC.





For the publisher:
I don't intend to post this review to my blog or social media, but I wanted to be honest here.

“It’s very easy to be certain amidst comfort. It’s easy to fight when consequences are still just abstractions.” ‼️‼️‼️

“The problem with an unwell mind is that it makes you blind to the world.” 🥺

Wow this book packs a punch. Cory is bipolar and this book is a look into every nuance of his life and how his mental health has shaped it. If you have ever loved someone with mental illness you will feel his struggles viscerally. How he runs from it, but also towards it. How he makes mistakes but then beats himself up for them.

Amongst all of this is his desire to climb. Climb Everest. Climb wherever. Thank you, Corey, for telling your story.

The audiobook is narrated by the author himself and so you know that it is done with the perfect inflection of emotion as he knows what he knows about what he wrote.

Thanks for the free audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Random House, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC.

With a generosity of spirit, an adventurer’s heart, a sense of humor and compassion for others, including himself, Corey Richards takes the reader on a journey up the highest peaks on Earth and the lowest descents of his bipolar disorder and depression. Richards uses his mountain climbing and photographic skills to keep his mental problems at bay, but he eventually realizes that he must face his devils without succumbing to other addictions. His pathway is hard, jarring and harrowing but also insightful. Don’t expect a book only about problems or achievements. Don’t anticipate a “how to” or platitudes. Richards reaches deeper with thoughts that should impact everyone as they strive for a life of meaning, joy, and presence. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title. Highly recommended.

I found the journey of Cory Richards life awe-inspiring, from early on it seems he has tried to find a peaceful place but had to take many different paths to find one that made him happy. I love the places he traveled to and the cultures he learned from. I loved the many ways he tried to find help and each time he received help added to understanding of his journey. I love how he describes everything in his journey, it felt like I was right there with him and that I could hear, see and taste what he was doing; the descriptions of his climbs, the encounters with unexpected finds and his the preparations for those climbs were mind boggling.
The most inspiring part of the journey is his courageous effort to find what would bring him peace and not giving up on himself. I like that each encountered with other people made him more empathetic and more understanding about how everyone has their own package and that we all want to be happy. I loved the results of his stay at the Buddhist retreat where he found what really matters and tried to add it to his life.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy of this amazing journey into one man soul and finding a great journey.

(★4.5)

“Wow! Wow! Just wow!” But this is no child’s goat-cow-giraffe-zebra-horse….

The Color of Everything is a memoir of adventure, success, fame, and the struggle to overcome personal demons. Cory Richards grew up in Utah's mountains, learning outdoor skills from his father despite a troubled home life. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he found solace in photography and climbing. His successful adventure photography career was disrupted by a catastrophic avalanche, forcing him to confront past trauma and mental health.

The Color of Everything is a demanding work. It’s a torrent. A purging. It’s a very fluid book, insofar as it’s like a large body of water. It swells, stretches out in a calm peace, crashes with floods, and slows to trickling streams. It’s raw…if I can use a word that Cory himself hides behind by hating it. Though I dislike the use of present tense in a broad sense, I can feel the pull of him through life as existing only in moments. He is constantly in the now, and this memoir delivers this. You can know Cory from these pages — maybe more or less than he intended, and maybe more or less than through his photography, but you can feel his presence throughout.

Inside this memoir, Cory emerges as adventurer, artist, and observer. There’s beauty in the writing style, whether his own or a ghost writer’s, and it’s a marbling of fact and experience. Yes, there’s a decent amount of mountain climbing, but there is also science, mostly centered around mental health explorations, and a deep poignancy that felt like an exposed wound. Some of it is science for you. Some are his plaintive pleas of defending and defining himself with science. But it doesn’t matter, it all works together as if he’s both teacher and patient. He has split himself open down the middle and said look here.

Cory Richards memoir was heartbreaking. His descriptions of his ongoing battle with bipolar depression and how it affected himself and those in his life were so very harrowing. I cannot imagine the frustration he and his family felt while he was growing up, as well as the women in his life struggling to understand him. Those passages were so very chilling to read. I found myself wondering what direction his life may have taken if his dad had not been so invested in teaching he and his brother winter survival skills during their childhood. His mom and dad seemed to always be there to support him in spite of the challenges inherent in doing so over and over again.
As an adult, his drive to put his life at risk to climb the unforgiving mountains over and over, living in such remote locations and dealing with the excruciating weather, sleeping sitting up on the side of a steep mountain, constantly worrying about an avalanche, all while trying to run from the feelings caused from his bipolar depression will remain with me for many years to come. The realization that he was so adept at chronicling his travels and experiences for National Geographic makes his prowess that much more impressive.
My heart felt for Topo after his years of training and his anticipation for their last climb, he must have felt betrayed, not having any realization of the torturous struggles Cory was trying to overcome. I am hoping that they have since been able to heal their rift.
One of the most impactful passages for me was when he moved to the other side of the world with the woman he loved so dearly in an effort to live their lives, but his inner thoughts, fears, and judgmental feelings destroyed the relationship. His awareness that he had used women in a similar fashion over the years was my first glimmer that he was beginning to realize his impact on those around him.
So many random things will linger with me…his satisfaction with the act of sweeping, ouroboros, the phrase “Go gently!”.
Many many thanks to Cory Richards for having the strength to share his internal struggles, Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this eye opening portrayal of living with bipolar.

Amazing! In spite of serious mental health issues and a rather chaotic, to put it nicely, upbringing and family life, Cory Richards becomes a world renowned mountain climber, a photographer and is later employed by National Geographic. I will not go into that part of his life and add spoilers, but his accomplishments are so noteworthy. And this is not simply a flat retelling of his life from a young age; he has a strong way with words and his philosophical descriptions that give this story a depth that I don't always see in autobiographies. He's brutally honest about his failures, his shortcomings and the immense roll that his mental health has played in his life and in the setbacks that ensued.

I am not drawn to mountain climbing but I would read this book and feel like I was there, on Everest. Fascinating and terrifying, he brings it to life. And the story of his life rounds out the picture of a complicated, intelligent man. I would recommend this book to everyone, mountain climber or not!

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

The Color of Everything is an incredible memoir from a remarkable man. This book is honest, vulnerable, stunning and impossible to look away from.

Cory's story is incredible and how he shares his struggles and challenges is both heartbreaking and inspiring all at once. Cory's writing is as descriptive and gorgeous as his photography, and you are transported into his story alongside him. This is truly one of the best memoirs I've read in quite some time, and one that will stick with me for years to come.

A must for anyone looking for hope in times of challenge.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy.