First off, thank you Cory Richards, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Cory Richards is so good at writing, damn. The way he writes makes you feel like you're living in his memories and emotions. It takes someone really talented to do that. However, there are some of Richards' memories that were painful and that I don't want to live it. In those instances I had to set the book down and take a mental break from it before picking it back up again.

The stories of Richards' expeditions such as his river trip through Africa or climbing in the Himalaya's were really cool to read about. Even the moments that were less adventurous but no less cool, such as the retreats he did filled with silence or hanging in the Lumineer's basement.

I would 100% recommend this book. It reminds you that people are dealing with silent battles and to not judge but to treat others with love and grace. It's a peek into a life with bipolar disorder and addiction and that life isn't just made up of the things (ex: photographs) that make people famous. People are multi-dimensional and ever-changing witch Richards' illustrates so beautifully in the Color of Everything.

Thank you Cory Richards for being vulnerable & sharing your beautiful story with the world. It needs to be heard.

Using his adventurous spirit to fight the internal life that he battled from an early age, Richards details his climbing, the harrowing experiences and near death trials that kept him getting back up again.

He had mental health crises from a teen through adulthood and used climbing as a tool. He details both in a way that was introspective and kind to all who have similar experiences.

Not coming from a perspective and understanding of either, it was an empathetic approach and his personal experience that he wanted to lay bare.

Earlier this year I realized I'm absolutely fascinated with climbing Mt. Everest. If you knew me you would laugh, because I'm not in any type of shape, nor do I like to be outside enough, to climb Mt. Everest. So imagine my fascination and awe when I find this book written by a photographer who has climbed Mt. Everest. I felt like it was a sign. To what, I didn't know at the time. This book is Cory's memoir and it is full of action, suspense, and intrigue, and also raw vulnerability as well as a plethora of personal wisdom! I highlighted the shit out of this book! This surprised me. I was expecting to read about climbing Mt. Everest, and I did, but that isn't what why I will be recommending this book. I will be recommending this book to people because here is a man who chose to share his lowest lows and his highest highs, his fight with his own mental demons, and the things he learned about himself and life along the way. He does not shy away from the details, so they are raw and it feels like you are experiencing the mental struggles and the bitter cold mountain climbing with him. This book is for the action junkie and the mental health advocate alike, and everyone in between. I was blown away by Cory's story and I will be returning to the wisdom in his words. Thank you, Cory, for sharing your story with the world! You are a very gifted writer and story teller!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

interesting tale of adventure and journey by an interesting person. a worth it read esp if into nature or adventure.

I didn't know of or anything about Cory Richards before this book[despite our family getting National Geo. for years and my dad shoving anything he saw as interesting at us and demanding we read it LOL], and to be honest, I don't really feel like I know how now either, AFTER reading this book [and what I DO know, I have to say, I am not a huge fan of]. He comes off as pretentious [he never seems to take the blame for anything, even if it is his fault ALL while preaching about owning ones mistakes], self-absorbed, and very selfish and I am not sure how much of that is just his nature [who he truly is] ad how much of that is his mental illness [and I am not trying to diminish his very real struggles with mental illness - I cannot imagine accomplishing all he has while fighting his demons] or if it is a true mix of both; he just never really lets his shields down to let you see him truly. He is very off-putting, he uses a lot of words to describe something yet the reader is often left wanting, his gratuitous use of language was very off-putting and really too much at times, the jumps around in time was disorienting and frustrating as you would finally be engaged in the story [usually of a spectacular climb he was doing] and WHAM, you were jerked back in time and the flow was gone. It was just...meh.

I did enjoy the mountain climbing [something I will never ever do, and fully admire anyone who can and does ever since reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer] and photography [which I DO do and enjoy, though not even remotely at his level] sections of the book [minus the time jumps], but even those at times got to be a lot of a lot [and that isn't even factoring in his dad's illness, his #metoo experience and and and...] and by the end, I was rather glad it was over.

I was invited to read/review this by the publisher [Random House Publishing - Random House] and I thank them, Cory RIchards, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The description of the book really pulled me in but his writing style was really difficult for me. The pace is super slow in the beginning and makes it hard to want to continue. I love a good memoir and this was just okay for me. (probably because of the writing style).

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley or an ARC in exchange for a review. Book was released July 9, 2024

This is a memoir of Cory's life so far, and one that is packed with information. He is an excellent writer and very candid abut his struggles with life, and how to try and overcome them. At a young age he was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder but he also had problems with addiction, and self worth.
Growing up in Utah, his father had spent years teaching Cory and his brother how to ski, climb, mountaineer, and survive in the wild.
As Cory grew older, he got in to Photography and adventure travel, where he ended up climbing Everest, climbed imposing mountain faces alone in the dark, and become the only American to summit an 8,000-meter peak in winter. for the love of climbing, and also as a Photographer shooting at times for National Geographic. But after a very close call with death due to an avalanche, he learn to rewrite his story confront his past traumas, and evaluate his own mental health, and to try to change the way he lived his life.
This book is in a way, like reading a thriller, every page made you want to know what happens.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for a copy of this book.

I thought this book was really cool. I think mountain climbing is so interesting and I thought this autobiography was really good and I’ve recommended it to many people.

When I read Cory Richards’ bio and the summary of this “thrilling tale of risk and adventure,” a friend of ours had just climbed to the Mt. Everest based camp. I’ll admit that might have caused some myopia when reading the summary as I glommed onto the thrilling adventure promise. This book is indeed about his adventures, and the opening avalanche scene is amazing. But it is weighted on mental health and addiction told with honesty and frankness. I don’t relate to this aspect of Richards’ story, so the pace felt boggy and I was unable to connect, but he does a wonderful job documenting his personal experiences and his story is beautifully told. This would be a good book for those who want to learn about his personal challenges and how he progressed despite them.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group—Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was a moving, haunting, deeply written piece of work. I ate it up from the beginning. Cory Richards has a way with words, and keeps you drawn in until the very end.

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!